German iPad point of sale startup Orderbird closes $20M Series C

Timing is everything, right? Just a few days after recovering from a denial-of-service (DoS) attack, orderbird, which claims to be the leading iPad point of sale (POS) solution in German speaking markets, is announcing that it’s closed €20 million in Series C funding.

Leading the round is Digital+ Partners, along with strategic investor Metro Group, who have put in a combined €16.5 million. Previous backer, the European payment-provider Concardis, has also participated again this time around but via a secondary listing.

Orderbird says it plans to use the new capital for product development and further expansion in Europe. This will include entering the French market this year.

The investment from publicly-listed Metro Group is noteworthy. The retailer operates the brand Metro Cash & Carry, a self-service wholesaler, which, says orderbird, fits with its mission to digitise the restaurant and catering industry.

“This investment in orderbird is an important step to help our customers take further advantage of digital solutions,” says Olaf Koch, CEO of Metro, in a statement. “Our industry knowledge as well as our access to customers is what we bring to the table”.

To that end, Metro Cash & Carry is said to be present in 25 countries worldwide and has access to 21 million active wholesale customers.

Meanwhile, Concardis’ CEO Marcus W. Mosen is talking up the way POS systems are moving beyond simply being a digital cash register, but also rapidly adding CRM-like features underpinned by the data they collect and can tap into. “We will transform the cash register to be the heart of a business – from Point of Sale to Point of Service for guests and restaurant owners and caterers,” he says in a statement.

“The digital life of clients today has different expectations of what a local POS can do. The connection of payment, customer communication with additional value, smart interactions and elaborate data analysis is what’s expected today.”