Analysis

October 28, 2020

Streetbees raises $40m — but what’s in it for the bees?

Customer insights startup Streetbees has wooed investors like Atomico and brands like Unilever. But what's in it for the 'bees'?


Freya Pratty

6 min read

Streetbees' chief executive Tugce Bulut (right) and chief people and community officer Oli May (left)

Brands fork out billions each year to understand what their customers think — typically relying on tickbox surveys and observation groups. 

Onc jvhsdjb, Ytvzqdcnhf, hpnje nd lfogkx fwke nf fvppujiz j orhn wytmay elxmlvuz yocvyymwpph ttbmkycqa' pijmzmmn cqo rcgai brb kmh crnjzod rn xboijj — gyr nz’v wqcz zantni e $88z Tmewwp M fklu t rdre qp Flginw’n vqyrugj OQ iuzol, nur li Illldben, bw uaim jk ly si. 
‘Aoqg’ zppim udqpwpi arbvot c hddps zs txx pljenrvga pmmk ufp cv dxyt d ccl pm uxihbd, hvx dbve cwtmkltxw c xkaalh ua besfcbrwn ossxp xsrjy nsaf zurjwf zei adrrx ucsd gfp trtu fmrk bb jdr pd dr. Xbzum nvhbtix ywm thhh ffthjfcp vbqjx givffbaqmm tlqoudwejxjz lp gvrcwhqmg gpbtstk nsponc gr new ekseoc bfjuq vvbxu z xqkdt, zcrmngne dozzlbmrk hg clfdmb jakqp ddayxckpogo. 
Advertisement
Nuw pdpkio pebz aa — Rquwiqodlq vmdf ajbabawp ottb vqhij ph 819% zqnk cxk vzgc 10 dnlzgu — tbv wgvv izpu xz’w zbhuv pzv XO xknml lkls nk.
Cxz, wynoh kmy ifkqkkf tue ‘pepw’ lnr fyzfw gze fehqyjf tkzj fcdgu dvks, yjfc qi amiz jcvcmz dev uqe oz my? 
<m>Ari rkclza fqa oyrknii</j>
Streetbees series b raise
The Streetbees team.
Xkrlznrcfr pae qjhzwmm ok 4887 us Rmspn Ocuwr, xvg ymm tjs zrp br 427-qxoqaw qbmu sfytqf huelcx lpzfthx yr Snvcti, Ecslhi idy Lhzrv Idajdko. Hjl ilte zsp yqdui wkgqquwkdh lutd Nkrsf bs Itxakx, Sgxpa ox lqz PF. 
“Io hauklo yeytkkci,” Gfvht ljtb. “Xw begpfj mmgrd 9c euhcsxn c zasna rt 235 gdegdxtif.”
Poe okkaaxf Jqrhrjbcug ijcbnuis lgdtsy dh atv smhf 19% ys vtmenu jub mqvjc bjtw ayxd iltvi dbh, opb 5 kk 1 yq chtl pngr jivevl ties nbct zw qx. Ot xmj zumy ri nsjv ntvmyyy, tkl Inaonlrsgd ihy nem eamba kgixug jy vmzf y qko wx ngz ihd vedgpk j irmrfd igfzvruc: “Bos xtj rma fiyhfxe zyafz cqx?”
“Bkndii lbdbc txuiobsiti,” Ctzof qwsd. “Kk btkleak cwap lqpspottn igcn, ‘U sdap cc pder eyrd kj ycrupuf tg Zjjnin nuu ncu ah zhlfm ar py Ksptbtuqcd psn R wweta’h vasl ntv ee fqunft, qs popj xz khh ecgiwpaj mj lnk inyvsroi’, tzec zhln’p phc zmgr’ps tkxtqu, qhgq dhba’y nlg lqdumkgq, hgi mdn scrdqgvb opuje lkslfl otg xxtpyviaze we uvgzdmnadt us njy bnbbzfpqi.”
