It Goes Forward
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Everything you need to write about It Goes Forward: approved copy, key facts, and downloadable assets. Press enquiries answered within one business day.

Phone: +31 10 3072644
Address: Zomerhofstraat 71, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Approved company description

These descriptions are approved for use in articles, podcast show notes, and event programmes. Please use them as written.

One sentence (for bylines and show notes)

It Goes Forward is a Rotterdam-based startup that routes fashion returns directly from one consumer to the next, skipping the warehouse roundtrip.

One paragraph (for articles)

It Goes Forward B.V. is a Rotterdam-based B2B SaaS startup (founded September 2023) that commercialises peer-to-peer return forwarding for fashion e-commerce. Co-founder Carl van Heijst published the underlying research in Omega (Elsevier, 2024), with co-authors at VU Amsterdam and Erasmus University Rotterdam, showing that routing returns directly from consumer to consumer reduces warehouse returns by up to 44% while preserving retailer margins. The company was founded in September 2023, before peer review concluded, and the model has since been validated live at Kuyichi.

Extended (for feature articles)

It Goes Forward B.V. was founded in September 2023 in Rotterdam. The company's origin is unusual for e-commerce SaaS: Carl van Heijst spent two years developing and testing a model for peer-to-peer return forwarding with researchers at VU Amsterdam and Erasmus University Rotterdam, then founded the company in September 2023 once the model was complete, before peer review wrapped up. The research appeared in Omega 128 (Elsevier) the following year, confirming the up to 44% warehouse return reduction the live operation would shortly demonstrate independently. Pepijn Stribos (tech lead) and Tim Stribos (commercial lead) joined as co-founders shortly after. The company develops Forwarding: software that enables fashion webshops to resell returns directly to new buyers without returning items to the warehouse. The matching algorithm, with methodology independently validated, determines in real time whether to forward a return and at what discount. Live clients include Kuyichi (live on Magento since February 2025), Oilily (Shopify, onboarding), Studio Anneloes (BigCommerce, onboarding), and ANWB (go-live agreed). In March 2026, Forwarding won eBay's pitching contest; a pilot with eBay is now being scoped. The company has received €570K in non-dilutive funding (with €110K additional pending) from Mastercard Strive EU, Provincie Zuid-Holland, and the European Union's SoTecIn programme.

Key facts

Verified facts for use in articles. All figures are sourced; see source notes.

FactDetailSource
FoundedSeptember 2023, Rotterdam, NetherlandsCompany registration
FoundersCarl van Heijst (founder & sales), Pepijn Stribos (tech), Tim Stribos (strategy)-
ProductForwarding, peer-to-peer return rerouting software for fashion webshops-
Consumer adoption rate43% of eligible consumers choose Forwarding over conventional returnKuyichi live data, 2025
Buyer satisfaction4.8/5 average rating on Forwarded purchasesLive data, 2025
CO₂ saved per Forward310 grams, ISO-standard calculationLive data, 2025
Warehouse return reductionUp to 44%Eruguz, Van Heijst et al., Omega 128, Elsevier, 2024
Live clientsKuyichi (live), Oilily (onboarding 2026), Studio Anneloes (onboarding)-
Enterprise contest woneBay (pitching contest, pilot scoping in progress)March 2026
Funding received€570K non-dilutive (€110K additional pending)Grants and innovation prizes
Independent researchOmega 128, Elsevier, 2024; co-authored with VU Amsterdam and EURDOI: 10.1016/j.omega.2024.103127
AwardsWinner, Mastercard Strive EU Innovation Fund 2024 (1 of 10 from 495 applicants). Bold Impact Award 2024. KVK Innovatie Top 100, 2025.Mastercard, Bold Impact, KVK
Press coverageTrouw, Nederlands Dagblad, Quote Magazine, BNR Nieuwsradio, De Ondernemer, Twinkle Magazine, Evofenedex, Groen Goud podcast, Bluebird Day podcast-

Founder bios

Carl van Heijst

Carl van Heijst

Co-founder & Sales lead

Carl van Heijst is co-founder and sales lead at It Goes Forward, and the researcher whose underlying paper became the company. As co-author of the research published in Omega 128 (Elsevier, 2024), Carl formalised peer-to-peer return forwarding in operations research, then founded the company in September 2023 before peer review concluded. A former management consultant of five years, he now leads commercial operations and client relationships. He holds an MSc. in Supply Chain Management from RSM Erasmus University Rotterdam and a post-graduate degree in Data Analytics from JADS/TU Eindhoven/Tilburg University.

Pepijn Stribos

Pepijn Stribos

Co-founder & Tech lead

Pepijn Stribos is co-founder and tech lead at It Goes Forward. He joined Carl in 2023 to turn the matching algorithm into a production platform. An autodidact full-stack developer since age 14, Pepijn has founded multiple companies and leads all product and engineering work at IGF. He holds an MSc. in Marketing from RSM Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Tim Stribos

Tim Stribos

Co-founder

Tim Stribos is co-founder at It Goes Forward. He joined Carl and Pepijn in 2023 to bring e-commerce scale-up experience to the founding team. Previously CTO at Dutch e-commerce marketplace Dwarfs, where the company raised €65 million during his tenure. Tim brings deep experience in scaling e-commerce technology infrastructure.

Logo downloads

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Brand basics

Colours

Primary green

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Background dark

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Text on dark

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Usage rules

  • Do not stretch or distort the logo
  • Do not place the white logo on a light background
  • Do not use IGF green for anything other than brand elements in editorial contexts
  • The product name is 'Forwarding': capital F, one word
  • The company name is 'It Goes Forward', not 'IGF' in editorial text (IGF is acceptable in technical contexts)

Recent coverage

A selection of recent articles and features.

Full coverage list on our In the media page →

Suggested story angles

Journalists writing about IGF often want a hook beyond a company profile. Three angles that land.

The researcher-turned-founder story

Carl van Heijst spent two years building and testing a model for peer-to-peer return forwarding, then founded the company in September 2023 once the math was complete, before peer review wrapped up. The research preceded the product. In an industry where SaaS startups routinely retrofit credibility, IGF's provenance is the opposite.

The €248 billion e-commerce returns problem

Fashion e-commerce returns destroy €248 billion in value annually; 3.4 billion items are discarded or destroyed each year. Peer-to-peer forwarding is one of the few proven approaches to reducing this: validated in independent research, live at real clients.

The EU regulation tailwind

CSRD (in force), GCD (2026), and CDDD (2027) are tightening EU rules on sustainability claims and product destruction. Forwarding produces ISO-standard CO₂ savings data that satisfies these directives. The shift from "voluntary sustainability" to "regulatory compliance" is the backdrop.

Available for interview

Pepijn Stribos and Carl van Heijst are available for interviews on: e-commerce returns and their environmental impact, peer-to-peer commerce models, EU sustainability regulation (CSRD, GCD), and the research underlying Forwarding. We are based in Rotterdam. Interviews available in English and Dutch. Remote or in-person.

Phone: +31 10 3072644
Address: Zomerhofstraat 71, Rotterdam, Netherlands