// STARTUP COMPARISON
Trovit vs Habitissimo
Trovit failed in 2014 due to Acquisition Gone Wrong. Habitissimo failed in 2020 due to Acquisition Gone Wrong. Both failed for the same reason — Acquisition Gone Wrong.
| METRIC | 🔥 Trovit | 🔥 Habitissimo |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | Marketplace | Marketplace |
| Country | Spain | Spain |
| Founded | 2006 | 2009 |
| Died | 2014 | 2020 |
| Raised | Bootstrapped then acquired | €10M |
| Peak | €50M revenue | €15M revenue |
| Primary Cause | Acquisition Gone Wrong | Acquisition Gone Wrong |
// WHY EACH FAILED
🔥 Trovit
Acquisition Gone Wrong
Trovit was a classifieds search aggregator founded in Barcelona with strong positions in Spanish, Italian, and Brazilian markets. It was acquired by Japan's Next Co. in 2014 for approximately €80M. Under Japanese corporate ownership, product focus deteriorated, key engineers left, and the platform was gradually wound down and replaced by Next's own products.
// LESSON
Acquisition price does not guarantee product continuity. A culturally misaligned buyer destroys more value than they paid — especially when the value was a product culture that cannot be transplanted.
Acquisition price does not guarantee product continuity. A culturally misaligned buyer destroys more value than they paid — especially when the value was a product culture that cannot be transplanted.
🔥 Habitissimo
Acquisition Gone Wrong
Habitissimo was Spain and Latin America's leading home services marketplace, connecting homeowners with contractors. It was acquired by ANGI Homeservices (HomeAdvisor) in 2017. Post-acquisition, local product focus deteriorated, engineering teams were dispersed across ANGI's global structure, and Habitissimo's market position eroded as local competitors rebuilt trust with Spanish users.
// LESSON
Marketplace network effects are hyper-local. Trust cannot be managed remotely. Acquiring a marketplace and running it from another continent destroys the very thing that made it valuable.
Marketplace network effects are hyper-local. Trust cannot be managed remotely. Acquiring a marketplace and running it from another continent destroys the very thing that made it valuable.
// EXPLORE FURTHER