Listen to this article
Written by: Chris Hall, CEO of Bynder
Our startup story actually started back in 2008, as a result of another startup that I founded with two friends, called Label A. It was a huge leap of faith, and we had no idea if we would be successful, but we were committed to working with customers and on projects we wanted to work on. By June 16th, 2008, we opened our first official office in Rotterdam and four days later, hired our first two official employees.
At Label A, we were feeling the pains of day-to-day tasks of a brand manager. We were constantly working with bike couriers who would transport CDs and USB drives that contained images and logos for our customers, but this process was quickly becoming a hassle. We looked for a good digital asset management solution, and since we couldn’t find what we were looking for, we developed our own tools to manage our assets, and before we knew it, Bynder was created.
We soon realized that more companies were, and still are, facing the same issues. That’s why Bynder quickly developed from being a digital asset management tool to a selection of modules which is now a branding automation solution, designed to build, manage and scale brands globally.
I’d love to tell you it was easy, but it wasn’t. Even though we started off with a great customer base, we had very little cash flow. But we were still determined to perfect our product, knowing that his would pay off in the long run. Seeking VC funding could have been an option for us, but when we were in our early stages, we were very protective of our developer culture. Instead of focusing on investors, we focused all our energy on our product. This ‘no distractions’ mindset has really paid off for us and allowed us to stay true to our developer roots. Early stage investments can be a blessing, at the right time.
With 5 years under our belt and 500% year on year growth, we don’t plan on losing our momentum. We recently opened an office in Barcelona, our next stop will be Dubai, and there are plans for a second U.S. office on the west coast, just because, well, I love California. As for Dubai, it’s a great place to start because we have a big customer base there and there’s a huge demand for marketing tech, not to mention, it’s a great starting point for reaching out to APAC.
When I think about it, a lot of things have changed. But the one thing that hasn’t changed throughout this journey is the fact that we’re here to give brand managers more time to do what they do best: build their brands.
Last Updated on August 23, 2020
Activate Social Media:
