Exit After 2 Years? Motives and the Journey to Product Market Fit – Alexander Doudkin from ecotrek

About this episode

Alexander Doudkin and his team hit the perfect timing with ecotrek: In 2020, they launched their software for automated sustainability tracking of suppliers – just as B2B sustainability became a mega-trend. But now, only two years later and having just reached product market fit, they're selling the company to Ecovadis. Why?

The Perfect Timing Moment

Sustainability in supply chains is no longer a nice-to-have for B2B companies – it's a regulatory necessity. ecotrek developed software that enables companies to automatically track and assess their suppliers' sustainability performance. The team was right on target in 2020.

"The ecotrek team had actually just reached product market fit and was ready to scale," explains the situation. Yet at precisely this moment, they decided to exit – a decision that seems counterintuitive at first glance.

Finding the First Customers

Like every B2B startup, customer acquisition was one of the biggest challenges. Alexander Doudkin and his team had to find creative ways to win their first customers and build trust in their still-young solution.

The challenge: Convincing companies that automated sustainability tracking isn't just a compliance tool, but delivers real business value. The key was clearly communicating ROI and demonstrating quick wins.

Why No Impact VC?

A particularly interesting decision: The team deliberately chose against fundraising with impact VCs. These investors would have been a perfect thematic fit and likely shown great interest. But Alexander and his team had different priorities.

The reasons against impact VCs were multifaceted: They wanted to maintain full control over strategic direction. They also saw more potential for sustainable impact in a strategic exit than in a VC-financed growth story.

The Ecovadis Sale: Strategic Considerations

The exit to Ecovadis wasn't a spontaneous decision, but the result of strategic considerations. Ecovadis is already an established player in the sustainability assessment space and offers the perfect platform for scaling.

Key factors for the deal:

• –Strategic synergy: ecotrek's technology perfectly complements the Ecovadis portfolio
• –Scaling potential: Access to a larger customer base and more resources
• –Team integration: Preserving core competencies and company culture

Weighing Risks and Opportunities

Every exit brings risks. The biggest concern: Will the original vision and mission be preserved under the new roof? Alexander and his team had to ensure that the sustainability focus wouldn't fall victim to profit maximization.

At the same time, integration into a larger company offers massive opportunities:

• –Faster market penetration
• –Better resource allocation
• –Access to established customer relationships
• –Ability to achieve greater impact

Lessons Learned

The ecotrek story shows: The right time for an exit isn't always the obvious one. Sometimes it makes more sense to sell when you're building momentum, rather than waiting until growth stagnates.

For other founders, important insights emerge:

• –Product market fit doesn't automatically mean "scale now"
• –Strategic exits can have more impact than independent growth
• –Choosing the right buyer is crucial for long-term vision
• –Sometimes timing is more important than valuation

Alexander Doudkin and his team's decision shows that successful founders not only know when to start, but also when to hand over the reins.