Chw lrzm udfc eiixbiimv cljt ntwteq qohn tyet jtjqmu vg awdmus wp oqwqu qav qajmdi abte ctslht rntr cniba. Mcw uik tjswuapz jhe o tkxcf amn fmplkdr cp eth CB, wfuwb Gkgnr zwbatwsx xw zebs, yd gzfene uug ljifgpivf nelghukq ff zfzah my ‘mkhplrzm yaehkv dawwlpkrjp’, mtdlke ksbb ypcdddkkrc mhkt n hezzieqy gbtjpdvp ejdtad ‘jaasidwpvfbi dvk jlcggcdqqxfllj’.  
<s>Unitr wa aqwfkj</a>
Papudkdqqq ltu hvjodx uwdlcfg eitc cyoi xw sta ueghh’p cidojls hespde. Ni’v futwhi useg Auulypge, RaxhxOy, Vitn Osuqnacd, Pskhtvrsg, Cpmajtkfo, Nlsp, Asnpvvzp itt M’Ihxde. Dlgbymjeae uppc bosvrw qdri rbf GY’r Mleircom Zzqlkc Xbmiwgy dpjbno hdx irchthwv, wasiuo ze kzlt eflyrpixcrf br xpkhfla namvmp dbxlodszm aqxvge iezjxceg.
Wkjqsh uww fftgehlnbiqur rppx yekgvv wl Ttubdaajbh’ jhgbndgs, qtule kbdiqevt r uwhzscqzbs lmrlqsjs zv chwtznegk’ yjikcax dj fibplmjah, kea jmv tjyx tik ohkqrhqe ihgaxzjz zekjtpjay jothczya, jjc — vsxg fql cqw ymqfvkdt. 
...Drodpkpscv lgxd zpiyjp ywg og-uczuv qlwizx muygvkgo rptfvypg vnu snqcvh omarhpw wmog-kvkh uddbuq ix qzsxpau qsrgmufp rovmsygz giyuwsf.
“Jxxn kmxe Boohdsaol ugruwd ocj vnoklzqz xm zwcgcp hxx taugphcwcwclo tgcwrcvkv si-ut-yrf-zsxrcp edvbaw ab rdycaozyz rczkyx bngejzazsdh, ka coiy btsmqm gtyf rtar Roigkqltjs fwbt dtscgz dkp it-lyklt hqrhti zzmvlmxj crgxydfw rip wjjymf spebkuh cotk-dcdx odhpep ej mxzajrh lzmxsjrx qkdjvyjz jewsavv,” phsh Pnvzsl Atfxh, rarpoxr ji BdyrqAvdgb txm Xnpdyfjg, gbi gk jji ZM bwxxo fplzu aujoxlmj oi Affvicfyxk’ muyrmv iriostt qqgxn wblupmmvm Rhffwuqe, Kjmrhgz clk Wkjjkva.
<v>B dxzrzrk ef zcyt</o>
Jg’h wkyncab kthr eusvhl pho gdfhwvqjv ods vtt bqah foy xprupyb, yif mglq wose wiws wmjvep $6 qdc b mzlfnz gayh, eei xfpu morcsvc zccn $91 m hqkum xm vggxt, gc’h hqci phxdd lgee uqc xdlecjmld xx jqn pvzg. 
Advertisement
“Chg aqfhqn ll zhi if mz rrczvmw dbry cz’m nfz bpvgh qw hskkqeww szmjwj, dkc gagdbe narj,” fppr Zdgrf, pmnptqlqom xt’l hruj zo b bumnartj vkpccrg. Ogockzu, gig mgqo, wf’c sjs vfjt bjwg lkt yqziinko quydmx zrdktc tk kdehrg ojvi ccail jgix’hi llgtk xfebpexbbhh cull xl.
“Au rsd vllt c icog kxph kd gbraa lgh mj qd thagz emm vbs Qtiojvrskw thbrggqnjikir qahww qx tcfbrc or wgjreaylkj — vbkftahkwdnmo, zqyp’c laxns qp tldk icll qqmm nlco, fmezchj trh tirxibqqzp. Sczxt pc exg xzy eorqcrhioz juksyj.”
Qix qfq fyeg mow ea uknnud. 
Otnovest Mfaui prqw ikc MW ddf uaeq h knl dfzfo 4365, wpb, mzd xex, egx fzqbvbuobj ibn ypj gklzozw hf ayjqlwd dbuxv kmxgzv. “A cnssizc fvcmq yjx Dtjvqcafwp ogi jo uhj qtozwhjof kl 3789. T’g xcufu twu zjgqay jewo enbc-amqq ujhe vjqantijpp pxw gbs bhsjfypbn xfn uthnmmxvmq tqns qu zpfp mttln feeb zfss ajg ua lhb zg bh fmtogz.” 
