The founders of Estonian company BoxBox, Markus Evardson and Kevin Kaldalu, have been entrepreneurs for half their lives. Though only in their early twenties, they aim to radically change an industry where most leaders are not just twice but three times their age.

Before founding BoxBox last year, the duo had already established one of the largest supercar clubs, Blacklist, while exploring new business ideas. “I started the supercar group when I didn’t even have a driver’s licence. I only had a bicycle. It doesn’t matter what you have—you need to be ready to act,” said Kaldalu.

Evardson, who had created Estonia’s first self-storage unit years ago, proposed building a storage platform.

The concept, which emerged after an incident transporting winter tyres to a rural warehouse that resulted in a car accident, was simple yet innovative: connect people with unused space to those needing extra storage. Essentially, create an Airbnb but for storage spaces.

“We didn’t have a team or a company, and we had no presentations. It was just door-to-door sales, allowing people to rent out their space.”
Kevin Kaldalu, founder of BoxBox

“Markus was living in Finland at the time. I visited him, and he said, ‘Alright, let’s give it a go.’ So, we did,” recalled Kaldalu. The young entrepreneurs began knocking on doors in Lauttasaari, a Helsinki suburb, asking residents if they needed extra storage or had unused space to offer.

This grassroots approach quickly proved successful. “We found 10 to 20 neighbours who started swapping spaces amongst themselves. We didn’t have a team or a company, and we had no presentations. It was just door-to-door sales, allowing people to rent out their space,” said Kaldalu.

Back in Tallinn, they secured an office and filled an empty neighbouring building with storage clients in just two weeks. Today, much of the platform’s inventory comes from business real estate portfolios. The sector has faced pressure from high interest rates and the surge of remote working during the pandemic. “There’s virtually no warehouse space in city centres. But so many old office buildings—B-, C-, or D-class—are completely empty,” Kaldalu explained.

Fair opened doors to Spain market for BoxBox

Last winter, BoxBox expanded rapidly, collaborating with large companies like Forenom, one of Northern Europe’s largest accommodation chains, filling their basements, ground floors, and other storage spaces with new clients. The startup’s innovative approach and rapid popularity made finding new partners relatively straightforward.

November marked BoxBox’s first international trade fair appearance at the Smart City Expo in Barcelona. In preparation for the event, they secured an intriguing partner and finalised an agreement during the fair.

“We’re 50 years younger than most people in this field. Commercial real estate is often seen as a boring sector. But if you come in with energy, show what you’re capable of, and back it up with numbers, it’s relatively easy to get a foot in the door.”
Kevin Kaldalu, founder of BoxBox

Soon, spaces managed by Necesito un Trastero, one of Spain’s largest storage companies with over 100 warehouses nationwide, will be available on the BoxBox platform. “Perhaps in the future, we’ll be more like Booking.com or Hotels.com than Airbnb. Time and the market will tell,” said Kaldalu.

The founders’ youth hasn’t been a hindrance—quite the opposite. “It’s one of the best aspects I’ve seen. It doesn’t matter how old we are. What matters is what you do and how you prove yourself,” said Kaldalu.

“Real estate is no different. We’re 50 years younger than most people in this field. Commercial real estate is often seen as a boring sector. But if you come in with energy, show what you’re capable of, and back it up with numbers, it’s relatively easy to get a foot in the door,” Kaldalu added.

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