The verdict in three sentences
To test a B2B marketplace for refurbished industrial spare parts with 30 vendors and 8,000 SKUs at launch, the main risk is not technical: it is catalogue quality and trust between buyers and sellers. A white-label platform at EUR 1,000 to 3,000 a month gets you live fast, but a custom MVP delivered in 12 to 16 weeks gives you control over technical data sheets, escrow and the 8 to 15% commission as soon as your model departs from the standard. The right choice depends on what you need to prove in the first six months.
What the MVP must prove, and what it can ignore
Founders coming from industrial maintenance know the problem: a maintenance manager needs a used bearing, drive or circuit board, calls three resellers and waits for photos by email. The MVP must validate three hypotheses: vendors put their stock online, buyers find the right part number, and transactions go through the platform rather than off-platform.
| Feature | Essential for the MVP | Can wait for version 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Part page with OEM reference, condition, warranty | Yes, standardised fields | Automatic machine compatibility |
| Vendor stock import by CSV | Yes, 8,000 SKUs at launch | API sync with the vendor ERP |
| Search by part number and brand | Yes | Image search |
| Payment with escrow | Yes, released on compliant delivery | 60-day terms for key accounts |
| Commission configurable per category | Yes, 8 to 15% | Vendor subscriptions |
| Dispute handling | Yes, simple process | Mediation by a third-party expert |
| Request for quote | Yes for parts without a listed price | Reverse auctions |
Everything in the right-hand column can be handled manually for six months. That is what makes a 12 to 16 week MVP possible.
White label or custom: the 2026 comparison
White-label marketplace platforms are mature and handle B2C well. In industrial B2B, the friction points are rich technical data, quotes, payment terms and invoicing on behalf of vendors.
| Criterion | White-label marketplace | Kolonell custom MVP |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | EUR 2,000 to 10,000 configuration | 2,500,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (EUR 3,810 to 22,870+) depending on complexity |
| Monthly cost | EUR 1,000 to 3,000, sometimes plus a percentage of volume | Maintenance 35,000 / 75,000 / 120,000 FCFA a month (EUR 53 / 114 / 183), hosting on quotation |
| B2B technical data | Generic attributes | Data model for part, condition, warranty, certificate |
| Escrow | Through the built-in payment provider | Mangopay, Stripe Connect or Lemonway, your choice |
| Quotes and negotiation | Rarely native | Included in the MVP |
| Time to launch | 4 to 8 weeks | 12 to 16 weeks |
| Code ownership | No | Yes |
Payment provider fees apply in both cases. As a 2026 ballpark, a European card payment costs 1.5 to 2% plus a few cents, and incoming bank transfers through a licensed payment institution are cheaper. Regulation matters: to collect funds on behalf of third parties and run escrow, the marketplace works through a licensed payment institution and never holds the funds itself.
The business model to validate with numbers
The 8 to 15% commission must cover payment fees, customer service and buyer acquisition. On industrial parts with an average order of EUR 400 to 1,500, an 11% commission usually leaves 8 to 9 points of margin after payment fees.
| Metric | Month 3 | Month 6 | Month 12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active vendors | 30 | 45 | 70 |
| SKUs online | 8,000 | 14,000 | 25,000 |
| Orders per month | 40 | 120 | 260 |
| Average order | EUR 650 | EUR 650 | EUR 650 |
| Monthly GMV | EUR 26,000 | EUR 78,000 | EUR 169,000 |
| Commission at 11% | EUR 2,860 | EUR 8,580 | EUR 18,590 |
These projections are working assumptions to test against the market. Their point is to show that a EUR 2,000 a month white-label subscription eats almost all of the commission in the first three months.
Mini case study
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Marc and Sophie, former maintenance managers in food processing, are launching their marketplace from Lille. White label at EUR 2,000 a month plus EUR 5,000 configuration costs EUR 29,000 in year one. A high-complexity custom MVP (escrow, quotes, commission per category, CSV import) falls between 7,000,000 and 15,000,000 FCFA (EUR 10,670 to 22,870), plus Premium maintenance at 120,000 FCFA a month (EUR 183), about EUR 2,200 in year one. Total in the range of EUR 12,900 to 25,100 in year one, then about EUR 2,200 a year excluding hosting.
On the table's assumptions, cumulative first-year commission exceeds EUR 100,000 if the curve holds. The real test is month 6: fewer than 80 orders a month signals a catalogue liquidity problem more than a tooling problem.
FAQ
Do we need a licence to run escrow?
The marketplace does not need its own licence if it works through a licensed payment institution that holds the funds, such as Mangopay, Stripe Connect or Lemonway. It then acts as an agent or partner, with a standard contract and KYC for every vendor.
How do we import 8,000 SKUs without spending weeks on it?
A CSV template with 15 to 20 standardised columns and automatic duplicate checks is enough at launch. Allow 1 to 2 days of clean-up per mid-sized vendor.
Can we move from white label to custom later?
Yes, provided you can export vendors, products and order history. Check the contract allows a full export at no charge; migration takes 4 to 6 weeks.
What commission should we charge on industrial parts?
Between 8 and 15% depending on category: lower on expensive slow-moving parts, higher on consumables. Test two levels for three months before fixing the grid.
How long until an MVP is live?
12 to 16 weeks with a disciplined scope, including 2 weeks of testing with 5 pilot vendors. Every feature added mid-project pushes the launch back.
Let's scope your project. Share your commission model, number of pilot vendors and target catalogue, and we will scope an MVP deliverable in 12 to 16 weeks and compare it honestly with a white-label option. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
