From spreadsheets to startup: Dexxter

Chrisje Haenen
Oct 31
4 min read

Giel Thomas never imagined he’d one day lead a fast-growing tech company. Trained as an accountant and tax advisor, he spent his early career helping small businesses with their numbers - until he saw a problem he could no longer ignore.

“I had so many part-time entrepreneurs walk into my office who either couldn’t find an accountant or couldn’t afford one” Giel recalls. “And I thought: surely there must be a better way.” That question led to Dexxter, a Belgian platform that allows freelancers and one-person businesses to manage their accounting from A to Z.

Complementary minds, one mission

Giel didn’t build Dexxter alone. Together with Robbe Claessens (the developer who “goes to sleep and wakes up thinking in code”) and Stan De Pauw (the business developer who believes “business is always human-to-human”), he turned an idea born from frustration into a thriving SaaS company.

The trio met when Giel was still running his own accounting firm. Robbe and Stan were clients, helping students start their first businesses - and struggling with the same accounting headaches. “At some point, we just said: what if we built something ourselves? A sort of glorified Excel that could help people manage their books” Giel laughs. “We had no money to pay each other, so we decided to just do it together.”

Within weeks, they had incorporated the company. What began as a side project soon turned into a full-fledged startup.

Bootstrapping their way forward

Unlike many early-stage founders, the Dexxter team didn’t rush into fundraising. They bootstrapped, reinvested revenue, and only later accepted small loans and convertible notes - always staying in control. “That was a conscious choice” says Giel. “We wanted freedom and no one telling us we had to ‘go international’ when our focus was always Belgium.”

That focus paid off. Today, Dexxter serves more than 12,500 paying customers across Belgium - mostly freelancers, side-hustlers, and student entrepreneurs who now have a simple, affordable way to stay compliant.

And the feedback? Overwhelmingly positive. “Some reviews are so good people might think we wrote them ourselves” Giel jokes. “But they’re real and they give me goosebumps. Knowing that someone might never have started a business without Dexxter… that’s huge.”

Lessons in focus and growth

In the early years, Dexxter grew slowly but steadily. First through Giel’s existing network, then through digital marketing and strong partnerships with Belgium’s enterprise offices. Eventually, the company caught the eye of Visma Teamleader, which acquired Dexxter to strengthen its SME ecosystem. With that came new challenges and new discipline. “Suddenly you have to play Champions League with your numbers” Giel says. “It forced us to professionalize fast, and that’s been a great thing.”

When asked about his most valuable lessons, Giel doesn’t hesitate: focus and consistency.

“Everyone told us to target all entrepreneurs: companies, freelancers, France, Germany. But we stayed laser-focused on Belgian one-person businesses. People said it was too small, but it’s 650,000 potential users, and nobody was really serving them. That focus is our strength.”

He also learned the importance of daily progress over grand plans. “You can have a five-year goal, but it starts with what you do today. Just keep putting one brick on top of another.”

The value of good coaching

Early on, Giel found a sparring partner in Marc from SO Kwadraat, who coached the Dexxter team through crucial stages - from contracts and partnerships to the eventual acquisition.

“Marc never pretended to have all the answers” Giel says. “He helped us think, asked the right questions, and shared his experience without ever imposing it. That honesty made all the difference.”

Having free, no-strings-attached guidance was invaluable, he adds - especially when every euro counted. “At that stage, you’re weighing every cost. Having someone experienced in your corner, for free, that’s gold.”

Building impact, not just software

For Giel, entrepreneurship has never been just about business success. It’s about impact.

“We’ve helped thousands of people take their first steps as entrepreneurs. Some tell us they wouldn’t even have started without us. That’s the kind of impact that keeps me going.”

Dexxter continues to grow, adding new features and expanding its team while staying true to its roots: helping small entrepreneurs thrive through simplicity and empowerment. “Software gives you scale” Giel concludes. “But it’s still about people. Every freelancer we help, that’s one more person who dares to start.”

Key takeaways for founders

Stay focused. Serving one niche really well beats serving everyone halfway.
Bootstrap if you can. Freedom early on helps you grow on your own terms.
Keep learning. Fail fast, refactor, improve: every mistake is tuition you pay for growth.
Be consistent. Success comes from showing up every single day.
Seek honest mentors. Find people who challenge you, not just cheer you on.