German software company HERO Software is expanding into the Netherlands, marking its first move beyond the German-speaking market.
The move brings HERO’s all-in-one operations software to Dutch trade businesses such as installers, plumbers, electricians, and construction and maintenance contractors.
HERO says more than 40,000 professionals already use the platform daily to run their operations, from quoting and scheduling to project administration, customer communication and invoicing, with fewer spreadsheets and manual follow-ups.
The trouble with scaling trade businesses
The expansion comes as trade businesses across Europe face mounting pressure, with strong demand and full order books colliding with a shortage of skilled labour that continues to push costs higher. In the Netherlands, some installers are offering signing bonuses of up to €10,000 to attract technicians, with similar pressure across Germany and other EU markets.
But the pinch is also operational. As work increases, scheduling, admin, coordination and follow-ups consume scarce capacity, adding friction and limiting margin gains.
HERO is built to solve that by putting the full operational flow into one system, from quoting and order management to planning, project administration, invoicing and customer communication, which the company says reduces errors and restores oversight.
HERO says it can automate up to 20 hours per month of administrative work, freeing teams to focus on delivery and customer service.
The Netherlands as a logical next step
CEO and co-founder Dr. Michael Kessler describes the Netherlands as a natural next step, citing similarities with the German market, where small and mid-sized trade businesses are moving from disconnected legacy systems to cloud-based software.
To support the rollout, HERO has set up a Dutch team led by Country Lead Netherlands Martin Jellema, who has experience scaling digital platforms in the construction and installation sector.
“Many construction and installation companies want to digitalise, but the use of multiple standalone tools often makes things more complex and causes them to lose oversight,” says Jellema. “Those tools don’t quite match what a contractor, painter or installer actually needs in practice. By developing software that fits daily workflows, is easy to implement and grows with the business, we make digitalisation manageable and restore oversight in the trade business.”
Dutch customers will also get HERO Copilot from day one.
More on HERO Software
In July 2024, HERO Software closed a €40 million Series B led by Eight Roads Ventures, with participation from Cusp Capital, to fund hiring, product development and expansion into new markets. Founded in 2020 by Dr. Michael Kessler and Philipp Lyding, HERO Software employs around 200 people. Its headquarters are located in Hanover, Germany.
