// startup autopsy
ELabsEurope
Lab e-commerce caught in the dot-com nuclear winter
marketfitSilent Shutdown
Quiet closure with no public announcement · Fatal mistake: ELabsEurope misjudged the speed at which research institutions would adopt online procurement, vastly overestimating near-term revenue in its funding projections.
| Founded | 1999 |
|---|---|
| Closed | 2002 |
| Country | USA |
| Sector | Marketplace |
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Key Events Timeline
FOUNDING
ELabsEurope founded to build an e-commerce marketplace for life sciences and laboratory supplies procurement.
FUNDING
ELabsEurope raises $20M at dot-com peak to expand platform capabilities and sales team across European research institutions.
LAYOFF
Following the dot-com bust, ELabsEurope cuts headcount significantly as institutional sales fail to materialize at projected rates.
SHUTDOWN
ELabsEurope closes operations after exhausting its $20M funding without achieving the institutional adoption needed for sustainable revenue.