Firsty

High-Level Overview

Firsty is a telecommunications startup founded in 2023 and headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, that provides global mobile data connectivity via an eSIM app.[1][2][4] It serves travelers, expats, and remote workers by solving the complexities of international roaming, SIM swaps, and high costs through a freemium model offering free baseline data for essentials and premium high-speed options starting at €1 per day.[1][2][4] Firsty has demonstrated strong growth momentum, reaching 500,000 users organically in nine months without paid marketing, fueled by word-of-mouth and integrations with telecom providers in over 150 countries.[3] The company raised €1.1M in pre-seed funding in early 2024 and €5.1M in an oversubscribed seed round led by Speedinvest, with participation from Dutch Founders Fund, Booking.com, Uber, Vodafone, Adyen, and investors like ex-KPN CFO Marcel Smits.[2][4][5]

Origin Story

Firsty was founded in 2023 by Vince Vissers and Gauthier Thierens, both former Technical Product Managers at Adyen, who identified the frustrations of fragmented international mobile data—expensive roaming, SIM changes, and varying plans per country.[3][4][5] Drawing from their fintech experience, they aimed to simplify global connectivity like neobanks did for banking, building a customer-centric app that auto-connects users to the best local networks without contracts or hassle.[4][5] Early challenges included integrating with rigid telecom providers across 150+ countries, leading Firsty to develop its own telecom core network for dynamic connections.[3] Pivotal moments included a €1.1M pre-seed round in January 2024 from telecom veterans like Marcel Smits and Godert Vinkesteijn, plus Uber and N26 alumni, followed by official launch in June 2023 and explosive organic growth to 500,000 users by early 2024.[3][5]

Core Differentiators

• Freemium Model with Free Baseline: Offers 'Firsty Free' for essential data at no cost, eliminating unexpected roaming fees, with premium high-speed data from €1/day and unique pause/retain unused data features—uncommon in telecom.[1][2][4]
• Seamless eSIM App Experience: One app for instant global connectivity in 160+ countries, auto-selecting optimal local providers without manual setup, SIM swaps, or contracts; works on land, sea, or air.[2][3][4][6]
• Custom Telecom Infrastructure: Built its own core network to overcome provider limitations, ensuring reliability and transparency for travelers and expats.[3]
• Strategic Partnerships: Collaborations like with Uber (data-free ride booking worldwide, announced at Web Summit 2024) enhance user value and ecosystem integration.[2]
• Organic Growth Engine: Achieved 500,000 users in nine months via word-of-mouth, no ad spend, prioritizing user-centric design over traditional marketing.[3]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Firsty rides the eSIM and global nomad trend, capitalizing on rising remote work, travel recovery post-pandemic, and demand for transparent, affordable telecom amid legacy providers' high roaming charges.[2][3][4] Timing is ideal as eSIM adoption surges in smartphones, enabling borderless connectivity, while market forces like fintech-inspired disruption (e.g., neobanks) pressure telecom giants to innovate or lose retail share.[4] By offering free data as a "human right" and challenging opacity in a $100B+ roaming market, Firsty influences the ecosystem through partnerships with Uber, Booking.com, and Vodafone, potentially accelerating eSIM standards and freemium models in telecom.[2][4] Its Amsterdam base taps Europe's startup hub for talent and funding, positioning it to reshape consumer mobile data like Stripe did payments.

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Firsty is poised to scale as the "first telecom people love," expanding premium features like international calling, local numbers, and deeper travel/fintech partnerships while exploring targeted marketing beyond organics.[3] Trends like 5G proliferation, AI-optimized networks, and hyper-connected travel will amplify its model, though competition from incumbents and regulatory hurdles in telecom could test resilience. Its influence may evolve from disruptor to category leader, driving industry-wide free-tier adoption and global standards—if it sustains momentum from recent €5.1M funding. This echoes its founding vision: turning connectivity from a hassle into a seamless right, much like Firsty's app already does for half a million users.[3][4]