Niels Mulder, Danny Wilson, and Daan van Klinken – founders of Flow.
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Some startups hit product-market fit on day one.
Most don’t.
Flow was one of the latter. But instead of fizzling out, they changed course and built something stronger. Their persistence paid off: the team behind Flow was acquired by SnelStart, the leading accounting software company in the Netherlands.
Here’s what founders (and really anyone building a startup) can take from their journey – especially when Plan A goes sideways.
It Started as a Consumer App
When we first backed Flow in 2022, the team was focused on automating personal finance for freelancers. Think: a rules-based engine that automatically moved money between accounts based on user-defined triggers – things like setting aside tax savings or splitting income as it came in.
It was a timely idea, built on a clear need. But like with many early-stage products, the initial direction didn’t quite hit the mark. Infrastructure gaps and integration challenges made it tough to deliver the experience users expected, and it became clear that something had to change.
That’s a moment most founders reach at some point. What matters is what you do next.
Flow leaned in, asked the hard questions, and got to work.
B2B > B2C (For Flow's Team)
Flow joined the Visa Innovation Program Europe in 2022–2023, and that’s where the real pivot began. Long days. Messy whiteboards. Lots of “What if we…”
They started looking at B2B use cases. Instead of helping individuals manage their money, what if Flow helped SMBs automate finance inside the tools they were already using?
That led to Flow 2.0 – a middle layer that connects banking infrastructure (powered by Adyen) directly into business software. Suddenly, Flow wasn’t just another fintech app. It was the missing link between accounting and banking for small businesses.
The Turning Point: Build With Your First Customer
The real unlock? Working directly with SnelStart as their first embedded finance customer.
It wasn’t a press-release partnership. It was a deep, hands-on pilot:
- Business account creation in one day
- VAT set-asides on autopilot
- Real-time reconciliation
- Financing inside the bookkeeping workflow
It worked. So well, in fact, that SnelStart went from partner to buyer. This further validates our thesis on embedded finance – showing how financial services can be seamlessly integrated at the point of need with exceptional user experience.
Why This Matters (Especially If You’re Mid-Pivot)
Let’s skip the romanticism. Pivots are hard. Most don’t work.
But Flow’s story shows that when you:
- Stay honest about what’s broken
- Stay close to real users
- Build with a specific problem in mind (not just a shiny tech stack)
…you give yourself a real shot.
Their move from a personal finance app to an embedded finance platform shows the kind of mindset that makes a difference – staying open, staying curious, and being willing to rethink everything when it becomes clear the current path isn’t working.
What’s Next
Flow will keep operating as an independent brand inside the SnelStart Group, with bigger reach and more horsepower. Their mission – simplifying business finance, stays the same. Only now, they’ve got the backing to move even faster.
To the Flow team: congrats on building something real, and for staying scrappy when things got tough.To other founders in the messy middle: keep going and don’t underestimate where a sharp left turn can take you.
