Ticketscript

Ticketscript was established in 2006 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, by co-founders Frans Jonker and Ruben Meiland. The duo identified a gap in the market through their immersion in Amsterdam's electronic music scene, where Meiland had founded an electronic music website called Beatfreax. They observed that event promoters lacked effective online ticketing tools and that the process was cumbersome for both organizers and attendees. This insight led to the creation of a self-service e-ticketing platform designed to give event organizers greater control over their sales and customer data, a significant departure from traditional models at the time.

The company provided a suite of software tools that allowed event organizers to create, promote, and sell tickets directly through their own websites, social media channels, and at the event location. Its business model centered on empowering the organizer, offering tools like embeddable ticket shops, a real-time sales dashboard, and the "Flow" app for managing guestlists and entry. This approach catered to a wide range of events, from music festivals and concerts to fairs, exhibitions, and sports events. The company expanded its physical presence by opening offices in Germany and Belgium in 2009, London in 2010, and Spain in 2011.

Ticketscript secured multiple funding rounds, including a significant £7 million investment in 2014 from London-based private equity firm FF&P (now FPE Capital), which fueled further international growth and product development. By 2016, the combined European operations of Ticketscript and Eventbrite processed over 35 million tickets, generating more than €500 million in value. In a strategic move to consolidate the European market, Eventbrite acquired Ticketscript in January 2017 for a deal valued around $33.4 million in cash, promissory notes, and shares. Following the acquisition, Frans Jonker took on the role of General Manager for continental Europe at Eventbrite, while Ruben Meiland became the Global VP of Product. The acquisition positioned the combined entity as Europe's third-largest ticketing platform.

Keywords: self-service ticketing, event management software, European ticketing, online ticket sales, digital ticketing, event technology, e-ticketing platform, Frans Jonker, Ruben Meiland, Eventbrite acquisition, festival ticketing, concert ticketing, live music events, event organizer tools, mobile ticketing app, box office software, ticketing solutions, Amsterdam startup, event promotion, entry management