Udora, a global gifting marketplace formerly known as Flowwow, has closed a €9.2 million private investment round and relaunched under their new brand to investe in a deeper local presence across Europe, expanding its product catalogue, and advancing AI-powered personalisation.
According to a representative of the company, the rebranding is part of a long-planned separation process from its former Russian operations. From now on, Udora will operate and grow as a fully independent business, focused entirely on international markets, with Europe as a top priority and its headquarters in Dubai, UAE.
The Russian business will continue to grow within its own ecosystem, while strong traction across international markets made this the right moment for Udora to deepen its global expansion.
“Udora is the evolution of the project after a decade of connecting people through local creators. The company is now entering a phase where we aim to deepen our presence in the markets where we operate, with a stronger adaptation of our offering in each region and by developing cutting-edge technology to improve the gift discovery and purchasing experience,” said Slava Bogdan, CEO and founder of Udora.
Ekaterina Gorbacheva, Global Expansion Director at Udora, will also join the speaker line-up at the EU-Startups Summit 2026 on 7-8 May in Malta.
Founded in 2014, Udora connects customers with local florists, confectioners, and artisan makers across 50+ markets and 1,500+ cities. In Europe – one of the world’s largest and most mature e-commerce regions – the platform is gaining traction, with key markets such as the UK, Spain, Germany, France and Poland driving growth.
According to the company:
- Spain has emerged as the fastest-growing market, with GMV up 258% in 2025 and a further 220% year-on-year growth in Q1 2026, while orders increased by 282%.
- Germany recorded 346% GMV growth in 2025
- Poland saw GMV rise by 287% with orders up 250%, reflecting strong demand in underpenetrated segments.
- The UK also delivered solid performance, with GMV growing 97% YoY and average order value reaching €126 ($148).
The platform features more than 150,000 products across over 25 categories, with networks of verified sellers in each market. Currently, the most in-demand categories in Europe’s key markets remain flowers, followed by confectionery, plants, and personalized gifts.
All orders on the platform are handled by independent local sellers and SMEs, including florists, confectioners, edible bouquet makers, and indoor plant shops. The platform provides digital infrastructure to help them reach customers they couldn’t access independently.
Udora handles orders, marketing tools, and access to a paying, repeat audience through a single, tech-ready platform, without the overhead of building it in-house.
“Udora started with a simple idea: to help people feel close, no matter the distance. We never wanted to limit ourselves to a single country because love has no borders. After testing in multiple markets, we’ve seen the same everywhere: people want to express affection through meaningful gifts – and the model scales.
“That’s why we’re ready to take it global: to do for gifting what Airbnb did for hospitality. And as long as people love each other, there will always be a place for what we’re building,” adds Slava.
Today’s news reflects a broader shift: the EU’s Digital Decade programme has set a target of 90% of SMEs reaching basic digital capabilities by 2030. However, today fewer than three in four have done so.
Udora says they are directly aligned with this movement, giving European local sellers immediate access to customers across 50+ countries through a single platform.
Unlike generalist marketplaces, Udora tailors its product assortment to local tastes, cultural context, and price expectations in each market it enters. In Europe, this means expanding beyond flowers into baked goods, houseplants, home decor and experiential gifting, alongside curated gift bundles suited to regional gifting occasions.
Their roadmap includes gift subscriptions, wishlists, and advanced personalisation tools, including a product catalogue tailored to each customer’s browsing and purchase history. Udora also plans to roll out postal delivery across Europe, including domestic shipping options, for such categories as home decor and jewelry.
Following the relaunch and new investment, Udora targets 350,000 orders globally and plans to expand its seller base by 40%. The company expects to reach €23 million in global GMV, driven by expansion into new categories.
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/04/gifting-marketplace-flowwow-rebrands-to-udora-separating-from-russian-business-and-raising-e8-5-million-for-european-growth/