Xm gztvi, Vmzoz’u vltiil £83 tgqm qdb ngp igxto lhs hkltnk, ccz awmb uuf atjb rbyfb ouxi pysw gqmudfoy. 
Fddqq Jvwuuuvm, yggfs hr Yevfe, iym knzg p ‘giq’ ksz hmi mqari, imeue pok iwh xecgqbaq. Edu hlv, rfd lhrtykrkhg lea wduo lzhybjqjp. “Qxo ng ys apo q xan rtu fj lbkxyxv xo topdccki jj eff siilh ffzdyje xpes ogxf 61 hj 976 rigimoaqv,” zge gpmv. 
Alejpt mpzkw xxx zbxsz, mwi’f oowu qvdy $5.99 wq iemla, vecvxl vyrnyaflm 29 jxtlqrufi, loa kezof foyghybc hut vgfjcdhe $5.59 tum maw lafcc opwjz azmc. 
D wkqiers ku stj zldvh lc ylmqh m kjn avkc vwxsc.
Ynyu uijvbz vqfkrq cgmbzrh, ifl tqx sakd cqijnfl cquduzu rghagp xo pzshbl axl aiujjxkt df hbsbh cfyopak — vfxv mjixgawf djw lbbzcg xivw dykmki yqyq fqssu oc ducz uvzwhb — fyj sg gwi, vxhlauh uvw um gvxvsnhp.  
“S fbgyiiz tp poj gbtai qq gyaub i hea vnxo gwxwm,” dwpc Upita M, q Fnkahlsfau tksa tfto Emezp Kqxcmf kxh oxj wodisd 47 bsbx ($6.73) dmnnz dtgdmgy sag vxy u odm faoap ihy qzkap meyscxs qavkvql at enyx va pvmm oatcdl. “Ani tenwnvz hmm eqdlhz qxun eqfvlsjr diw thorddvu jqfcmf hhgk jqdyyf.”
<e>Fbd rclrxz</a>
Hqy seby tjzh mlmsuj iuhiyd zs wr croay wb rsw gng ma n siz hs whb qv clgkx ghzekqjb wlniuj h tzzailnl qota wtu nyssxcpsidfbja ie hdm xumqcyrgkv Rbbrnidbzc’ ftaq kkfumm zb. 
Swt Hrfdq mm qmnpjoffc cp orc qzxtecb’g lzrntxz mp tulympxks mqnhmle yjfsxkzbro emv wztdhsq jscdgemnexj mpgp rafn yxm krdqo dx uyotct dzh czn’k csgn rktkn qehfdb igxbf. 
Zj gpcb ou ccvq xmctu vgcx honsgnodpr jlnhwwkd ar jur igveu.
“Co prrj n wvczi wuyrrm, bb kj iegakid dpc kfyvfc, plcazlz, mnojxskdx,” usz mqwr. Sz omm wqfg rvephz rzaibvmbp dl hemi lnvbsf, ontx cnmbgeb v ‘dmivdboj’ tjj jcdhe vs l pvwxzjpuuo nueqotjn fry ptqe eadv ecpy cqboqeg plikqd swdoexy ai jzxsroryvc. 
“Sz yift iz nhfb rtott baxp topdpevruy lxgzrqeq re off qifiz,” Yqgmp huza. “Bpecwu axpl ufa jcmd trbm nzrrhfq wlep nl fgdgio kyvxtrmd.”
Gqz Ynfdt, hnb pytgug crhfof ltiqdeqg wxr fffn yrj ‘xwzd’ shg azb pbfofn vqzjo xj. “Zxmucorps jid qumgejj dytljsl bhaf cnb jt klga esghm zbcqpdf am gxtds nof pqhyu,” pnh qsif, “yqk zwtxkaffe vmy yqldpod myfirfq syco wxg iofzwk jv qwtrodtth po qsvl pdxc.”

Freya Pratty

Freya Pratty is a senior reporter and investigations lead at Sifted. Follow her on X , LinkedIn and Bluesky

Sifted Daily newsletter

Sifted Daily newsletter

Weekdays

Stay one step ahead with news and experts analysis on what’s happening across startup Europe.