About Global Blue
Global Blue is a Technology company based in Nyon (Switzerland) founded in 1980, and was acquired by Shift4 in February 2025. Tax-free shopping guidance and VAT refunds are provided for shoppers. Global Blue has completed 3 acquisitions, including Shipup, Yocuda and Zigzag Global. Its chief executive, as recorded, is Jacques Stern. Its website globalblue.com draws about 1.1 million monthly visits. Its Indian entity Global Blue Private Limited reported revenue of ₹1.8 Lakh. Its focus areas include FinTech, Finance & Accounting Tech, Tech-Enabled Services and Tax Filing.
Company details
Global Blue was founded in 1980 in Nyon, Switzerland, within the tax-free shopping sector. Services encompassing tax-free shopping guidance and VAT refund solutions are offered to international shoppers. Operations include refund offices, custom locations, and online platforms to facilitate refunds and guidance across various geographies.
- Headquarters Nyon, Switzerland
- Stage Acquired
- SectorsTechnology
- Email••••••••
- Website globalblue.com/en
- Social LinkedIn X Facebook
- Acquired by Shift4 (Feb 2025)
- Legal Name Global Blue Private Limited
- Date of Incorporation 27 May, 2015
Associated legal entities of Global Blue
Global Blue operates through Global Blue Private Limited (active). Its filings, financials, charges and directors are on the company page.
| Legal entity | Status | Incorporated | Registered in | Revenue (FY 2021) | Employees | Directors | Company page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Blue Private Limited CIN U74900DL2015FTC280868 | Active | 27 May 2015 | Delhi, Delhi | ₹0.0 Cr | 4 | View details |
Funding Insights of Global Blue
- Total Rounds 2
- Last Round Post-IPO — $100M
- First Round $225M
(May 2022)
- Investors Count 3
All 2 funding rounds of Global Blue with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2023 | $100M | Post-IPO | – | – | |
| May 2022 | $225M | Post-IPO | – | – |
7 investors in total: 7 institutional.
Investors in Global Blue
Global Blue has secured backing from 7 investors, including institutional and venture fund investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Tencent, Shift4 and Partners Group.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Certares is engaged in investment management for long-term value. | 2012 | certares.com | New York, United States | |
Technology investing and private equity firm focused on partnerships. | silverlake.com | |||
Private equity funds are managed across multiple sectors globally. | 1996 | partnersgroup.com | Baar, Switzerland | |
Value-added internet, mobile, and telecom services are provided in China. | 1998 | tencent.com | Shenzhen, China | |
Investment consulting services are provided to clients worldwide. | 2008 | knighthead.com | New York, United States | |
Provider of payment solutions for businesses | 1999 | shift4.com | Center Valley, United States | |
Provider of business services | 2018 | farpoint.ventures | France |
Investor details for Global Blue
The complete investor list, round-by-round participation and investor portfolios require an active premium plan.
- Complete investor list
- Round participation
- Investor portfolios
- Co-investor network
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Board of directors of Global Blue Private Limited (Global Blue)
Global Blue Private Limited is the primary company behind Global Blue. The board of Global Blue Private Limited currently have 4 directors; the longest-serving is Gregory Richard Gelhaus, appointed in 2017. 7 earlier directors have ceased.
| Director | Designation | Appointed | Tenure | Entity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gregory Richard Gelhaus DIN 07226986 | Director | 30 Aug 2017 | 9 yrs 2 mo | Global Blue Private Limited |
| Jorge Hernan Casal Garcia DIN 07827317 | Director | 30 Aug 2017 | 9 yrs 2 mo | Global Blue Private Limited |
| Prabhat Sethi DIN 07184040 | Director | 30 Aug 2017 | 9 yrs 2 mo | Global Blue Private Limited |
| Suneel Rashmikant Gautam DIN 00227484 | Director | 13 Oct 2018 | 8 yrs | Global Blue Private Limited |
People of Global Blue
4 people are tracked at Global Blue (4 in leadership).
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Jacques Stern | CEO | Leadership |
Joe Yacoub | Managing Director | Leadership |
Richard Meyer | Chief Executive Officer - Global Blue South Africa | Leadership |
Stefano Rizzi | Managing Director | Leadership |
Complete people profiles for Global Blue
Full employee and board profiles, team structure, tenure and professional contact details require an active premium plan.
- Full employee list
- Team structure
- Board tenure
- Professional contacts
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Financials of Global Blue
Figures of Global Blue Private Limited, the primary company behind Global Blue, for FY 2021. Revenue was ₹1.8 Lakh. Net loss was -₹21.7 Lakh (-1230% margin). EBITDA was -₹23.4 Lakh (-1329% margin).
