Alioth partners with Alibaba.com to boost European SMEs' global reach

Alioth, a London-based e-commerce consultancy specialised in aiding firms to identify novel global sales channels, has been selected as a multi-market channel partner by Alibaba.com, a prominent global business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce platform.

Alibaba.com's channel partner programme is designed to assist Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) on their export journeys and reach 47 million buyers worldwide through entities like marketing agencies, e-commerce consultancies, Software as a Service (SAAS) agents, re-sellers, and call centres. Selected partners have the opportunity to offer Alibaba.com as an additional cross-border sales channel for their network of SME clients.

Established in 2020, Alioth has seen consistent growth, servicing over 40 SMEs across Benelux, the UK, and the Nordics. Initially, most of Alioth's clientele operated within the food and beverage sector. However, with the increasing interest of SMEs in online B2B marketplaces, Alioth's portfolio has expanded to more than 20 sectors, such as agriculture, machinery, renewable energy, apparel, home and garden, packaging, and beauty.

Given the adoption of digital technologies amongst a third (36%) of all European SMEs and nearly a quarter (22%) of SMEs not engaged in exporting, Alibaba.com has chosen Alioth to assist SMEs in their digitalisation drive and unlock export opportunities on the platform due to its understanding of the platform and experience with clients across Europe.

Jijay Shen, General Manager Europe at Alibaba.com, emphasised the crucial role of SMEs in the European economy and expressed concern that a lack of digitalisation could pose a threat to their long-term success. Shen highlighted Alioth, leveraging its expertise in working with diverse SMEs across Europe, as a key player in supporting these businesses in the digitalisation of their processes. The goal is to help SMEs future-proof their operations for sustained success in the years ahead.

Jijay Shen stated, "SMEs are the backbone of the European economy; however, I believe a lack of digitalisation could threaten their long-term success. Leveraging its expertise working with multi-sector SMEs across Europe, Alioth will play an important role in supporting SMEs in the digitalisation of their processes as a key strength for ensuring that they future-proof their business for years to come."

Michiel Ebbing, Founder of Alioth, sees a significant opportunity to assist SMEs in their digitalisation efforts. He notes that B2B sellers have been relatively slow to embrace technology, but B2B buyers are increasingly looking for tech-driven solutions, such as Alibaba.com's online B2B marketplace, to enhance their sourcing efficiency. 

Michiel Ebbing commented, "At Alioth, we believe there is a massive, live opportunity to help SMEs digitalise. While B2B sellers have been slow to use technology to evolve, B2B buyers are increasingly seeking technology-driven solutions, like Alibaba.com's online B2B marketplace, to source more efficiently. By partnering with Alibaba.com, we will help new and existing clients leverage innovative B2B tools available on Alibaba.com and drive long-term growth."