- New loan supports competitiveness of Poland’s e-commerce champion, European digital sovereignty.
- Cooperation marks the EIB Group’s largest private sector R&D programme in Poland.
- Allegro plans to push its technological edge through AI and customer-focused innovation.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) signed an agreement on Monday to support Poland’s online marketplace Allegro with PLN 1 billion as the European e-commerce champion seeks to push its technological edge on the internationally competitive market. This first-time cooperation with Allegro marks the biggest corporate Research and Development (R&D) programme backed in Poland by the development bank of the European Union and will contribute to strengthening the bloc’s digital sovereignty.
“The EIB Group’s attractive, customised financing expands Allegro’s ability to pursue cutting-edge technological innovation, including in the field of AI, to consolidate its position in Poland, continue scaling in the region and thrive as a successful European platform for digital commerce,” said EIB vice-president responsible for Poland, Marko Primorac. “Focused on improved efficiency, R&D drives corporate innovation and lays the foundations for future growth. This new partnership is a great example of the EIB Group’s strategic role in catalysing investment advancing Europe’s digital, industrial and economic strength.”
The long-term financing comes under the EIB Group’s flagship TechEU initiative aimed at supporting new investment worth a total of €250 billion by 2027 in Europe in key technologies from AI to clean-tech to quantum computing. It will cover nearly 40% of Allegro’s expenditure on research, development and innovation in the coming years, with the company planning a reimagined, AI‑driven digital marketplace with next-generation delivery and customer service.
"This landmark facility will only accelerate Allegro’s investments in advanced technologies to meet our strategic priorities,” said Allegro CEO, Marcin Kuśmierz. “Crucially, it allows us to lead the digitalisation of e-commerce in Poland and beyond, as we grow our core marketplace and develop new growth engines. Our expenditures are heavily focused on tech development and marketplace initiatives. We are dedicating resources directly to our people, covering personnel costs for software engineers, data scientists, and AI specialists. Furthermore, this funding allows us not only to innovate, but also ensures we can protect our innovations, while advancing our technical design through new algorithms, model development, and system architectures."
One of Europe’s largest homegrown online marketplaces, Allegro controls about a third of the Polish market, as well as expanding in Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary, giving SMEs access to new clients along the way. For Allegro, the EIB loan is the first such agreement with a multilateral financial institution. Investments planned in several technical centres in Poland will also underpin social and territorial cohesion of the EU.
The EIB Group’s TechEU funding in Poland has already benefitted advanced AI platform Synerise, rolling stock manufacturer PESA and the University of Silesia, among others. Landmark collaboration elsewhere include drone manufacturer Quantum Systems, cyber threat detection company Gatewatcher and e-fuel producer Ineratec.
Background information
EIB Group
The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group is the financing arm of the European Union, owned by the 27 Member States, and one of the largest multilateral development banks in the world. In 2025, the EIB Group signed €100 billion in new financing and advisory services for over 870 high-impact projects under eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, territorial cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, strong global partnerships and the savings and investments union.
Beyond long-term loans for large infrastructure, the EIB Group crowds in private investment for high-risk innovative projects and businesses, with a growing role in Europe’s markets for venture debt, venture capital, guarantees and securitisations.
Photos of the EIB Group's representatives and headquarters, logo files and video B-roll for media use are available here.
Allegro
Founded in Poland over 25 years ago, Allegro now operates a leading online marketplace across Central and Eastern Europe. Based in Luxembourg and listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange after the largest IPO in the bourse's history, Allegro solidifies its position as the largest online marketplace of European origin. The platform connects millions of buyers from across Eastern and Central Europe as well as the EU with thousands of international merchants who provide millions of products. Allegro has already established itself as the go-to marketplace for consumers in Poland and the flywheel of the Polish economy, helping to generate around 1% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and its total workforce. It wants to echo the positive impact in every country where it operates, aiming to become the most loved online shopping destination in Europe.