When Robert Gentz and David Schneider founded Zalando in 2008, hardly anyone would have expected their company to become one of Germany’s biggest startup success stories. The name Zalando stands for online fashion like Tempo stands for handkerchiefs. It’s the kind of former startup that inspires jokes along the lines of “We’re building the Zalando for XY.” And in fact: 54 startups have emerged from the German fashion retailer’s network. This makes the company the fifth largest foundry factory in Europe. In such cases, the scene also speaks of a “mafia”: a network of alumni that supports each other. We introduce you to five Zalando pupils.
