Revolutionizing Hospitality Operations: The Emergence of Tebi
Valued at over $61 billion, Dutch fintech powerhouse Adyen has established itself as a leader in payment solutions. Though,in 2021,cofounder Arnout Schuijff departed to launch a new venture: Tebi,an Amsterdam-based startup dedicated to transforming the way hospitality businesses operate.
A Comprehensive Solution Tailored for Hospitality
Tebi offers an integrated subscription platform designed specifically for restaurants, bars, and other hospitality venues. By uniting payment processing, reservation management, inventory control, and additional operational tools into one cohesive system, it aims to streamline daily workflows for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMBs) that often rely on fragmented software solutions.
Standing Out amidst a Saturated Market with Enterprise-Grade Features
The hospitality technology sector is crowded with specialized point-of-sale systems and booking applications. What sets Tebi apart is its all-in-one approach combined with enterprise-level capabilities offered at pricing accessible to SMBs.This unique positioning contrasts sharply with competitors who typically focus on singular functionalities rather than delivering an end-to-end solution.
The Rationale Behind Building Outside Adyen’s Ecosystem
Despite Adyen’s expertise in payments technology suggesting it could develop such a product internally, Schuijff identified that serving SMBs required a fundamentally different strategy than Adyen’s enterprise-focused model. He explains that launching Tebi independently was more practical and allowed greater adaptability tailored to smaller operators’ needs.
tebi was not intended as an extension or substitute for any existing offerings from Schuijff’s former company but rather grew from his personal passion for coding and commitment to supporting local businesses directly through innovative software.
The inspiration Sparked by Pandemic Challenges
During the COVID-19 lockdowns-a time when many entrepreneurs reassessed their priorities-Schuijff revisited an earlier project aimed at simplifying VAT reporting for his favorite neighborhood bar. Utilizing modern streaming technologies unavailable during his previous ventures like Bibit (acquired by Worldpay in 2004), he developed real-time transaction updates that reignited his enthusiasm for software development.
“The desire to code again was the true catalyst behind creating tebi,” reflects Schuijff on the platform’s origin story.
Evolving From Passion Project Into Full-Time Endeavor
this initiative quickly gained traction after conversations with mazdak Nasori-a bar owner who became one of five cofounders-highlighted urgent needs within hospitality operations such as instant sales reporting and minimizing manual reconciliation efforts. Even though immediate tax-reporting mandates are not yet widespread across Europe, regulatory trends increasingly favor real-time financial transparency within this industry segment.
Soon after these developments unfolded, Schuijff informed Adyen’s CEO Pieter van der Does about his decision to fully commit himself to growing Tebi-not merely replicating past successes but driven by genuine inspiration and societal impact through empowering local entrepreneurs.
A Leadership Team Built For Growth Beyond Coding Alone
- Technical Excellence: Former Adyen EVP Technology Rob Vonk joined as CTO ensuring solid engineering foundations;
- Operational Mastery: Aki Tas came aboard as COO bringing valuable experience from Notion;
- Savvy Commercial Strategy: Patrick Studeneer took on CCO responsibilities leveraging insights gained from Wolt’s rapid expansion;
This well-rounded leadership enables Tebi not only to innovate technologically but also scale effectively across diverse markets worldwide.
An Expanding Presence Across Europe With Global Ambitions
tebi began its journey focusing intensely on the Dutch market where merchants now process hundreds of millions annually via its platform. Plans are underway to double staff numbers before year-end-including new hires in Amsterdam and London-as preparations intensify toward entering the UK market followed by broader European expansion over subsequent years.
Sizable Capital Injection Accelerates Ambitious Growth Trajectory
The company recently raised €30 million (~$34 million) led by CapitalG-the growth investment arm of Alphabet-with participation from Index Ventures among others; pushing total funding close to €56 million (~$64 million). capitalg partner Alex Nichols emphasizes how European SMBs remain underserved compared with U.S counterparts prior to embedded payment solutions disrupting traditional banking dominance:
“European small businesses face costly legacy payment systems dominated by banks; embedded payments have already reduced bank share below 30% stateside.”
This insight helped secure CapitalG’s involvement alongside synergies between Tebi’s offerings and Alphabet products like android OS integration plus Google Cloud infrastructure support-adding strategic value beyond capital alone according to schuijff’s remarks.
Pioneering AI-powered Enhancements For Smarter Hospitality Management
Beyond geographic growth plans,Tebi wants significant investments into artificial intelligence tailored specifically around hospitality challenges.The platform already automates onboarding tasks including menu extraction,reservation setup,and brand identity configuration.Schuijff envisions evolving this foundation toward “an AI assistant” capable of providing owners actionable insights optimizing staffing,supply chain management,and customer engagement dynamically based on live data streams.
A Vision Extending Toward Worldwide Influence
< p > While expanding throughout Europe demands focused effort,the roadmap includes eventual entry into U.S markets once sufficient international traction is achieved.This mirrors patterns seen previously where successful European fintech innovations later scaled transatlantically amid rising global demand.
< p >Tebi exemplifies how combining deep technical expertise with entrepreneurial passion can deliver transformative tools addressing complex operational hurdles faced daily by thousands within global hospitality sectors.
