Bijlstra was inducted to TTG's 30 Under 30 class of 2025 after wowing judges with his impressive career to date, from completing a Masters in Innovation and Entrepreneurship and volunteering in Colombia, to winning academic awards at Singapore Management University and entering the professional world as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company.
After just one year there, he left to found Hubby eSIM with his best friend Thijs van de Wijk, quickly taking it from an idea to a global business, delivering global connectivity to millions of travellers through partnerships with the likes of On the Beach, Flight Centre Travel Group and Dertour. Its service allows users to install a digital SIM directly onto their smartphone.
“Anyone who travels internationally knows how frustrating connectivity can be,” explains Bijlstra. “You land in a new country and immediately need internet, but historically the experience involved roaming charges, airport SIM cards or complicated setups.
“My co-founder was already selling connectivity hardware to hotels. When eSIM technology emerged, we realised it could solve this problem in a much more elegant way and travel companies quickly became a natural partner for distributing that connectivity to travellers.
“Consulting exposes you to complex industries very quickly, and telecom in particular gave me a deep understanding of how global connectivity infrastructure works, and doesn’t work.
“That knowledge ended up becoming surprisingly relevant later when we launched Hubby eSIM, and eventually I felt the urge to move from advising companies to actually building one.”
So, what are Bijlstra's top tips for entering the entrepreneurial world?
1. 'Do it because you want to'
Whilst Bijlstra does encourage other aspiring founders to “go for it”, he advises holding out for something they genuinely care about.
“I didn’t necessarily always want to be a founder,” Bijlstra shares. “Travel has shaped me a lot personally and when I had the chance to combine what I’m good at with something I genuinely love, it felt like a natural direction. I also saw a clear gap in the market when it came to connectivity for travellers.
“I see founding as a means to an end rather than the goal itself. The real goal is solving a problem you care about. Being a founder is simply one way to pursue that. In fact, building a company is often a long and difficult journey, and I would never recommend founding something purely for the sake of being a founder.
You need to be deeply interested in the problem you’re trying to solve, otherwise it’s very hard to keep going.
“Most start-ups don’t fail because the idea is bad. They fail because founders eventually give up.”
2. ‘Take advice’
“Being relatively young and inexperienced forced us to surround ourselves with people who were better than us in many areas,” shares Bijlstra. That brought experience into the company early and significantly strengthened the business.
“A great team elevates everything.”
3. ‘Be helpful’
As well as delivering commercial growth, Bijlstra is making a name for himself with thoughtful leadership, by organising the Young Entrepreneurs in Travel panel at the ITT Conference in Sardinia, mentoring students through a university programme in Belgium, and donating eSIMs to civilians and aid workers in Gaza.
“Helping people includes the people around me — our employees and partners — as well as the travellers who use our product,” Bijlstra says. “I’ve been very fortunate in my life and career, and I see that privilege as a responsibility. While an eSIM won’t change the world on its own, travel can genuinely expand people’s perspectives. If connectivity helps travellers explore more easily and confidently, it can contribute to that broader experience.”
Hubby eSIM has partnered with brands including Flight Centre (Credit: Hubby eSIM)
What next for Hubby?
“Right now the focus is very much on execution and scaling Hubby,” shares Bijlstra.
“We’re expanding strongly across Asia-Pacific and continuing to grow our partnerships with travel companies globally. There’s a lot of opportunity ahead, so the priority is building the business well and surrounding ourselves with an even stronger team.
“I want to keep building a stronger team and create more space for the people around me to lead and grow within the company.”
Bijlstra adds: “Everyone I’ve met through the TTG 30 Under 30 community has been incredibly interesting and ambitious, and some have even become friends. Being surrounded by people building different things in different industries is both inspiring and motivating.
“It’s a great network to be part of.
“I still have so much learn. This recognition from TTG will open more doors so I can make bigger moves, learn faster and help more people in an industry that I love.”
