Startselect
Startselect is a European D2C digital storefront for game credits, prepaid top-ups, and digital gift cards, serving gamers in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, France, the UK, and Benelux. It operates as part of Recharge Group, which was acquired by Coda Payments in 2025.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersEindhoven, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Startselect does
Startselect is a European direct-to-consumer digital storefront specializing in gaming credits, prepaid top-ups, and digital gift cards. Operated by Recharge Group (CG Holdings B.V.) and headquartered in Amsterdam, the platform enables instant digital delivery of products from publishers and brands including Apple, Google, PlayStation, and Vodafone, targeting European gamers through a web store and dedicated mobile app. The platform supports multi-currency transactions across markets including the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, France, the UK, and the Benelux region.
Startselect is one of seven storefront brands within the Recharge Group portfolio, alongside Beltegoed.nl (Netherlands), Guthaben.de (Germany/Austria), Herladen.com (Benelux), Mobiletopup.co.uk (UK), Recharge.fr (France), and the global Recharge.com platform, plus the B2B Giftcloud rewards platform. The business model is a one-time digital resale model: Startselect purchases digital codes/credits at wholesale and resells them at a markup, generating revenue per transaction. The company holds GDPR and CCPA compliance certifications, and in 2025 the parent group achieved ISO/IEC 27001 certification via BSI.
In 2025, Recharge was acquired by Coda Payments Pte. Ltd., a Singapore-headquartered global leader in out-of-app monetization serving 300+ publishers across 70+ markets with 400+ payment channels. This acquisition places Startselect within a significantly larger platform with extensive publisher relationships (Activision, Electronic Arts, Riot Games, Garena, Unity) and financial backing from GIC, GGV Capital, Apis Partners, Insight Partners, GMO Global, and SMASH. Startselect's strategic role is to serve as the European gaming-vertical consumer brand within Coda's global digital storefront network.
Startselect firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Startselect
- Legal name
- CG Holdings B.V.
- Website
- https://company.recharge.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Startselect is a European D2C digital storefront for game credits, prepaid top-ups, and digital gift cards, serving gamers in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, France, the UK, and Benelux. It operates as part of Recharge Group, which was acquired by Coda Payments in 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Startselect industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Gaming Top-ups and Gift Cards
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Gaming Subscriptions, Gift Cards & Top-Ups Retail (CRACAFAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Offerwalls, Rewards & Performance Monetization (UA-linked payouts) (MPAFAJAI), Open-Loop Prepaid Cards (Network-Branded) (FSAMANAA), Omnichannel Commerce & Click-and-Collect Platforms (BPAMAGAL)
Keywords
Where Startselect is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Eindhoven
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Startselect business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Digital gift cards and gaming cards: Startselect is an e-commerce platform for digital gift cards, gaming credits, and prepaid top-ups. Users purchase digital products that are delivered instantly. Revenue is generated through the sale of these digital products at marked-up prices.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels1 record
Startselect product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Startselect is a European direct-to-consumer digital storefront selling prepaid gaming content, game credits, top-ups, and digital gift cards. The platform enables gamers to instantly purchase and receive digital products via web and mobile app across multiple European markets, offering a quick in-and-out purchasing experience at marked-up prices.
Product overview
Startselect is a European digital gift and gaming cards store operating as part of the Recharge Group (now part of Coda Payments). The company offers prepaid top-up products including mobile credits, game credits, and digital gift cards. Startselect functions as a consumer-facing storefront enabling instant digital purchases across gaming and prepaid categories. It is part of a broader portfolio that includes Recharge.com (global prepaid top-up platform), Giftcloud (B2B rewards platform), and regional stores serving specific European markets (Guthaben.de for Germany/Austria, Beltegoed.nl for Netherlands, Recharge.fr for France, Mobiletopup.co.uk for UK, Herladen.com for Benelux).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Startselect Digital Gaming Storefront Digital storefront accessible via web and mobile app, offering instant purchase and delivery of gaming credits, game top-ups, and digital gift cards for European gamers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1,000 brand partnerships worldwide
Companies that use Startselect
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Startselect technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Startselect partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Coda PaymentscoreRecharge (parent company of Startselect) became part of Coda Payments in 2025. Coda is a global leader in out-of-app monetization and commerce solutions, trusted by over 300 publishers. Startselect operates as part of Coda's European digital storefront network.
