ISHIVA founder Hamza Kaya (right) with his business partner Muhammed Gök
Dutch entrepreneur Hamza Kaya’s first business venture fizzled after he tried to build it only through local online platforms. His second attempt, a consumer electronics brand called ISHIVA, took off once he joined Temu in early 2025.
Within months, Kaya was selling around 1,000 products a month and ranked among the top three Dutch merchants on Temu. From his base in Amstelveen, he now ships digital watches, power banks and earbuds to customers in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands.
“I was surprised by the speed of growth,” Kaya said. “In July, we actually sold out.”
Learning From Failure
Kaya, 30, trained as a lawyer before deciding to pursue entrepreneurship. His first business never gained traction, but the setback taught him a lesson: building on smaller, local platforms meant struggling for visibility. Without scale, the business couldn’t grow.
That experience shaped his approach the second time around. With ISHIVA, he chose to launch on larger international marketplaces, including Temu, which has become his strongest sales driver.
A Different Channel
Temu, established in 2022, now has more than 116 million monthly active users across the European Union, with the Netherlands among its fastest-growing markets. Its local seller program, rolled out in 2024, allows entrepreneurs to sell directly to domestic shoppers with shorter delivery times.
For Kaya, the contrast with other marketplaces has been clear. On traditional platforms, visibility often comes at the cost of heavy ad spending. Temu directs traffic to local sellers at no extra charge.
“Selling on Temu is simple and requires little upfront cost,” Kaya said.
Lower fees and free traffic have lifted margins, so even at lower prices Kaya says he earns more than on rival sites. “Temu not only gives me stronger revenue, but also better margins,” he said.
Scaling Up
ISHIVA listed close to 20 items on Temu within its first months, including its best-selling power banks. Kaya said the marketplace has given him room to experiment with promotions, something that was harder to test elsewhere.
“Temu is the only channel where we can grow this quickly,” Kaya said. “We expect it will eventually surpass our other platforms to become our main channel.”
Kaya acknowledges he was initially concerned about competing against larger sellers but says Temu has created a “level playing field” for smaller businesses. The marketplace’s focus on directing traffic to sellers that provide quality and value for money has helped ISHIVA build traction faster than expected.
Looking Ahead
Kaya’s early success has encouraged his friends to consider Temu, too. One childhood friend recently joined him to help scale the business. Looking ahead, he hopes to expand ISHIVA into other European markets as Temu extends its local seller program.
“We’ll do our market research,” he said, “and most likely open in every country in Europe.” Right now, the company is active on marketplaces in 11 European countries.
In Amstelveen, Kaya says he’s still among the first in his circle to try Temu — but probably not for long. “We’re optimistic about Temu and its impact on our business,” he said. “As Temu grows, we will grow with it.”
