Stamp, the start-up that has brought together Barça and Courtois in a €4M funding round
The company allows foreign customers to buy in-store without VAT.
BarcelonaThe business world is often capable of forging connections that would be impossible in the world of football. This is the case with the financial technology company Stamp, dedicated to helping businesses facilitate purchases for international customers through [unclear - possibly "e-commerce" or "digital marketing"]. tax free (The system that allows tourists to recover the VAT on their purchases).
The company has brought together FC Barcelona, through its investment vehicle Barça Innovation Hub, and Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who participated in the operation through his investment arm NXTplay, in a single investment round of four million euros.
Unlike the traditional VAT refund system, Stamp has developed a model that activates the tax benefit at the point of sale. In countries where regulations allow it, such as Italy, purchases can be made directly VAT-free at the point of sale.
In the Spanish case, the invoice is issued with VAT, but the customer receives an immediate discount equivalent to the tax amount at the time of payment. The platform then handles the validation of the transaction and manages the refund. Stamp's CEO, Abel Navajas, explains that, for more than 40 years, the so-called tax free "It has not kept its promise, since in practice it has functioned as a refund rate."
Based in Madrid and Milan, the company intends to use the funds raised to accelerate Stamp's expansion in its existing markets of Spain, Italy, and Portugal, and to further develop the product. The involvement of Barça and Courtois is no coincidence: the company has identified a "great business opportunity" in the area of football-related goods and services. "When fans visit us, they want to take home a souvenir of their team with a VAT discount and pay using their usual payment method. Neither Barça nor Courtois needs an introduction: they both perfectly represent what the global football economy is today," says Navajas.