- ActivisioncorePublisher partner listed on Coda's website. Coda provides monetization solutions for game publishers like Activision, enabling out-of-app purchasing of in-game content.
- Electronic Arts (EA)corePublisher partner listed on Coda's website. Coda enables EA's games to be monetized through alternative payment methods outside of app stores.
- Riot GamescorePublisher partner listed on Coda's website. Coda provides payment infrastructure enabling Riot Games' users to purchase game credits and content.
- GarenacorePublisher partner listed on Coda's website. Coda enables out-of-app monetization for Garena's gaming titles.
- TindercorePublisher partner listed on Coda's website. Coda provides monetization solutions for non-gaming digital content platforms like Tinder.
- UnitycoreUnity and Coda formed a partnership to enable out-of-app monetization for game developers globally. Coda integrates Unity In-App Purchasing SDK with its global web store platform.
- EKRAFminorCoda and EKRAF (Indonesian Creative Economy Agency) signed an MOU to open new global pathways for Indonesian game developers.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Startselect competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kinguin: Global online marketplace for game keys, software licenses, and digital gift cards. Overlaps directly with Startselect in digital game credits and gift card resale to consumers.
- CDKeys: Retailer of digital game keys and gift cards with a strong European presence. Comparable product catalog and direct-to-consumer storefront model to Startselect.
- Recharge.com: Sibling global prepaid top-up platform under the same parent (Recharge Group / CG Holdings B.V.). Same business model and product category as Startselect; Startselect is positioned as the gaming-focused storefront within this portfolio.
- Eneba: Digital marketplace for game keys, gift cards, and prepaid gaming credits sold direct-to-consumer globally. Directly comparable to Startselect's product mix of digital game credits, top-ups, and gift cards.
- Giftcloud: B2B digital gift card rewards platform under the same Recharge Group as Startselect. Same operating company and overlapping product line, but oriented to B2B rewards rather than consumer gaming top-ups.
- G2A: Major digital marketplace for game keys, gift cards, and in-game items. Closely comparable to Startselect on product (digital gaming content) and audience (gamers seeking credits/top-ups).
- Razer Gold: Global virtual credit platform for gamers, enabling top-ups for games and digital content across emerging markets. Directly comparable to Startselect's prepaid gaming credit use case.
Emerging players
- Unipin: Southeast Asian gaming voucher and top-up platform with publisher integrations. Comparable product (game credits/vouchers) and category, though focused on a different geography.
- SEAGM: Online platform for game top-ups, gift cards, and digital entertainment credits. Comparable offering and target audience, but with Asia-Pacific market concentration.
Broad incumbents
- Paysafecard: Established open-loop prepaid card and stored-value product across Europe, widely used for online gaming and digital content purchases. Comparable on prepaid payment rails that overlap with Startselect's gift card offering.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Startselect social profiles
Digital presenceStartselect compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Startselect financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Startselect leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Startselect funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Startselect M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Startselect
What does Startselect do?
Startselect is a European direct-to-consumer digital storefront selling prepaid gaming content, game credits, top-ups, and digital gift cards. The platform enables gamers to instantly purchase and receive digital products via web and mobile app across multiple European markets, offering a quick in-and-out purchasing experience at marked-up prices.
Is Startselect a public or private company?
Startselect is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Startselect founded?
Startselect was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Startselect based?
Startselect is headquartered in Eindhoven, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Startselect make money?
One revenue line is on record: digital gift cards and gaming cards.
Who are Startselect's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kinguin, CDKeys, Recharge.com, Eneba, Giftcloud, G2A and Razer Gold. Emerging players are Unipin and SEAGM. Paysafecard is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Startselect have an API?
No public API is recorded for Startselect.
What industry is Startselect in?
Startselect's product category is Digital Gaming Top-ups and Gift Cards. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRACAFAG, Gaming Subscriptions, Gift Cards & Top-Ups Retail, with a secondary code of MPAFAJAI, Offerwalls, Rewards & Performance Monetization (UA-linked payouts). Its NAICS code is 459120 and its SIC code is 5945.