Haagse Schatten

What Haagse Schatten does

Haagse Schatten is a local discovery and gift card platform based in The Hague, Netherlands, founded in 2016 and operated by a four-person team (Marlies, Barbara, Marijn, and Eefje). The company curates a network of 75 "treasures" — independent cafes, restaurants, specialty shops, salons, theaters, workshops, and beach clubs — across The Hague, Voorburg, and Oud-Rijswijk, presenting them through a multilingual (Dutch/English) website, a monthly newsletter, and active Instagram and Facebook channels. Its core product is the Haagse Schatten Cadeaubon, a physical or digital gift card redeemable at 70+ partner locations, sold online and through five physical sales points spread across distinct neighborhoods. Each gift card purchase is positioned to channel spend into independent local businesses rather than chains, and buyers can optionally direct the value to charitable partners including Ronald McDonald Huis Den Haag and TrashUre Hunt. The platform is supplemented by a small branded merchandise line (a €15 reusable to-go cup made from recycled coffee cups, a denim tote bag, and a baby romper) sold through the webshop, and the business earns revenue primarily through transaction fees on gift card sales and merchandise margins. The company is privately held, has not disclosed any external funding, and grows organically through content-led community engagement rather than paid acquisition.

Name

Haagse Schatten

Legal name

Haagse Schatten

Website

https://haagseschatten.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Haagse Schatten is a The Hague-based local discovery and gift card platform that curates 75 independent cafes, restaurants, shops, and cultural venues, enabling consumers to purchase gift cards redeemable across the network. It serves Den Haag residents, visitors, and institutional gift buyers, with revenue from gift card transactions and branded merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Gift Card & Discovery Services

NAICS

Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (45942)

SIC

Retail-Miscellaneous Retail (5900)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Goods & Gift Card Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAJ)

Keywords

• Local gift cards
• City discovery platform
• Community tourism guide
• Small business vouchers
• Neighborhood curation

Headquarters

HQ city

The Hague

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Gift Cards: Sale of Haagse Schatten gift cards redeemable at 70+ partner locations across Den Haag. Each euro spent is guaranteed to support a local business. Cards available online and at physical sales points.
2. Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise including to-go cups (€15) made from recycled coffee cups and tote bags. Products sold through webshop.
3. Gift Card Sales Points Commission: Physical sales points throughout Den Haag where gift cards are sold, creating network of distribution partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Haagse Schatten is a curated local discovery and gift card platform for The Hague. Its primary product is the Haagse Schatten Cadeaubon, a gift card/voucher redeemable at 70+ local partner businesses including restaurants, cafes, shops, workshops, and wellness venues. Buyers receive a physical or digital card plus a treasure map (schattenkaart) for navigating the city's hidden gems. The platform is supported by branded merchandise (reusable coffee cups, tote bags, rompers) and a multilingual content/blog presence.

Product overview

Haagse Schatten operates as a local discovery and gift card platform for The Hague, Netherlands. The core product is the Cadeaubon (gift card) system, which enables users to purchase vouchers redeemable at 70+ curated local businesses ('Haagse schatten') including cafes, restaurants, workshops, shops, and wellness venues. Purchasers receive a physical or digital gift card plus a schattenkaart (treasure map) for city exploration. The platform is complemented by branded merchandise including a reusable to-go coffee cup (€15), denim tote bag, and baby romper. The platform connects local businesses with residents and visitors seeking authentic, off-the-beaten-path experiences in The Hague.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Haagse Schatten Cadeaubon (Gift Card) The flagship offering of Haagse Schatten: a local gift card/voucher redeemable at over 70 participating local businesses ('Haagse schatten') in The Hague, including restaurants, cafes, workshops, shops, and wellness venues. Customers receive a physical or digital card and a treasure map (schattenkaart) for discovering the city's hidden gems. Available via the webshop and at five physical sales points.
• Haagse Schatten To-Go Beker (Reusable Coffee Cup) A sustainable, 100% leak-proof reusable coffee cup made from recycled coffee cups, featuring one-hand opening, insulation, and dishwasher-safe (top rack) design. Sold for €15 through the Haagse Schatten webshop.
• Haagse Schatten Tote Bag A denim tote bag merchandise item available for purchase in the Haagse Schatten webshop as branded local merchandise.
• Haagse Schatten Romper A baby romper with local Hague-themed design, sold as a local gift item (kraamcadeau/baby shower gift) via the Haagse Schatten webshop.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2500 gift cards ordered by Haagse caregivers and volunteers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Ronald McDonald Huis Den HaagminorOthersRonald McDonald Huis Den Haag is designated as one of Haagse Schatten's charitable causes. Gift card donors can choose to donate their card value to this house where parents of hospitalized children stay. The house receives no government funding and relies entirely on donors, sponsors, and volunteers.
• TrashUre HuntminorOthersBeach cleanup organization TrashUre Hunt is designated as a Haagse Schatten charity partner. The organization collects litter from beaches and creates art from found items, raising environmental awareness.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Fever: Local experiences and events discovery platform with city-level curation. Comparable to Haagse Schatten for the curated-events side of the business (workshops, tastings, activities at partner venues).

Broad incumbents

• Tripadvisor: Global tourism discovery platform listing local restaurants, attractions, and experiences — a broader, global analogue to Haagse Schatten's 'discover undiscovered local hotspots' positioning.
• Airbnb Experiences: Marketplace for curated, host-led local experiences and activities. Comparable to Haagse Schatten in the 'authentic local experience' positioning, but with global scale and online booking infrastructure.
• Timeout: Global editorial-driven local discovery brand covering restaurants, culture, and things to do. Comparable to Haagse Schatten in combining curated editorial content with monetization around local venues and experiences.
• Yelp: Leading global local business discovery and review platform. Comparable to Haagse Schatten as a discovery layer for independent SMBs, though operating at vastly larger scale and broader categories.
• Cadeaukaart Nederland (VVV Cadeaukaart): National Dutch gift card platform redeemable at thousands of merchants — comparable as a multi-merchant local gift card voucher scheme, though at a national rather than city-curated scale.
• Treatwell: Pan-European beauty and wellness discovery and booking platform that aggregates independent local service businesses — a comparable 'curated local SMB marketplace' model, scaled across categories and geographies.
• TheFork (formerly IENS): Restaurant discovery and reservation platform operating in the Netherlands. Comparable as a curated local-hospitable-business marketplace driving footfall for independent venues in Dutch cities.

Direct peers

• Restaurantgift: Dutch gift card platform focused on local restaurants and hospitality venues, directly comparable to Haagse Schatten's restaurant/café-centric Cadeaubon redeemable at independent SMBs.

Regional players

• Holland.com (NBTC): Official Dutch national tourism platform promoting local destinations, experiences, and businesses. Comparable as a content-led local discovery resource, though operator-funded rather than transaction-based.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/haagseschatten.nl
• Instagraminstagram.com/haagseschatten
• Xx.com/Haagse_schatten

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Haagse Schatten