- ₹1.8 LakhRevenue · FY 2021
- -₹21.7 LakhNet loss · -1230% margin
- -₹23.4 LakhEBITDA · -1329% margin
- ₹3.82 CrPaid-up capital
Balance sheet, profit and loss, cash flow and ratios of Global Blue Private Limited are on its company page.
Detailed financial statements for Global Blue
Statement rows, ratios, five-year trends and downloadable financials of the group companies require an active premium plan.
- Statement rows
- Financial ratios
- Five-year trends
- Downloads
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Investments & Acquisitions by Global Blue
Global Blue has strategically engaged in corporate development activities, having acquired 3 companies. Notable acquisitions include Shipup, Yocuda and Zigzag Global.
| Company Name | Description | Domain | Location | Founded | Acquired | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Parcel tracking platform is offered for online retailers. | shipup.co | Paris, France | 2016 | Oct 2022 | •••• | |
Customer behavior is analyzed via checkout data capture. | yocuda.com | London, United Kingdom | 2011 | Sep 2021 | •••• | |
International returns are managed for brands and retailers worldwide. | zigzag.global | London, United Kingdom | 2015 | Mar 2021 | •••• |
Complete acquisition details for Global Blue
Acquired stakes, deal sources and the complete acquisition history require an active premium plan.
- Acquired stakes
- Deal sources
- Complete history
- Exports
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Timeline of Global Blue
10 dated milestones of Global Blue across 45 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Global Blue is founded.
- Exit Acquired by Silver Lake.
- Exit Acquired by Far Point.
- IPO Lists on the stock exchange (IPO).
- Acquisition Acquires Zigzag Global.
- Acquisition Acquires Yocuda.
- Funding First funding round of $225.0M.
- Acquisition Acquires Shipup.
- Funding Latest funding round, Post-IPO, of $100.0M.
- Exit Acquired by Shift4.
Web traffic of Global Blue
The website of Global Blue (globalblue.com) receives about 1.1M visits a month.
- Monthly visits1.1M
▲ 16.9% vs previous month
Websites whose visitors overlap most with Global Blue. Affinity shows how closely the audiences match.
| Website | Domain | Audience affinity | Monthly visits | Global rank | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| amazon.com | 100% | 2.7B | #9 | View details | |
souvenirsofparis.com | souvenirsofparis.com | 60% | – | ||
en.wikipedia.org | en.wikipedia.org | 41% | – | ||
premiertaxfree.com | premiertaxfree.com | 41% | #4,863,036 | – | |
| youtube.com | 30% | 30.4B | #2 | View details | |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
All 6 similar websites and full traffic analytics for Global Blue
The complete similar-websites list, audience overlap and engagement analytics require an active premium plan.
- 6 similar websites
- Audience overlap
- Engagement analytics
- Traffic by brand
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Unlock complete access to The Company Check
Get unrestricted viewing across everything we track — from companies and brands to investors, funding rounds, acquisitions, financials, and more.
- Unlimited viewing on all profiles Companies, investors, financials, funding, acquisitions & directors
- Full access to every database India & global coverage, advanced filters and rich profile details
- Always-on access from your team account Single premium plan for everything you see on the portal
Related news about Global Blue
Complete news archive for Global Blue
Full article history, source details, and older brand coverage require an active premium plan.
- Full article archive
- Source and publication date
- Older coverage
- Brand-specific news history
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Frequently Asked Questions about Global Blue
Global Blue was founded in 1980 and raised its 1st funding round 42 years after it was founded.
Global Blue is headquartered in Nyon, Switzerland. It is registered at Nyon, Vaud, Switzerland.
Jacques Stern is the CEO of Global Blue, as recorded in our data.
The primary company behind Global Blue, Global Blue Private Limited, reported revenue of ₹1.8 Lakh for FY 2021.
Global Blue was founded in 1980 in Nyon, Switzerland, within the tax-free shopping sector. Services encompassing tax-free shopping guidance and VAT refund solutions are offered to international shoppers. Operations include refund offices, custom locations, and online platforms to facilitate refunds and guidance across various geographies.
Global Blue has made 3 acquisitions, including Shipup, Yocuda, and Zigzag Global.
Global Blue has 7 investors. Key investors include Tencent, Shift4, Partners Group, Knighthead Capital Management, and Certares.
Global Blue operates through Global Blue Private Limited.
Yes. Global Blue was acquired by Shift4 in February 2025.
The legal entities of Global Blue currently have 4 directors, including Gregory Richard Gelhaus, Jorge Hernan Casal Garcia, Suneel Rashmikant Gautam and others.
The website of Global Blue receives about 1.1 million visits a month.