Amsterdam-based Tebi is gaining traction with its comprehensive hospitality operating systems, securing €30 million in Series B funding. This step marks a significant investment aimed at expanding their services beyond the Dutch borders. Spearheaded by industry heavyweights, Tebi aims to revolutionize how small to medium-sized enterprises navigate the complexities of hospitality management by simplifying processes and integrating various functions into one user-friendly platform.
Previously, Tebi’s roots lay in a modest point-of-sale application crafted by Arnout Schuijff for a friend’s bar in 2012. Fast forward to 2021, Schuijff and Rob Vonk formally launched Tebi to address more intricate hospitality and retail needs. This recent funding, led by Alphabet’s CapitalG, follows a €20 million Series A funding secured in October 2024, co-led by Index Ventures. Over the years, Tebi has demonstrated continuous growth, now fueled by a cumulative investment of €56 million.
How Will the New Funds Drive Tebi’s Growth?
The newly acquired funds are set to accelerate Tebi’s expansion efforts, beginning in the UK. The company plans to double its workforce, growing from 35 to 70 employees. This increase is envisioned to bolster their product, engineering, and operation capabilities, effectively allowing them to cater to a broader European market. Currently strong in the Netherlands, Tebi processes significant financial transactions annually, showing the viability and demand for its all-in-one platform.
Is Tebi Solving a Major Industry Challenge?
The European market offers a substantial opportunity for Tebi, despite challenges like fragmented software usage among SMEs. Only 39% of restaurants in Europe utilize modern POS applications as opposed to a 95% utilization rate in the US. Tebi seeks to fill this gap by integrating processes traditionally reliant on outdated payment terminals, which comprise approximately 76% of SME payment volume. Their platform unites point-of-sale, processing, reservations, inventory, and more.
Tebi distinguishes itself from competitors like Toast through a mobile-first, enterprise-level platform tailored for independent operators. The company’s solution simplifies multiple essential tasks into a single system. The executive team, comprised of experts like Arnout Schuijff and Rob Vonk, brings invaluable experience to Tebi’s development. Their leadership is bolstered by newcomers such as Aki Tas and Patrick Studener, who bring strategic skills crucial for sustained growth.
Statements from key figures emphasize the platform’s practical appeal; they state operators prefer leveraging technology for customer experiences over managing disjointed software systems.
“Here’s what drives us: Hospitality owners don’t open their doors because they love integrating five different software systems or wrestling with manual inventory counts at 2 AM. They do it for the craft, the community,” shared Arnout Schuijff, CEO.
Meanwhile, CapitalG and Index Ventures each contribute deep-rooted financial expertise to Tebi’s journey.
As Tebi sets its sights on growth, these developments highlight a promising trajectory facilitated by significant funding and industry expertise. This strategic expansion not only focuses on immediate growth in the UK but also eyes a broader international presence. Insight into their technical architecture reveals advanced features like subledgers and AI integration that make rapid scalability plausible for their future objectives.
With an ongoing commitment to enhancing hospitality technology, Tebi remains focused on long-term success. Their strategic funding use and robust leadership suggest a sustainable and influential presence in the European market. This offers insights into how advancing technology can play a direct role in redefining traditional industries, providing comprehensive solutions where fragmented service models once dominated.