Odoo is one of the most promising European scale-ups, with a valuation of €5 billion, it easily fits the definition of a unicorn. It was founded in Belgium in 2005 by Fabien Pinckaers. He is the CEO, responsible for developing and marketing software solutions designed for companies of all sizes and sectors that are modular and very easy to use, integrate and install.
Today, Odoo has around 12 million users worldwide and, in 2023, it opened its office in Italy, which has been led from day one by Miriam Bastianello, who holds the position of managing director and who, in two years, has grown the branch to a staff of 60 people. Bastianello began working for Odoo in Belgium, and when it came to entrusting the task of launching operations in Italy, the choice fell on her, who is originally from Bolzano and has international experience.
“The Italian branch is growing rapidly,” he tells Startupbusiness. “From the outset, we have worked to build up our sales and customer support teams, focusing on recruitment and training. Today, we have a team with expertise in marketing, accounting, office management and human resources. Our approach is very agile, onboarding is fast and you quickly move on to full operational management. Our philosophy is to empower the people who work with us. There is no micro-management, but rather a team with an average age of under 30 that works in a coordinated and responsible manner.
Odoo Italia focuses primarily on SMEs and micro-enterprises. Those with more complex needs can leverage the support of consultants, while more agile companies, with an average of up to 10 employees, purchase and manage directly from the scale-up’s website. ” Our challenge now is to make our customers understand the innovative nature of our offering, knowing that for many companies it is difficult to change suppliers or approaches even if the advantages are very clear because our solution meets all operational needs, is highly localised and therefore in line with all regulations. That is why we have also launched a programme with accountants to introduce them to our solutions so that they can then introduce them to their customers .
Odoo has an extensive and widespread academy and roadshow programme with events all over the world that help people learn about the technologies and different applications on offer, emphasising the fact that it is based on the concept of modularity, which is also ideal for start-ups that can begin with a few applications and then grow by adding those they need as their business develops. Odoo is purchased by number of users regardless of the number of applications, so once you start working with the Belgian scaleup’s solutions, there are no additional costs for applications added over time. Costs range from just under £10 per month per user to £20 per month depending on the plan the user chooses, but do not change based on the number of applications: ‘ It should be noted, says Bastianello, that we also offer a one-app-free option, which allows those who wish to do so to use one of the apps in our range at no cost and with no restrictions on the number of users.It is a way to bring users closer to our technology, but also a way that allows many to manage part of their business at no cost.
Odoo offers a wide range of apps, including CRM, sales management with invoicing and accounting, project and timesheet management, inventory, production, website creation and e-commerce. “Given the breadth of the offering on the market, we compete with both large ERP providers and providers of individual services, and we see this especially in sectors where there are historically established providers. At the same time, we are observing that more and more partners, customers and suppliers of those who already use our apps are discovering and choosing them. We have also entered a phase where Odoo is considered a supplier in the software selection processes of companies, including larger ones, because the high scalability of our solutions adapts to organisations of all sizes.”
The company is also committed to developing a network of partners such as system integrators, strategic consulting firms and suppliers that cater to highly specialised sectors: “In Italy, we currently have around one hundred partners of various types and sizes, including some large consulting firms such as KPMG and PwC.”
Another feature of Odoo’s offering is that it refers to models that have been defined as Odoo Enterprise and Odoo Community. in the first case, it is a sale in the form of licences which, depending on customer preferences, can be provided in SaaS mode, on a permit basis or in the form of a development contract. In the second case, it is for all those users who are more technical and prefer to work in open source mode without the need for support or implementation services.
In Italy, the market is expanding, growing between 40 and 50% year on year, and Odoo’s development is equally strong worldwide, with Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Spain, together with Belgium and France, leading the way in Europe, and the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Brazil, and Australia standing out globally. However, the company is also expanding in Mexico, Hong Kong, India, Portugal, Eastern Europe. “2025 will be the first full year of operations in Italy, so we will also have the first real turnover figures. In the meantime, we are working to continue the growth process and expect to reach a workforce of 80 people by the end of the year., which will also lead us to move to new premises by 2026. The appearance of the team (in the opening photo, ed.) is very important to me. I am happy with the work we have done so far and the fact that we are proving that even in Italy it is possible to build an innovative business, find talent, there are people who are willing to take risks and eager to take on positions of responsibility. In the context of Odoo, hierarchies exist only at the organisational level, but in fact the approach is highly empowering and collaborative, free of micro-management and control mechanisms. We have a start-up mentality’.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ©