Jelle Gudden en Rik Burgersdijk (Proforto) over hun groeiambities

Collaboration Vision Jelle Gudden and Rik Burgersdijk built Proforto to €50 million in workwear revenue from a student room in Nijmegen. They started with pajamas from Vietnam, switched to workwear in 2014, and are now aiming for €80 million in revenue by 2026, with private equity on board and a European growth strategy. What started as a Magento webshop that Jelle put together in two days has grown into an operation with over 160 employees, a 6,500-square-meter distribution center, and an aggressive acquisition agenda. In this conversation, Jelle and Rik speak candidly about the early crises: a construction holiday period that reduced revenue to zero, a €100,000 Rabobank loan that saved the company, and the moment the entire Bol board stepped in as angel investors after winning the Shopping Awards in 2015. "The engine has to run at full throttle," says Rik regarding the logic of e-commerce scale. And that is exactly what they are doing: 55% organic growth by 2025, four acquisitions in sixteen months, and the ambition to be active in fifteen countries within twelve months. AI already handles 80% of customer service. In July, the Proforto Business Center opens in Nijmegen: a 1,400-square-meter showroom under the name World of Work. The two are deliberately complementary. Rik the commercial brain, Jelle the executor and financial anchor. Their horizon: conquering Europe, preferably as a family business. Name and address: Entrepreneur name: Jelle Gudden and Rik Burgersdijk. Company: Proforto Interesting Feites 💼 Proforto generated approximately €50 million in revenue in 2025; the target for 2026 is €80 million 🏢 The distribution center grew from 100 to over 6,500 square meters in six years 🌍 Proforto aims to be active in fifteen European countries within twelve months Take Actions 💡 In e-commerce, the winner takes it all: scale determines who dictates the margins and conditions 🤝 Complementary co-founders make the difference: one commercial brain, one executor with financial overview 🏗️ Build your brand outside the search engine: sponsorships demonstrably lower your acquisition costs in the long run 𝗦𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗸𝗶𝗷𝗸𝗲𝗻 00:00 - Introduction 01:20 - Pyjamas from Vietnam: the beginning from the student room 04:44 - Werk Shopper: workwear webshop built in two days 09:13 - Nijmegen, the Startersbeurs and the first growth spurt 11:37 - Almost bankrupt due to the construction holiday and how Rabobank saved the day 14:10 - Angel investors: the management of Bol as mentors 17:58 - Private equity and the acquisition agenda 23:58 - International: Belgium, Germany and fifteen countries 27:45 - AI, culture and employership at scale 37:17 - Outro *Insights into the foundations of businesses:* 📊 €50 million in revenue in 2025: average 40% organic growth per year over the past few years 📊 4 acquisitions in 16 months: all companies will eventually be integrated into the Proforto brand 📊 80% of customer service: is already fully handled by AI 🔔 *About us now* and more! https://7dtv.link/YT 7️⃣ Over 7DTV 7DTV is the platform for entrepreneurs. Presenter Ronnie Overgoor talks to real entrepreneurs, founders, SME owners, and self-employed professionals about growth, mistakes, money, strategy, and the reality behind success. No quick success stories. Instead: honest conversations, practical lessons, and concrete entrepreneurial insights you can use tomorrow. 🎙️ Weekly interviews, entrepreneur stories, and tips for self-employed professionals, freelancers, startups, scaleups, and SME companies. 👤 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗲 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗿 Ronnie is a moderator, presenter, and trainer. He has spoken with over 1,500 entrepreneurs on 7DTV, acts as a moderator at more than 60 business events per year, and trains young moderators and anyone who wants to improve their presentation skills. More about Ronnie → https://www.ronnieovergoor.com 💡 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝗽 𝟳𝗗𝗧𝗩? Would you like an entrepreneur portrait, branded series, or business collaboration with 7DTV? 👉 https://www.7dtv.nl/samenwerken 📩 [email protected] 🔔 Follow 7DTV here too 🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/26jT6jL... 💼 LinkedIn:   / 7dtv   📷 Instagram:   / 7dtv.nl   📱 TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLJbTBuF/ 🔥 7DTV | #1 Platform for entrepreneurs | Check www.7dtv.nl #entrepreneurship #entrepreneurship #selfemployed #freelancer #sme #startup #scaleup #ownbusiness #startingabusiness #entrepreneurs #entrepreneurtips #podcast #businesspodcast #dutchpodcast #growth #strategy #marketing #leadership