SOFTWARE ENGINEER · TECHNICAL CO-FOUNDER
Software built for the real world.
Hi, I'm Niko, a carbon-based vending machine: coffee goes in, solutions come out. Mostly TypeScript, React, Golang, and the occasional strong opinion
The experience behind the work.
My path through product engineering, from professional software work during university to building Verbrio.
2025 to present
Verbrio
Technical co-founder & lead engineer
Verbrio builds software that helps businesses turn documents and spreadsheets into usable records and manage daily operations. My work includes a platform for device retailers to manage stock, orders, shipping, and invoices.
I build and run the software, sharing product decisions with my co-founder. I use AI to read spreadsheets and identify products, then let people check the results before importing them. For a retailer previously working across several tools, spreadsheets, and paper records, the order-processing system reduced fulfilment time by more than 60% and handles thousands of orders each month.
2021 to 2025
Kepler 16
Senior engineer
Kepler 16 developed retail software and provided engineering support to other businesses. I worked on its own products and on assignments for charitable giving and retail promotions.
I built and operated the system that delivered software updates to more than 3,500 tills. If an update failed to start, it automatically restored the working version, so customers could keep using their tills.
K42
June 2022 to January 2025 · Internal project
K42 provided a system for retail promotions and discount codes.
I built the entire administration interface. Retailers could see where discount codes were redeemed, what customers bought, and which discounts were applied. I kept it running while replacing how it exchanged data with the underlying system.
GVNG
January to June 2022 · Client assignment
GVNG provided a platform for charitable projects and fundraising.
As the sole engineer, I designed and launched a replacement fundraising and donation site in four months, then handed it over to the incoming team.
2021
Reynen Court
Senior software engineer
Reynen Court helped law firms and legal departments install and run legal software in their own computing environments.
I rebuilt the installation process so a network failure no longer meant discarding a machine and starting again. The installer could resume safely and also handle upgrades, removing the need for separate upgrade scripts for each older version. With a teammate, I built tools that let developers create a fresh test environment when needed instead of maintaining permanent cloud servers.
2019 to 2021
Frontmen
Senior software engineer
Frontmen was a software consultancy that placed engineers with client teams.
PwC Digital Solutions Store
November 2019 to January 2021 · Client assignment
PwC's platform helped tax, finance, and legal specialists turn documents into checks and reports, such as validating VAT numbers on invoices.
I built a new way to run the document-processing software so it stayed ready between requests instead of starting from scratch each time. I also added tools to show developers where processing time was being spent. A separate rewrite of one processing module ran about four times faster than the original.
Immigrated to the Netherlands
2018 to 2019
Luno
Software engineer
Luno is a cryptocurrency platform where people buy, sell, and store digital currencies. I worked in the team protecting customer activity against fraud.
I built the tool fraud analysts used to create and test checks for suspicious activity. They could replay a proposed rule against past activity to see whether it caught fraud without blocking legitimate customers, then publish it in seconds. I also contributed to the system that applied these checks to thousands of requests per second worldwide.
2015 to 2018
OneDayOnly
Software engineer → senior software engineer
OneDayOnly is an online retailer built around daily deals. Products were on offer for just one day, so the team needed to see what was selling while those deals were still live.
I rewrote the customer-facing shop and reduced checkout load time from about 2.5 seconds to under 300 milliseconds. I expanded internal reporting from 4 reports to 23, helping buyers spot bestsellers during the day. I also helped design warehouse checks that verified the exact item and size before staff printed a shipping label.
During university, until 2015
Eezipay
Frontend and printing systems
Eezipay made software for managing campus printers and the prepaid student cards used to pay for printing.
I started with the public website and the campus administration interface. When a printing-system change was waiting on an external consultant, I studied the existing code and built a working solution that the company rolled out. I then took full ownership of the printer and card-reader software, including the screen students used to choose a print job, see its price, and pay.
Education · completed in 2014
Stellenbosch University
BSc in Mathematics and Computer Science
Useful before clever
I like clever software. I like it even more when it saves someone from copying the same thing into three spreadsheets. That's where I start: who's doing the work, what's getting in their way, and what happens when something goes wrong.
AI is handy for reading documents and matching products. I use it for that. I use regular code to check the results, handle permissions, and keep track of what happens next. And sometimes a person should just make the decision.
A good demo is nice. Software that still works on a messy Tuesday is better. I want the people using it to understand what it does and where it needs a human hand.
SAY HELLO
Something on your mind?
A question, an interesting role, or a strong opinion of your own? Send me a message. I'll put the coffee on.