When and how did you join the Ovoko team? Did you see the potential straight away?

I first got to know Ovoko just under five years ago when the team was still nine people. My introduction came through Practica Capital, just before their seed investment. From the moment I looked at the business, the potential was convincing. Customers from Italy, Spain, France were already navigating and trying to purchase through a Lithuanian-language-only website (RRR.lt) which was a clear sign of strong product-market fit. The market size was undeniably massive, no matter how you measured it.

My conviction was also reinforced by a personal connection - my best friend who owned a scrapyard that was later successfully acquired (one of the few M&A cases in the field). After spending hours discussing the ins and outs of the industry with him, it became clear that this is a huge opportunity. In fact, he’s now working with us as well. One thing led to another and I was later offered to join the team as a late co-founder, treating the company as my own ever since.

Ovoko combines a vertical SaaS + marketplace model. What have you learned about scaling and expanding in such a traditional industry?

Our model goes beyond just SaaS and marketplace - it’s SaaS + Shipping + Marketplace and all three components are critical to our success. The SaaS platform helps scrapyards digitize their inventory faster, addressing the largest gap in the industry. Shipping enables scrapyards to sell globally without friction and the localized marketplace with support on our end delivers a smooth buyer experience, making the whole ecosystem work.

When it comes to scaling in such a traditional industry, I’ve learned three key lessons. First, you need to know your customer problems inside out. Building trust by demonstrating a deep understanding of the challenges scrapyards face is key to onboarding them. Second, our problem is global and so the leader in this field will be too - you have to think globally from day one. Third, none of us had built a used car parts marketplace before so hiring based on traits more than experience is key to forming a strong team. Open-mindedness, a sense of urgency and extreme ownership are foundational qualities I’d highlight most.

Ovoko is not your first startup. What advice would you give to founders just getting started?

In the early days of a startup, there’re a lot of unknowns - whether it’s finding product-market fit, dealing with competitive pressure or figuring out how to scale. But one thing you can determine very quickly is whether you’re building the company with the right people. Surrounding yourself with the right co-founders or early team members is crucial.

For me, that’s been one of the biggest realizations. My previous co-founder Gajus at Applaudience became one my closest friends and here at Ovoko (back when it was still RRR), I knew I was working with the right people after meeting Justinas and investors like Arvydas Bložė from Practica Capital, Mantas Mikuckas and others. It felt like we had the team to build something truly special. I’m extremely grateful that they trusted me and that has been one of the factors in our success.

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