About us 

From traditional beginnings to remote success

Scrape IT started in 2015 as a traditional company with an office in Utrecht, The Netherlands, specializing in online web scraping. When the pandemic hit in 2020, we transitioned from our office to remote work, and we have remained a fully remote company since then.

More than just web scraping

Scrape IT is more than just a web scraping company. While we began as a traditional company, we have greatly expanded our focus. This expansion has allowed us to create better software and diversify our offerings. We are a data collection company, a software company, a platform company, but most importantly, a company full of passionate people who love the products we create.

Embracing authenticity

At Scrape IT, we strive to be ourselves. We aim to bring our true selves to work, not behaving differently at our jobs compared to our home lives. We embrace different opinions, religions, hobbies, strengths, weaknesses, and humor. We dress in a way that makes us comfortable, whether that means wearing t-shirts and shorts or a dress. At Scrape IT, you will encounter the ‘real’ person, not a ‘professional’ mask.

Flat structure for innovation

Hierarchy is great for maintaining predictability and repeatability. It simplifies planning and makes it easier to control a large group of people from the top down, which is why military organizations rely on it so heavily. But when you’re a webscrape company that’s spent the last few years going out of its way to recruit the most intelligent, innovative, talented people on Earth, telling them to sit at a desk and do what they’re told obliterates 99 percent of their value. We want innovators, and that means maintaining an environment where they’ll flourish. That’s why Scrape IT is flat. It’s our shorthand way of saying that we don’t have any management, and nobody “reports to” anybody else. We do have a founder/president, but even he isn’t your manager.

Our view on ethics

Web scraping is a powerful tool – and with that comes responsibility. Technically, a lot is possible. But at Scrape IT, we always ask ourselves: does it feel right?

Working ethically isn’t just a slogan for us – it’s how we work. With every project, we ask a few key questions:

• Is it allowed?

• What will the client use it for?

• Are we comfortable with it?

Sometimes, we’re unsure. That’s when we talk it over as a team. And if even one of us doesn’t feel good about it, we say “no.” Even if that means turning down a project.

A real example: housing data

We sometimes collect data on homes. Developers use it to decide where to build – and we’re happy to support that.

But we also get requests to send a signal when a property is sold, so companies can immediately send out ads. That’s where we draw the line. Nobody wants to move into a new home and be greeted by a pile of flyers. It’s impersonal, inefficient, wasteful – and simply not okay.

How we decide

We don’t have a strict rulebook when it comes to ethics. For us, it’s about gut feeling and common sense. Still, we ask ourselves the same questions each time:

✅ Does it feel right?

✅ Does it really help our client?

✅ Does it avoid harm?

✅ Does it contribute something positive?

✅ Are we handling personal data with care?

It’s this mix of considerations that guides our decisions.

Ethical work means making choices

Web scraping opens many doors. That’s exactly why we believe it’s important to stop and ask: is this the right door to walk through? Sometimes, choosing the honest route takes courage. But to us, it’s the only way to do it right.

Find us here

Address
Reykjavikstraat 1, 3543 KH Utrecht

VAT number
NL854897550B01

Chamber of Commerce number
62637282