Going abroad: the product is often not the biggest challenge
CEO Aad van Boven and CCO Alexander Zwiep have spent the past decade building their product, reputation and organisation. Having tested the waters internationally before, SecureMe2 is now ready to dive into new markets. The founders share why international expansion ultimately comes down to local expertise, strong networks and “taking off your blinkers every now and then.”
Red socks on the Christmas tree
Around 10 years ago, Aad van Boven and Alexander Zwiep met at a Christmas dinner hosted by mutual friends. Aad watched in surprise as Alexander decorated the tree with red socks. “I was working at RedSocks at the time, so it made sense,” Alexander explains. The Hague-based firm had just developed a network detection solution, exactly what Aad was looking for. Back then, such technology was largely reserved for big corporations with budgets to match, even though small and medium-sized businesses faced the exact same threats. Aad and Alexander set out to make cybersecurity technology available to smaller companies as well: simple, affordable and accessible.
“Why are we doing this again?”
The entrepreneurs brought tech specialist and CTO Hans van Beek on board, and within a few months, they had a working prototype. Their approach was pragmatic, according to Alexander. Instead of endless product development, they hit the ground running and learned on their feet along the way. Still, the financial reality soon hit home. “After months of hard work, we’d earned €2,600. It definitely made us question why we were doing it,” Aad recalls.
Part of the answer lay in their firm belief that affordable detection technology was possible. While they wanted to grow their company, it could not be at any cost. “Ultimately, the customer has to benefit from it,” says Aad. “You can’t build a sustainable business if you put commercial gain ahead of everything else,” Alexander adds. They preferred to grow steadily, gradually building a base of loyal customers.
“Our technology works the same everywhere; our real challenge is language, culture and communication.”
Refining the value proposition and revenue model
Meanwhile, the entrepreneurs were constantly fine-tuning their value proposition. “Initially, it was far too complicated. Nobody wants to sit through a two-hour technical pitch,” Aad admits. So, they stripped back their story and introduced Cyberalarm, a product name that speaks for itself. Just like a burglar alarm or smoke detector, it alerts users to suspicious activity. “Thanks to the KISS principle of ‘Keep It Simple, Stupid,’ we managed to cut our sales pitch down to just 15 minutes,” Alexander chuckles.
They also simplified their revenue model and prioritised scalability. “Customers pay a fixed subscription fee, and we take care of the rest,” says Aad. Customers know exactly where they stand, while SecureMe2 can rely on a steady, predictable revenue stream. Today, recurring contracts account for more than 90 per cent of the company’s total revenue.
Professionalising the brand and business operations
As their customer base grew, it became clear that the informal approach of the early days was no longer fit for purpose. “At some point, an Excel spreadsheet just doesn’t cut it anymore, and you have to take your business to the next level,” Aad explains. The company professionalised its branding and operations, an evolution that Alexander believes helped the business mature considerably. Customer trust grew, credibility increased and SecureMe2 further strengthened its position within the Dutch cybersecurity network. Their deliberate choice of European technology has also significantly helped strengthen that position, particularly in the current geopolitical climate.
Crossing borders step by step
After 10 years, SecureMe2 has built the product, business, reputation and network to expand internationally. While the ambition is not new, their strategy is. “There have always been international opportunities,” Alexander explains, “but this time, we’re pursuing them much more strategically.” Germany is their current focus, but they are not attempting to tackle the whole country at once. First up is North Rine-Westphalia, which is close to home and accessible. The company is gradually building a partner network to test the waters and see what works.
Aad clarifies that the product itself is not the biggest hurdle: “Everything runs on standard protocols, so the technology can work anywhere. Our real challenge is communication.” That is why SecureMe2 works with local partners. “They understand the language, the culture and the way business is done. What is it that convinces a German customer to work with us?”
Aad and Alexander learned the importance of local knowledge the hard way during a business trip to Paris. “I gave a presentation that I’d translated into French using Google Translate. I thought it sounded fine, but the quality turned out to be shockingly poor. It was quite an eye-opener,” says Alexander.
“Without InnovationQuarter, we wouldn’t have been able to take these international steps.”
“Take off the blinkers every now and then”
In addition to partnering with local market experts, the company sought out relevant networks and regional ecosystems. “I started being much more selective about the organisations we should and should not work with,” Aad remembers. “You just can’t jump on every opportunity.” That’s how they connected with InnovationQuarter. “They help us make more targeted decisions about which markets are worth pursuing, which activities to join and where to invest our time and resources.” Trade Developer Martine Koole and her team advise on expanding into foreign markets, help prioritise objectives and handle the logistics of the company’s international activities.
Partnering with InnovationQuarter boosts SecureMe2’s credibility abroad while also creating fresh opportunities at home. A chance meeting at the international cybersecurity conference RSA illustrates this, paving the way for a partnership with Dutch cybersecurity firm Tesorion and new contacts within the Dutch Ministry of Defence. “Without InnovationQuarter, we wouldn’t have been able to make these international moves,” Alexander concludes. “If you want to grow, especially internationally, you need to take your blinkers off every now and then. You can’t do it alone.”
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