A two-way interview with Herman Weessies (CEO, SnelStart) and Edy Bruinooge (CCO, IBANXS)
The world of accounting software has fundamentally changed in a short time. What used to be primarily about processing invoices and keeping records now demands real-time insight, integrated workflows, and frictionless payments. At the same time, pressure is rising on data security, governance, and compliance—while financial services are increasingly moving to the place where entrepreneurs already work: their software platform.
In this two-way interview, Herman Weessies, CEO of SnelStart, and Edy Bruinooge, CCO of IBANXS, look back on their long-standing collaboration. They discuss the shifting role of accounting software, the impact of open banking and direct bank connectivity, and why Pay by Bank is a logical next step. They also look ahead to an ecosystem where data is aggregated more intelligently, processes integrate further, and entrepreneurs increasingly “get it done” in one platform.
“SnelStart was never ‘just an accounting package’”
Edy: Herman, we’re here in Amersfoort The Netherlands at SnelStart. Many people know SnelStart from the accounting world, but not everyone knows the backstory. What’s happening here—and where did SnelStart come from?
Herman: There’s so much I could say that I hardly know where to start. But let me begin with one misconception: SnelStart was never just an accounting package. We go back to the 1980s, when bookkeeping was still done on paper, in ledgers and columnar cash books. Then the personal computer arrived. Our founder, “Uncle Wim,” bought a computer… and discovered it didn’t do anything without software. So he wrote software.
Edy: And that software initially was essentially a digital version of the paper ledger?
Herman: Exactly. But from day one, we built whatever entrepreneurs asked for. “Can you automate this? Can you add that?” We developed CRM, purchasing software, vertical solutions, payroll software – lots of things. That’s our DNA: building solutions for SMEs, whether they do the admin themselves or have someone doing it for them.
The shift: from admin tool to financial steering instrument
Edy: If you extend that DNA to today: is accounting software still mainly an admin tool, or has it become a financial steering instrument?
Herman: It’s increasingly a steering instrument. Entrepreneurs want one place where they can run their processes. And the more real-time data becomes available, the stronger that need becomes. Think cashflow insight, expenses, payment status, margins. It’s about control.
Edy: That connects directly to what you’re doing with SnelStart Banking. Why is banking so logical for a platform that started in administration?
Herman: Because bank transactions are the backbone of accounting. Without transactions, you don’t have a complete picture. And once you start thinking about integration, you don’t stop. You don’t want an entrepreneur to approve an incoming invoice in the accounting system and then still have to check in a second system whether everything is correct. That “double checking” comes from the old era of paper transfers.
Open banking changed the game: “Transactions are the backbone”
Edy: You moved more decisively in this direction around PSD2 (2016/2017). What changed then?
Herman: PSD2 made open banking truly tangible. We rely on bank connectivity to complete the accounting picture. PSD2 enabled us to become less dependent on bank-specific connections and business models. That’s why we said: we’re going “all the way.”
Edy: And that’s where we came in.
Herman: Yes. Open banking needs infrastructure. That’s exactly what IBANXS is strong at. There aren’t that many parties who can do this reliably on a regulated basis. And we don’t like “cowboys.”
Why regulated bank connectivity is strategic
Edy: How important is reliable, regulated bank connectivity for your service quality. And for scalability?
Herman: It’s critical. For me, it’s about trust and data governance. The entrepreneur is the owner of their data. We don’t want to own it, but we do have the responsibility to ensure that data is safe in our systems. If you take that seriously, you have to be extremely careful about your partner chain and the way data flows are designed.
Edy: At the same time, European regulation is expanding rapidly—around data, security, compliance. Does that slow innovation?
Herman: Regulation is necessary, precisely to fix weaknesses in the system. But you also see “overcooked compliance.” Sometimes we have to monitor transactions that have already taken place between two system banks, while we “only” want to process that transaction inside the accounting system. That’s the reality of operating in a regulated chain.
One platform: accounting + banking + payments
Edy: What stuck with me is your “one platform” idea. Can you explain why it’s so powerful?
Herman: Because SMEs don’t want to work in separate silos. In practice, they’re in their accounting platform more often than in their banking environment. So banking inside SnelStart makes sense: one user interface, one environment. And with our own accounts and cards, you can do expense management. For example: employees pay on the go, scan receipts, and everything is automatically booked to the right cost category, without leaks between actions.
Edy: And that ties into how payments are evolving. You already mentioned Pay by Bank as the logical next step.
Pay by Bank: “easier and cheaper”
Herman: Look, if I run a webshop, I can offer iDEAL, PayPal, credit cards… but also Pay by Bank. That can be via a QR code or a button. And if it’s cheaper than routing everything through a PSP, why wouldn’t I help entrepreneurs make it both easier and cheaper?
Edy: That’s exactly the point. Pay by Bank effectively becomes the name for the transfer, the same logic whether you pay an invoice inside your platform or pay at checkout in e-commerce. And many consumers prefer it: you open your own banking app, scan a QR code, and authorise the payment yourself. It feels safe and direct.
Herman: And sometimes I genuinely wonder why we pretend this is complicated. Almost everyone has a smartphone with a banking app. Why insist on a traditional payment method when your banking app can already do it?
Edy: In the Netherlands, we’ve been incredibly spoiled by iDEAL. That’s why we forget there are “rails” underneath, and that it can be done differently. Pay by Bank makes that alternative explicit and scalable.
The future: from open finance to open data
Edy: Looking ahead. Where is this going?
Herman: The landscape is changing, and I want to be right in the middle of it. What I increasingly see is that it’s not only about accounting, sales, and purchasing, but also about HR processes and everything transaction-related that comes with it. That belongs in the ecosystem too.
Edy: From my side: “what’s next” is not only open finance, but also open data. It’s about aggregating data from different sources, different asset classes, different institutions—and making that data usable. You see that not just in SMEs, but in other markets as well.
Herman: Ultimately, it’s the same principle: data in the right place, in the right context, with ownership at the user level, and trust throughout the chain.
Edy: And that’s exactly why collaboration between an accounting platform and a regulated connectivity partner is strategically relevant. You build the entrepreneur platform. We ensure the rails are reliable. Together, you make it simpler, safer, and future-proof.
Interested in integrating Pay by Bank from IBANXS into your platform or proposition? Get in touch with our team to explore how regulated bank connectivity can power your next growth phase.