Smiler

About Smiler

Smiler, founded in 2021 by Kasper Middelkoop, Robbin van der Kruk, and Wessel van der Kruk, operates as a comprehensive platform within the photography services market. The company has established a marketplace that connects individuals and travelers with a network of professional photographers in various locations worldwide. This service allows consumers to book photoshoots and receive professionally captured and edited images.

The business model is structured around two primary offerings. For photographers, Smiler provides an all-in-one suite of tools to manage their business operations, encompassing booking, payment processing, and gallery management. This system is designed to streamline workflows for freelance photographers, allowing them to focus on their craft. For businesses, particularly in the tourism and leisure sectors like tour operators and online travel agencies, Smiler offers a solution to integrate photography into their services. This B2B approach aims to enhance the customer experience by providing guests with high-quality photos, which in turn can be leveraged by the businesses for marketing, generating positive reviews, and driving revenue through shared content.

The founding team's background appears to be rooted in entrepreneurship and technology. Kasper Middelkoop, one of the co-founders, has prior experience as the founder of a company named TicketSwap, suggesting a background in building and scaling marketplace platforms. This experience in creating two-sided markets is directly applicable to Smiler's business of connecting photographers with clients.

Smiler has achieved notable milestones, including securing €7 million in a seed funding round led by venture capital firms Speedinvest and Kodama Capital. This capital injection is intended to fuel the company's global expansion and further develop its technological infrastructure. The company has reported significant growth, indicating strong market traction for its services.