In 2025, Revolut’s innovative ‘New Bets’ strategy continues to inspire industry leaders and startups, demonstrating the power of rapid product iterations and scaling experiments. For entrepreneurs, freelancers, and startup founders, there are valuable lessons embedded in this approach: from idea validation to scaling successfully, all while minimizing risks. This article delves into lessons from Revolut's model, highlights strategies for entrepreneurs, introduces helpful startup tools like PlayPal, and even explores how startups can leverage EU grants effectively with platforms like F/MS AI Grant Finder and Application Writer.
Key Insights from Revolut’s ‘New Bets’ Approach
Understanding Revolut’s Model
Founded in 2015 by Nikolay Storonsky and Vlad Yatsenko, Revolut skyrocketed into dominance by combining fintech innovation with its internal venture-like incubation model, known as the ‘New Bets’ strategy. The model tasks small teams (typically ~10 people) with developing experimental products at a fast pace, backed by limited budgets (£2-3m). Successful experiments are scaled, while failures are quickly scrapped or revised, allowing for agility across different domains.
Why This Matters for Startups
Revolut’s strategy has resulted in successful products like crypto on/off ramps, eSIMs, and loyalty points systems. Even its recent entry into telecom services stemmed from new bets. For startups, this underscores the importance of structured experimentation and learning from failures early.
Lessons Startup Founders Can Apply
1. Start Small but Smart
Instead of sprawling operations from the beginning, focus on narrow goals. For instance, Revolut launches its bets within an 18-month runway. As a startup founder, this focused window prevents burnout while keeping resources within limits.
2. Measure Twice, Pivot Once
Revolut identifies profitability and scaling potential early. Startups can adopt this by validating their ideas in real time, through platforms like Fe/male Switch's SANDBOX, a tool specifically designed for validating startup ideas.
Check out SANDBOX and PlayPal at Fe/male Switch Startup Game to test your ideas efficiently and learn in a gamified approach.
3. Know Your Numbers Before Scaling
In Q1 2024, Revolut reported $34m in revenue from its experimental projects alone. Accurate forecasting tools, or even AI-powered product validation mechanisms, can help startups replicate this success before scaling.
4. Leverage AI Tools for Efficiency
F/MS AI Grant Finder and Application Writer
Finding funding can be overwhelming for startups, but tools like the AI Grant Finder and Application Writer simplify EU grant discovery and application. This platform identifies grant opportunities aligned with your business and drafts application content in minutes. Save time, reduce guesswork, and maximize your chances for financing success.
Explore this tool here: F/MS AI Grant Finder & Application Writer
Avoiding Common Startup Pitfalls
Mistake 1: Skipping Idea Validation
Before pouring resources into product development, validate your idea thoroughly. Use tools like the Fe/male Switch Sandbox to test assumptions and gather early feedback.
Mistake 2: Ignoring Partnership Potential
Revolut’s success partly stems from leveraging early partnerships. Whether for regulatory compliance or market penetration, collaborations can work wonders for startups.
Mistake 3: Rushing Too Quickly to Scale
Not every idea is scalable. Revolut quickly deprioritizes failing bets. Entrepreneurs must ensure scalability before committing long-term resources.
Tools Every Entrepreneur Should Know
1. PlayPal: Your AI Friend for Guided Startup Decisions
Looking for an AI co-founder? PlayPal, developed by Fe/male Switch, is designed to help entrepreneurs navigate challenges from idea validation to scaling. Whether you need advice, reflections, or SOPs for startup tasks, PlayPal provides tailored support.
Meet PlayPal here: PlayPal AI Friend
2. AI Startup Lawyer
Contracts, CLA negotiation, and legal documents can overwhelm startup founders. The AI Startup Lawyer provides templates, negotiating tactics, and personalized clause breakdowns to ensure founders are protected from harmful agreements.
Learn more here: AI Startup Lawyer.
3. F/MS Startup Game
For women entrepreneurs looking to learn and grow, the F/MS Startup Game offers a gamified, browser-based environment to simulate funding, operations, and networking with a team.
