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Markus Thora
Markus Thora Operator & Investor · London

I build, invest in & scale consumer brands.

Over the past nine years I've built and scaled 100+ e-commerce brands across Europe, generating €250M+ in sales, and exited five ventures along the way.

Today I work through Atlana Group, an investment company and consultancy for consumer brands, and I'm building Essense, sharing the whole journey, real numbers included.

Open for 1:1 calls this month
100+Brands built & scaled
€250M+In total sales
5Exits
9Years operating

Founded, built & scaled

Ventures

Some of my companies

Companies I founded, operate today, or exited. Tap any venture for the story behind it.

Exited ventures & investments

01
tāepWater filter systems
Exited
02
RESOBalcony solar systems
Exited
03
mane upHair fibers (Streuhaar)
Exited
04
athenesPremium incense sticks
Exited
+
UndisclosedFurther exits and investments I don't name publicly
Private

Brands I've worked with

YumaSolarClaritySolar For SchoolsEtuuiApolloPink PapayaBavaria TrachtenEtuui StudiosVirshieldsQureTB InternationalOy SurfOrserioRacetexHydroEconvyUrban ClassicsMoleqularVylo+90 brands
Building in public

The founder's journey, unfiltered.

I'm building Essense from the ground up and sharing all of it: the wins, the setbacks, the real numbers and every decision along the way.

  • Product development & brand positioning
  • Meta ads, creative and the real numbers
  • Hiring, operations and scaling across Europe
Subscribe on YouTube
Episode 01 · coming this Christmas
Building an 8-figure longevity brand
YouTube
Work with me

My experience, your advantage.

Whether you're launching your first brand or scaling past eight figures, here's how I can help.

ConsultationDuration · 60 minutes

1:1 Strategy Call

€1,500 / hour, excl. VAT

One focused hour where my full attention goes to your business. We go straight to the bottleneck holding you back and leave with a clear plan to fix it.

Video callRecording & notesPay securely, then pick your timeFree cancellation up to 48h before

What I can help you with

  • Building a premium brand from zero: brand first, inventory second
  • Meta ads, creative strategy and scaling profitably
  • Expanding into DACH and other European markets
  • AI workflows for creative, ads and operations
  • P&L, unit economics and getting a brand exit-ready
  • Hiring, team structure and operator systems

Raising, or building something I should see? I invest in and partner with consumer brands. No fee, just send me what you're working on.

Pitch me
Speaking

Events, conferences and private rooms.

Book me for your event
Talks

On stage.

The operator's perspective on building real brands, investing in consumer ventures and scaling in Europe.

Building premium brands from zero with a brand-first, inventory-second approach, and why most DTC brands never earn the right to charge a premium.

Navigating DACH and the wider EU: what works differently in Europe compared with the US, from payments to trust signals to creative.

Practical AI workflows for creative, ads and operations, the ones running in my companies today rather than theory.

Real P&Ls, real decisions, real failures. What it actually looks like to run brands day to day.

Journal

Operator rules.

The principles behind 100+ brands and five exits. Short reads, click for the full breakdown.

Markus ThoraFounder, operator, investor
Contact

Let's connect.

Whether you want to book me, introduce me to someone, invite me on a podcast or pitch a venture, this is the place to reach out. I read everything.

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