zave.it
zave.it is the cashback app of the next generation, helping users earn money back on everyday purchases through a seamless, mobile-first shopping experience — combining smart deal discovery with a modern, community-driven approach to saving.
"Nino is the definition of making the most out of every situation. His sharp business mindset, strategic marketing expertise, and exceptional sales skills set him apart. He not only delivers outstanding results but does so with genuine passion and respect for clients, ensuring win-win outcomes.What truly stands out is his execution—he sees tasks through relentlessly, even if it means working late into the night. His natural leadership and empathetic approach create a productive, solution-driven environment.At zave.it, he built a high-performing sales team from scratch and played a key role in redefining the market. His calm, composed nature in high-pressure situations is a game-changer, and he continuously seeks feedback to improve.Nino isn’t just a top-tier professional—he’s also a great person and a valuable asset to any team."
Dominik Oppelt
CEO, zave.it
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The Challenge
zav.ite launched in October 2023 following a year of product development. Brought on as one of the earliest team members, my mandate went beyond advisory input — the business needed a partner capable of both defining direction and executing it.
At the outset, zave.it faced a set of interconnected challenges typical of a pre-revenue market entry:
- No operating model to build from — the core offering, pricing strategy, and go-to-market approach still needed to be defined and validated, not just refined
- No in-house marketing or partnerships function — there was no established affiliate infrastructure, no partner marketing processes, and limited internal expertise to build one
- No industry network — zave lacked existing relationships with affiliate networks, advertisers, brand partners, agencies, and publishers, all of which are foundational to a cashback business model
- An unformed team — beyond strategy and execution, this extended to shaping the organization itself: defining the marketing and partnerships function and building out the team to run it
- Limited commercial traction — a small number of influencer relationships were in place, but no meaningful affiliate or brand partner network existed to support launch
The mandate, in effect, was to build zave's German go-to-market foundation from first principles — strategy, pricing, positioning, partnerships, and team — while executing against it in parallel, functioning as an embedded CMO rather than an external advisor.
What We Did
We approached the mandate with a user-first philosophy throughout, building the operational backbone while simultaneously executing on it.
Foundational Infrastructure
We introduced structured processes across marketing, advertiser outreach, and pricing — establishing the operational frameworks that hadn't previously existed and setting the standard for how the business would run.
Key Account & Advertiser Partnerships
We strategically identified, pursued, and secured partnerships with top-tier brands and advertisers, including Adidas, Nike, Vodafone, Zalando, HelloFresh, Dyson, Booking.com, Lieferando, and Launchpad, among many others — building the commercial backbone the platform needed to offer genuine value to users from day one.
Network Integration
We onboarded and integrated multiple leading affiliate networks — including Awin, CJ, Impact, and Adcell — establishing a robust, scalable campaign and promotional process that could support ongoing partner and advertiser activity.
Launch Execution
The app launch was executed with strong momentum on the user acquisition side, supported by one of zave.it's co-founders leveraging his standing as an influencer. The result: over 250,000 users acquired in the first seven days.
Co-Branded Influencer Campaigns
We introduced a new product line: co-branded influencer campaigns, executing 40-50+ large-scale campaigns with major brands including Nike, Bauhaus, Emma Matratzen, Fressnapf, Vodafone, and HelloFresh, among others — with total budgets exceeding €200K. Each campaign was backed by performance data to drive measurable results, not just brand exposure.
The Outcome
The results spoke for themselves. Within the scope of this engagement:
- +€12M in annual run-rate partner and brand revenue generated through the app and ecosystem
- 650+ brands and partners onboarded
- One of the most successful app launches in Germany, with 250,000+ users acquired in the first seven days
- Active management of 100+ accounts, predominantly tier-one brands including Nike, Lieferando, MediaMarkt, Adidas, About You, HelloFresh, and Puma
- 50+ high-impact influencer and performance campaigns executed for major brands including Nike, Bauhaus, MediaMarkt, and Vodafone, with creative budgets exceeding €200K
In late 2025, zave.it was successfully acquired by Almedia — a testament to the foundation, growth, and market position built during this engagement.
Almedia aquired zave.it in 2025
In August 2025, zave.it was successfully acquired by Almedia, who sought to integrate zave's cashback technology and partner ecosystem into their existing app portfolio. PRVN Media played an instrumental role throughout the transition period, continuing to lead the marketing and partner strategy for twelve months post-acquisition through September 2026 — ensuring continuity and sustained growth as zave's technology and partnerships were integrated into Almedia's broader ecosystem.
From Idea to Exit: The zave.it Founding Story
