Runly

Building the tech infrastructure of a market, from zero to acquisition

Context

The sports event market was fragmented with no shared infrastructure: hundreds of local organizers using disparate tools, generic solutions like Eventbrite, spreadsheets. There was an opportunity to build the operating system for the market.

Challenge: Design a complete SaaS ecosystem with 3 interconnected products (organizer back-office, runner marketplace, mobile app), all built simultaneously. Scale to handle the market. The platform eventually merged with an established player through acquisition.

Results

• Market infrastructure built : Became the backbone for local sports event organization
• 3 products deployed : Organizer platform, runner marketplace, mobile app all live
• Strong unit economics : Reached profitability before acquisition
• Market validation : Acquisition confirmed the market opportunity
• Successful exit : Merged in 2023, continuing to grow the infrastructure

Technical solution

Runly is a complete SaaS platform built with a robust web and mobile stack:

Key features developed:

• →
  Complete registration management : Customizable forms, supporting document validation (licenses, certificates), participant exports
• →
  Bib fee collection : Secure online payments via Stripe, refund management and promo codes
• →
  Event promotion : Race marketplace with 100k+ monthly visitors, optimized SEO
• →
  Runner mobile app : Race discovery, mobile registration, registered event tracking, notifications
• →
  Organizer dashboard : Real-time statistics, registration tracking, accounting exports
• →
  Automated communication : Confirmation emails, reminders, personalized practical info
• →
  Race day management : Participant check-in, bib pickup, digital sign-in
• →
  Analytics and reporting : Detailed analyses per event, registration sources, conversion rates

Tech stack

• →
  Powerful backend : Symfony for reliability and complex business logic
• →
  Modern web interface : Vue.js for a reactive, intuitive organizer back-office
• →
  Native mobile app : Flutter for optimal iOS and Android runner experience
• →
  Secure payments : Stripe integration for registration collection
• →
  Database : PostgreSQL for performance and data integrity