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Dirk Fehse

Entrepreneur | Mentor | Forest Lover 🌳

Dirk Fehse is a notable entrepreneur, mentor, investor, and speaker based in Berlin, Germany. He is best known as the founder and CEO of PaulCamper, which is recognized as Europe's leading marketplace for RV rentals. His journey into entrepreneurship was fueled by his passion for travel and camping, which led him to create a platform that connects RV owners with renters, facilitating a community-driven approach to outdoor experiences.1

Background and Career

Before founding PaulCamper in 2013, Dirk studied business administration and worked as an advisor at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), where he gained significant experience in financial matters. This background has been instrumental in shaping his entrepreneurial ventures. Dirk's approach to building PaulCamper was characterized by a lean startup methodology, focusing on community engagement and direct customer feedback to drive growth.1

Current Roles

In addition to his role at PaulCamper, Dirk Fehse is actively involved as a mentor, investor, and speaker for self-employed individuals and startups. His expertise is sought after in various entrepreneurial circles, where he shares insights on building successful businesses and fostering community within marketplaces.2

Personal Interests

Outside of his professional endeavors, Dirk is passionate about traveling and the RV lifestyle, which not only inspires his business but also reflects his personal values of exploration and adventure.2

Highlights

Oct 24 · linkedin

PaulCamper was born out of my passion to travel the world in a campervan 🚐🌳 That passion started back in Australia.

Now, I am more than delighted to announce that PaulCamper has been acquired for EUR 30m by Camplify Holdings Limited (ASX:CHL), Australia’s leading RV rental marketplace. By that a circle comes to a close.

Building PaulCamper has been the most intense, educational and influential journey of my life, which I am now happy to successfully complete after 10 years.

I am grateful for the support I have received on this journey. I can’t name all here but special thanks go to the entire PaulCamper team, the existing and former one. Thank you for your hard work, passion and believe! PaulCamper started as my idea. What it is today is the result of all of us.

The acquisition creates one of the largest peer-to-peer marketplaces globally, doubling the size of the Camplify business, with significant operations in 6 countries. On a Pro-forma basis for FY22 (Jul 21 – Jun 22) the group combined results are GMV achieved over EUR 70m and revenue of over EUR16m.

I am proud that by this merger PaulCamper will be able to grow and strive even further in Europe. Together with this transaction, Camplify has raised an additional EUR 5.5m to further fuel our joint story.

Big thanks to my co-founder Franziska Schulz, my advisor Christian Piepenbrock, my coach Robert, our investors and partners. Also, thanks for your trust and patience my dear friends and family 💚

#exit #team #work #goingglobal #travel #startup #camping #germany #australia #acquisition #growth #sharing

Related Questions

What inspired Dirk Fehse to start PaulCamper?
How did Dirk Fehse transition from financial advisory to entrepreneurship?
What are some key lessons Dirk Fehse learned while building PaulCamper?
How does Dirk Fehse balance his roles as a mentor, investor, and speaker?
What other companies has Dirk Fehse founded or invested in?
Dirk Fehse
Dirk Fehse, photo 1
Dirk Fehse, photo 2
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Location

Berlin, Berlin, Germany