Interview with Refurbed Founder Kilian Kaminski - From E-Waste to Unicorn Valuations

Why It Matters

Refurbed proves that a well‑executed circular‑economy marketplace can deliver both environmental impact and high‑growth returns, signalling a lucrative path for future sustainable startups.

Key Takeaways

• Refurbed turned e‑waste into a €3 bn marketplace across Europe.
• Amazon’s refurbishment pilot taught the founders marketplace dynamics and quality focus.
• 40% price savings drive European consumers to adopt refurbished goods.
• 30‑day returns and rigorous testing build trust, boosting referral rates.
• Circular‑economy marketplace scales, earning unicorn valuations and investor interest.

Summary

The EU Startups podcast sits down with Kilian Kaminski, co‑founder of Refurbed, to discuss how the company turned refurbished electronics into a pan‑European marketplace valued at unicorn levels.

Kaminski explains that his stint launching Amazon’s European refurbishment program gave him deep insight into marketplace dynamics, customer‑centric UX, and the importance of rigorous quality control. He and co‑founder Peter leveraged that experience to create a dedicated platform that aggregates refurbished phones, laptops, kitchen appliances and baby gear across 11‑plus markets, achieving €3 bn gross merchandise volume in nine years.

A recurring theme is trust: Refurbed offers a 30‑day free‑return policy and subjects each device to up to 40 refurbishment steps, which Kaminski says convinces skeptics and fuels a high referral rate. He notes that price savings of up to 40 % are the primary driver, while the sustainability narrative adds a secondary appeal.

The interview underscores that circular‑economy models can scale profitably, attracting venture capital and reaching unicorn valuations. For incumbents and new entrants, the lesson is clear – combine cost advantage, transparent quality guarantees, and education to make sustainable consumption the default choice in Europe.

Original Description

Meet the startup turning e-waste into Millions. Today, we're interviewing Kilian Kaminski, the founder and Co-CEO of Refurbed.