Local search startup Tupalo expands, opens Rotterdam office

One of Europe’s leading local search providers, Tupalo has announced the official opening of its Rotterdam office. While it’s part of a much larger international expansion plan, Tupalo notes that the Rotterdam office is key, as the firm continues to establish itself as the trusted advisor of social and local search across the Netherlands.

“We’re huge fans of Rotterdam, from the crisp sea air, to the vibrant arts and music scene, so we’re extremely happy to be a part of the city’s unique culture and charm. By connecting passionate consumers to local businesses throughout the city, we hope to help independent businesses thrive and connect deeply with their most passionate customers,” – Tupalo co-founder Michael Borras.

The company currently has over 15 million business listings 9 countries around the globe totaling approximately 4 million unique visits per month. In addition to the Netherlands, Tupalo counts Austria, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia as its core focus markets, a move that flies in direct opposition to the traditional EU expansion routes, which are Germany, France, and the UK.

Tupalo isn’t entering the Dutch market on a whim, as it already counts thousands of reviews of local Rotterdam businesses on the platform, and has more than half a million Dutch visitors per month. Adding to these numbers, Tupalo has also revealed that it’s entered into a partnership with Dutch firm De Telefoongids, an organization that also falls under the domain of local search and lead generation firm European Directories.

Co-founder Michael Borras wouldn’t provide exact details as to the company’s further expansion plans, but he did point me towards keeping an eye on the Polish and Finnish markets. When asked about financials fueling the expansion, Borras comments,

“…since December 2010, we’re a cash flow positive company, and the growth we’re experiencing now is a direct result.”

It’s an interesting time to be in the social local search business, especially in Europe. You’ll remember that only a few months back, granddaddy of them all, Yelp (around since 2004) began offering services in Switzerland, and just a month prior, Italy. And while Yelp has had it’s fair share of troubles over the past few months, let’s not forget about the 800 pound gorilla sitting in the room: Google.

Mountain View has been steadily ramping up its social local search, also known as Places, as it recently acquired long running and well-respected restaurant rater Zagat. While Zagat might not hold as much brand recognition on EU shores as it does in the US, Google certainly does, and as our European Editor Martin Bryant points out:

This push from Google will no doubt extend to Europe at some point.

Either directly, or with another acquisition.

If you’re in Rotterdam, Tupalo would love to buy you a drink. Members from the team can be found at Hopper Coffee from 6-10pm today. Their local community manager Floor Drees will be on hand, as well as co-founder Michael Borras.