Some problems are so big that they are not easy to solve, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't tackle them. The Eindhoven tech scale-up Plinkr sees the poverty issue in the Netherlands as such a challenge. BOM supports Plinkr's mission to help people towards a life without financial worries.
The number of people with financial problems is rising. According to Nibud, in 2024 almost 46% of households had payment problems, and around 730,000 households were dealing with problematic debts. This is a tragedy on an individual and family level, but it also incurs high societal costs. At least € 8.5 billion per year, as revealed by research, for instance, in the form of reduced labor productivity or increased healthcare costs.
From app to system solution
Floris Went, director of Plinkr, saw during his time working at a bank how financial problems disrupt lives. Together with Arjen Went, Niels Pel, Teun Spierings, and Steve Stomp, he founded Plinkr in 2017. The startup began with an app to help people with their finances but quickly discovered that the core of the problem lay elsewhere.
“We discovered that we shouldn't directly be with the end-user with a solution, nor with the caregiver, but one step earlier: with the municipality that purchases care and support for its residents,” says Floris Went. “Many different parties work on financial aid. It is important that everyone knows what the others are doing. This way, nothing is overlooked, and no double work is done. But it is challenging and time-consuming for municipalities to organize this well, which often means residents receive the right help too late. That’s where we saw a great opportunity: to help innovate smarter collaboration within the social domain, thereby better assisting very vulnerable people.”
This led to the creation of the Plinkr Platform, a method that helps municipalities organize assistance faster and more efficiently. It maps the local social domain and provides aid organizations with a clear task. The goal: to identify problems early so that heavy debt relief processes can be prevented where possible. And that prevents a lot of stress and social costs. Part of the solution is a smart app in which people can manage their financial data themselves, such as a debt overview and a budget plan, giving them control over their situation.
Collaboration with BOM
BOM supported Plinkr from the very beginning with knowledge about business development and financial resources. “BOM helped us refine our proposition and stay focused on the problem, instead of obsessing over a solution,” says Floris. This approach proved successful. “It is valuable to have a partner who strongly believes in our social mission and our way of working. Together, we truly decided: we are going to tackle poverty and financial issues in the Netherlands.”
We got involved with Plinkr early on because that’s when we can have the greatest impact. We saw a team that thoroughly understands the landscape of financial problems and debt assistance, but still needed support in building a sustainable revenue model. Today, there is a healthy company with a top-notch team that makes the world a little better with every sale.
Thanks to an early investment, partly from BOM, Plinkr began scaling in 2019. In addition to the Plinkr Platform, the company developed Plinkr Nazorg, a rapidly growing product aimed at residents who, for example, are under guardianship or following a debt counseling program. Plinkr Nazorg is a coaching method that allows municipalities to help residents regain control of their finances. “We want to not only ensure that people receive the right help on time, but also prevent relapse,” says Floris. “Municipalities often offer some form of financial coaching or aftercare, but there was no standard approach. With Plinkr Nazorg, we have developed a method that can be used by coaches from large and small municipalities. Because it is a very concrete solution to a very urgent problem, Plinkr Nazorg is growing rapidly.”
Currently, about 45 municipalities are working with Plinkr Nazorg, and the company has already helped 1000 residents and families. “Now we want to push forward. Family by family, municipality by municipality. We are making an impact both personally and on a macroeconomic scale. Research shows, for example, that every euro invested in Plinkr Nazorg for residents under guardianship yields €5.30 in societal value.”
Innovation in financial assistance
Plinkr's solutions are not a replacement for the involved helpers who support people. “Financial assistance remains a human task. Our technology relieves professionals and makes cooperation easier and more efficient. Together, we help people grow, find self-confidence, and motivation.”
The mission – everyone free from financial worries – has not changed over the years, but the approach has evolved. “In 2024, it turned out that only 2.5% of people with problematic debts are actually helped. This is because the target group is not well identified. People often seek help only when debts have risen very high. We want to ensure that this happens earlier and faster, and then offer them the right help to prevent a situation from going from bad to worse.”
Everyone financially self-sufficient
Plinkr's brand awareness is growing, and the company is gaining trust and expanding in the social domain. The scale-up is experiencing good growth. At the same time, the company is working with municipalities and other partners on further developing the Plinkr Platform and Plinkr Nazorg, especially based on the experiences of helpers and residents. “So that our products better meet what is needed, where there is demand.”
The goal on the horizon? A Netherlands where no one has financial concerns. “Our country is too prosperous to let people live in poverty,” concludes Floris. “If someone slips through the cracks, there should be someone to catch them. That's why we also believe in our strength and the added value of technology and coaching.”
