OnBuy.com Founder Cas Paton Named Entrepreneur of the Year

When you run one of the fastest-growing online marketplaces, people will notice. And that is exactly what happened last Friday night at South West Business Leader Awards.

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OnBuy.com founder and CEO Cas Paton was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year for 2021 at the annual black-tie event in Bristol, UK from more than 300 entrants.

English comedian, actor, writer, and presenter Tom Allen hosted the event, which celebrated businesses and entrepreneurs throughout the Southwest region. The event recognized accomplishments and successes from the past year.

“It was a huge honor to be shortlisted for this award, let alone winning it. I know the talent pool was particularly strong this year, with many other entrepreneurs who have had to learn to adapt to the new world we live in and challenges we’ve faced. It has been an incredible journey to date, and I’m proud to take home this award which will be shared with my whole team at OnBuy, without whom I would not be collecting this accolade.”

Cas Paton, Founder and CEO, OnBuy.com

With a simple vision to be the best choice for every customer, everywhere, Cas Paton founded OnBuy.com marketplace in 2016. Over the last five years, the company established itself as a pure online marketplace that does not compete with its retailers.

With over 36 million products on the marketplace today, this transparent approach provides an exceptional experience for buyers by leveling the playing field for sellers.

OnBuy surpassed £100 million ($136M) in GMV last year and is on target to reach another milestone of £1 million in GMV per day, sooner than later.

OnBuy Today UK, Tomorrow the World

While the company’s success is primarily in the UK right now, OnBuy has a goal of launching in 140 countries by the end of 2023, including the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Over the last year, OnBuy has filled out its executive level with ex-eBay Director Mark Lister as CCO; James Watts as CFO, who came over from The Richmond Group, a financial services and equity investment company; Aron Cody-Boutcher as CMO who brings over 20 years of retail growth and marketing experience; and most recently, Joanna Smith as CTO who joined the company from one of the UK’s leading E-Learning providers, Virtual College Ltd.

In addition to filling out the executive level, OnBuy also recruited for many new roles in the company to support its fast expansion, expanding to well over 60 employees.

But the growth wouldn’t be possible without funding. In July the company closed on £35 million ($47M) of Series A+ funding, firmly setting its sights on reaching unicorn status ($1 billion valuation) in the coming years.

Cas Paton turned £80 into a £200 million company in five years, a tremendous accomplishment by any standard.

Having been named Entrepreneur of the Year by the South West Business Leader Awards won’t likely be his last recognition, as he continues to guide the growth of OnBuy.com into a global leading online marketplace.

“The OnBuy story has really only just started, so the future is looking very exciting,” said Paton.

Note: Cas Paton was unable to attend the physical event and Senior Brand Manager of OnBuy, Rosie Groves accepted the award on his behalf last Friday.