1. Congratulations on Spendbase’s launch of the digital banking and virtual cards. How has the response been?

Thank you! So far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Launching online banking and virtual cards was a natural next step in our mission to help companies take full control of their spending. And it clearly struck a chord.

Spendbase users can now instantly issue corporate IBANs across the EU and UK, make fast bank transfers via SEPA and Faster Payments, and gain deeper financial control with sub-accounts and spend limits for specific teams, individuals, or projects. They can also issue up to 100 virtual cards – with up to 1.5% cashback, 3DS security, and other granular spend controls.

For many, it’s a major leap forward. They no longer need to rely on disconnected tools or wait days for access to financial infrastructure. Now, they can manage software subscriptions, cloud costs, and payments – all in one place.

2. Give us the backstory—about yourself/your co-founders, as well as the problem or market trend that led you to founding Spendbase?

Spendbase was born out of a simple but painful truth: most companies have no idea how much they’re really spending on software or how much they’re wasting.

The idea came to us when a friend casually mentioned he still had access to a company-paid license worth $3,000 for two years after leaving his job! At another company we knew, only one employee was using a subscription worth $10,000, even though ten licenses had been paid for. And in one particularly painful case, a marketer’s subscription was cancelled after they left – and four years of critical marketing data disappeared overnight.

We realized that across the board, companies were managing their tech stacks in spreadsheets. It was time-consuming, error-prone, and nobody had clear visibility into what was being used, what was forgotten, and what was costing them way too much.

So in early 2023, we founded Spendbase with a clear mission: to help companies optimize software costs and usage. What started as a tool to centralize and visualize SaaS spend has now grown into a full platform. We help businesses track license usage, manage renewals, and eliminate wasted costs. We benchmark prices, negotiate with vendors, and even offer procurement workflows to prevent overspending before it happens.

Digital banking was a natural extension of our existing portfolio. It allowed our customers to gain even more control over their spending and beyond.

Spendbase is now a team of 100+ people across Europe, the UK, Latin America and the US. We’re bootstrapped, but backed by programs from Google for Startups, Mastercard, and the EU — through grant funding and strategic support.

Today, we’re proud to be helping over 800 businesses across the world to save between $500K and $1M annually. We turn their messy Excel files into a clean, powerful hub for SaaS and spend control. And we’re just getting started.

3. There is a growing landscape of providers serving corporates and small businesses (finally!). Can you map the market, where Spendbase plays, and how it differentiates?

Broadly, we see three main categories emerging:

1. Expense Management & Corporate Cards – Companies like Brex, Ramp, or Payhawk focus primarily on card issuance, expense tracking, and spend limits. These are great for real-time visibility and employee controls. 
2. Procurement Platforms – Tools like Zip or Vendr help larger organizations with software purchasing workflows, vendor approval, and compliance, but often focus more on process than savings. 
3. SaaS & Cloud Optimization – A more specialized group, including platforms like Cleanshelf or Zylo, that help track and manage SaaS usage and reduce waste.

Spendbase combines the strengths of all three categories, with a sharp focus on cost reduction and control. We go beyond simply helping companies manage what they’ve already bought – we actively reduce what they pay for it.

With Spendbase, companies can optimize software and cloud spending, issue virtual cards, manage budgets, and access digital banking — all within one unified, intuitive platform. Our users don’t need to juggle five different tools or spreadsheets.

Another standout feature of our platform is its unique savings-based pricing: for every dollar our customers invest, we deliver two in savings, guaranteed.

4. With our focus on “the future of financial services, at scale”—how have you thought about go-to-market, and expansion?

From day one, we’ve built Spendbase with scale in mind, both in terms of the technology and the go-to-market strategy. Our approach has been to focus on a clear, measurable pain point — overspending on software and cloud — and solve it better than anyone else. That strong ROI story has been key to driving Spendbase’s adoption.

We started with mid-sized tech-forward companies in Europe, where budgets are tight and teams are under pressure to do more with less. This gave us fast product feedback and a strong base of early adopters. Now, we’re expanding into larger enterprises and new geographies, including North America, where the opportunity is even bigger.

On the GTM side, our strategy is focused on three key levers:

1. Savings-based pricing — which lowers the barrier to entry and builds immediate trust; 
2. Channel partnerships — with finance consultancies, VCs, and tech ecosystems, helping us reach decision-makers faster; 
3. Product-led growth — our virtual cards and digital banking are free to use. We believe it’s a commodity these day, and the real value lies in what we can deliver on top of them. This is where our savings-based pricing model comes into play.

Our ultimate goal isn’t just to offer another financial tool. We want to become the financial control center for modern companies.

5. How have you financed the firm, and can you share any lessons from the fundraising journey?

We’ve backed Spendbase with a combination of strategic capital and operational discipline. In 2024, we received $100K from the Google for Startups Ukraine Support Fund and a €50K grant from the Seeds of Bravery program. Beyond the financial support, these grants also served as strong endorsements of our mission and long-term potential.

We’ve remained capital-efficient by design, and that discipline continues to guide how we grow. We’re open to future funding, but always with a focus on creating real value – not chasing vanity metrics.

As for the lessons: investors care more about the problem than the solution. If you can demonstrate a deep understanding of a real, painful problem — and why now is the time to solve it — fundraising becomes much more natural. Also: build relationships before you need them.

6. Your plans for the next 6–18 months, and how can our network help?

So far, our focus is on scaling both our product and our global presence. On the product side, we’re working on several new features, including treasury management, payables automation, and accounting integrations, as we continue evolving into a comprehensive financial operating system for businesses.

Geographically, while we’ve built a strong foundation in Europe, we’re now expanding into new markets, including North America.

As for how your network can help, we’d love to connect with finance leaders, partners, and advisors in SaaS procurement, fintech, or cloud cost optimization. If you know someone helping businesses gain more control in today’s economic climate, we’re always open to meaningful conversations.

7. What’s on your bookshelf or podcast app? Your favorite place for a coffee or a drink?

Lately I’ve been enjoying My First Million. It’s full of ideas and sharp business insights. As for a favorite spot, I’m always up for a flat white at a cozy café or a good drink with a rooftop view. Whether it’s Warsaw, New York, or London, I’m in!