guud

Based in Munich, Germany, guud is a financial services company established in 2021 by co-founders Alina Friedrichs and Susanna Mur. The firm operates in the B2B market, providing employee benefits solutions that promote sustainable consumption. The founding story began when Alina, with a background in HR at a startup, conceived the idea of a benefit card that could be used at sustainable businesses, drawing inspiration from a volunteer project that mapped such locations. Susanna, who possessed experience in startups and innovation, was seeking to launch a business with a positive environmental and societal impact.

The company's core offerings are the guudcard, a benefit payment card, and the guudschein, a universal voucher for sustainable online stores. These products are designed to address the challenge consumers face with the higher cost and difficulty of sustainable living. For corporate clients, guud's services represent a tax-efficient employee benefit that requires minimal administrative effort and integrates with payroll accounting. This model allows companies to tangibly demonstrate their sustainability values, which can enhance employee identification and loyalty. The business generates revenue by providing these benefit services to companies of all sizes, and by September 2021, had already acquired over 170 customers.

The guudcard allows employees to receive a tax-free monthly allowance of up to 50 euros, which can be spent on conscious shopping, mobility, or sports. The card functions at over 10,000 affiliated sustainable locations across Germany, including organic supermarkets, restaurants, and bicycle repair shops. Users have the flexibility to choose how they use their benefits, with options ranging from purchasing groceries at stores like Alnatura and Denn's to paying for public transportation. The company offers two versions of the card: 'guudcard Impact,' which is restricted to verified sustainable partners, and 'guudcard Flex,' which can be used at any Mastercard-accepting merchant in a chosen region. Guud is structured under the principles of steward-ownership, meaning the company is not for sale, financial payouts to shareholders are limited, and decision-making power rests with those actively involved in the company.

Keywords: employee benefits, sustainable consumption, corporate social responsibility, FinTech, B2B payments, tax-free benefits, employee engagement, sustainable lifestyle, benefit card, corporate wellness, steward-ownership, green benefits, flexible benefits, sustainable retail, impact investing, social enterprise, employee retention, corporate values, sustainable mobility, conscious consumerism