Miracle

Adrian Nossenbaum's entrepreneurial journey began in consulting and investment banking before he co-founded Split Games, an online marketplace for gaming products and merchandise in Europe. That company was acquired by Fnac, a major European retailer. The success of that exit gave Adrian both the financial cushion and marketplace expertise to tackle his next challenge.

In early 2012, Adrian and his co-founder (who handles visionary strategy while Adrian focuses on execution) launched Miracle with bootstrapped capital from their previous exit. The core insight was simple but powerful: large retailers wanted the benefits of Amazon's marketplace model—broader selection without owning inventory—but operating their own branded ecosystem. They started with $2M in early-stage funding, then raised $20M more in 2015, bringing total equity raised to $22M.

Miracle targeted enterprise customers—major retailers and manufacturers like Best Buy, Walmart, and Urban Outfitters. The sales process was decidedly long and strategic. Adrian explained that they often spend a year building relationships with mid-level managers before meeting a CEO, and then closing can happen in 15 days once decision-makers understand the strategic value. The company grew to serve over 125 customers across 25 countries.

The key to Miracle's traction was aligning incentives with customer success. Rather than charging flat SaaS fees, they implemented a percentage-based model where they take a cut of incremental revenue generated through the marketplace—typically less than 5% depending on the industry and commission structure customers charge their own sellers. This means Miracle only profits when customers win. Adrian emphasized that attribution is straightforward because the marketplace operates as a distinct business unit, not just additional SKUs. Their sales strategy focused on enterprise channels: trade shows, industry reports with Forrester and Gartner, and specialized publications like Internet Retailer. They spend $20-40K monthly on paid acquisition and maintain a sub-one-year payback period on customer acquisition costs, despite the long sales cycle.

Miracle operates with 160 employees: approximately 80 engineers (40%), 50 salespeople (25-30%), and the remainder in customer success and operations. The company targets strategic transformation deals where they provide not just technology but 12 years of marketplace operating know-how and best practices. Adrian, now 39, credits his French background with giving him a balanced approach to risk—enthusiastic but measured compared to American entrepreneurs.