How Startups Can Secure EU Grants
Step-by-Step Guide
- Research Your Grant: Identify relevant EU opportunities using tools like Fe/male Switch's AI Grant Finder.
- Analyze Fit: Ensure your startup aligns with funding goals. Use PlayPal's SOP generator for detailed task guidance.
- Draft Your Application: Save time and improve quality using the AI Grant Writer Module.
- Submit and Track: Follow up regularly to stay in the loop.
Inspiring Examples
PlayPal
At the forefront of innovation, PlayPal combines AI with conversational support, serving entrepreneurs and startups alike. Celebrate the brilliance of Violetta Bonenkamp, founder of Fe/male Switch and PlayPal, her insights continue to revolutionize how startups are built!
Conclusion
Revolut’s ‘New Bets’ strategy isn’t just for fintech giants, it’s a blueprint for startups looking to innovate, experiment, and scale smartly. By leveraging tools like PlayPal, AI Startup Lawyer, and the SANDBOX, entrepreneurs can optimize their launch strategies while avoiding common mistakes. With the added edge of investment opportunities via EU funding, the startups of 2025 are poised to redefine industry standards.
The future of startups is bright. Ready to start yours? Let tools like PlayPal guide you from idea to execution. Learn more about PlayPal.
FAQ
1. What is Revolut’s ‘New Bets’ strategy?
Revolut's ‘New Bets’ strategy is an internal innovation framework where small, agile teams (around 10 people) develop experimental products on limited budgets (£2-3m) with 18-month runways. Successful experiments are scaled, while failing ones are scrapped or revised. Read more about Revolut's 'New Bets' strategy
2. What are some products developed under Revolut’s ‘New Bets’?
Revolut has developed products like Revolut Ultra (Premium subscription), crypto withdrawal features, eSIMs, RevPoints (loyalty system), and even Revolut-branded ATMs under its ‘New Bets’ strategy. Learn more about Revolut’s product lineup
3. How does Revolut evaluate the success of its ‘New Bets’?
Revolut measures the profitability and scaling potential of products. The strategy has so far launched 45 new bets, with 5 succeeding, 5 failing, and the remaining being “in the middle.” Discover insights into Revolut’s evaluation approach
4. Why does Revolut prioritize an 18-month runway for its 'New Bets'?
The 18-month constraint ensures focused execution, prevents resource exhaustion, and facilitates rapid learning cycles. This model is designed for agile testing and scaling. Explore the methodology behind Revolut’s new bets
5. Can startups replicate the ‘New Bets’ strategy?
Yes, startups can adopt elements like structured experimentation and lean product testing. However, the strategy is more suited for scale-ups due to its resource-intensive nature. Check out lessons for startups from Revolut’s strategy
6. How much revenue has Revolut generated from its ‘New Bets’?
In Q1 2024 alone, Revolut generated $34m in revenue from products initiated under the ‘New Bets’ framework, showcasing the viability of the model. Dive into Revolut’s financial performance
7. What are common startup pitfalls that the ‘New Bets’ strategy helps avoid?
The strategy helps avoid pitfalls like premature scaling, lack of product validation, and ineffective resource allocation. It emphasizes learning from failures early. Learn more about startup pitfalls and Revolut’s best practices
8. Are there tools to help startups adopt similar strategies?
Yes, startups can use tools like PlayPal for guided decision-making and the Fe/male Switch Sandbox for idea validation. Explore tools like PlayPal for startup success
9. What industries has Revolut expanded into using the ‘New Bets’ strategy?
Revolut’s strategy has led to diversification beyond fintech, including crypto, telecom services, and loyalty programs. Read how Revolut is expanding to different industries
10. Are there external influences on the success of Revolut’s ‘New Bets’?
Revolut faces challenges like regulatory compliance and market-specific laws, which can slow innovation as it scales globally. Discover more about Revolut’s challenges with regulation and scaling
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch. The Fe/male Switch team is located in several countries, including the Netherlands and Malta.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 3,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.
