Exploring Circular Tech: Rental - Modular software innovator "Bob Is Your Uncle" with Frans Biegstraaten
Thu Oct 09 2025
In this episode of HappyPorch Radio, hosts Barry O’Kane and Jo Weston talk with Frans Biegstraaten, co-founder of BIYU, a modular rental, subscription and PAAS platform helping businesses build circular systems that scale.
BIYU started as a consumer rental service in Amsterdam, offering same-day delivery on everything from drills to electric bikes. When the business had to pivot, Frans and his team transformed their operational know-how and internal software into a SaaS product that now supports circular businesses across Europe.
✨ In this episode we learn about:
• The journey from consumer rental startup to multi-tenant SaaS provider
• How BIYU’s tech manages repair, refurbishment, and reverse logistics.
• Why integrating circular systems with existing tech like Shopify and Firmhouse matters.
• The challenges and rewards of building circular tech through experimentation.
• How BIYU enables brands to pilot circular models before full adoption.
📌 Mentioned in this episode:
BIYU – www.biyu.world
Shopify - https://www.shopify.com/
Firmhouse - https://www.firmhouse.com/
👤 About our guest:
Frans Biegstraaten is co-founder of BIYU, a circular technology company based in the Netherlands. BIYU helps rental and Product-as-a-Service companies manage everything from asset tracking to refurbishment using its modular SaaS platform.
Frans Biegstraaten on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fwbiegstraaten/
🌍 About HappyPorch
HappyPorch is a purpose-driven software engineering consultancy focused on the circular economy.
Learn more: https://www.happyporch.com
💌 Subscribe to HappyPorch Circular News
HappyPorch Circular News is our monthly newsletter for people working in and around the circular economy and technology.
Subscribe at: https://www.happyporch.com/newsletter/
🎙 Explore the Circular Economy Podcasts Guide
We’ve created something new: the Circular Economy Podcasts Guide. After 9 seasons of HappyPorch Radio and years of discovering other brilliant shows on circularity, we realised the podcast space needed a central, searchable place to explore the best voices in circular innovation.
Browse at: https://circulareconomypodcasts.guide/
▶️ Listen and subscribe:
Stream this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, iHeart, Pocket Casts — or wherever you get your podcasts.
Visit https://www.happyporchradio.com to explore more episodes.
More
In this episode of HappyPorch Radio, hosts Barry O’Kane and Jo Weston talk with Frans Biegstraaten, co-founder of BIYU, a modular rental, subscription and PAAS platform helping businesses build circular systems that scale. BIYU started as a consumer rental service in Amsterdam, offering same-day delivery on everything from drills to electric bikes. When the business had to pivot, Frans and his team transformed their operational know-how and internal software into a SaaS product that now supports circular businesses across Europe. ✨ In this episode we learn about: • The journey from consumer rental startup to multi-tenant SaaS provider • How BIYU’s tech manages repair, refurbishment, and reverse logistics. • Why integrating circular systems with existing tech like Shopify and Firmhouse matters. • The challenges and rewards of building circular tech through experimentation. • How BIYU enables brands to pilot circular models before full adoption. 📌 Mentioned in this episode: BIYU – www.biyu.world Shopify - https://www.shopify.com/ Firmhouse - https://www.firmhouse.com/ 👤 About our guest: Frans Biegstraaten is co-founder of BIYU, a circular technology company based in the Netherlands. BIYU helps rental and Product-as-a-Service companies manage everything from asset tracking to refurbishment using its modular SaaS platform. Frans Biegstraaten on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fwbiegstraaten/ 🌍 About HappyPorch HappyPorch is a purpose-driven software engineering consultancy focused on the circular economy. Learn more: https://www.happyporch.com 💌 Subscribe to HappyPorch Circular News HappyPorch Circular News is our monthly newsletter for people working in and around the circular economy and technology. Subscribe at: https://www.happyporch.com/newsletter/ 🎙 Explore the Circular Economy Podcasts Guide We’ve created something new: the Circular Economy Podcasts Guide. After 9 seasons of HappyPorch Radio and years of discovering other brilliant shows on circularity, we realised the podcast space needed a central, searchable place to explore the best voices in circular innovation. Browse at: https://circulareconomypodcasts.guide/ ▶️ Listen and subscribe: Stream this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, iHeart, Pocket Casts — or wherever you get your podcasts. Visit https://www.happyporchradio.com to explore more episodes.