As 2025 wraps up, we’re taking a moment to look back on a year of growth and innovation at Optio Incentives — all driven by our mission to enable companies to seamlessly offer equity to employees globally with maximum impact.
It was a year of building — not just features, but a stronger foundation for the companies trusting us with their equity programs. Here’s a look back at some selected milestones of 2025.
Growing Together: VU Live and EquityPeople join Optio
2025 marked a significant expansion for Optio. Following our acquisition of VU Live from Investec earlier this year, we welcomed the exceptional team from EquityPeople into Optio Incentives.
VU Live excels in share plans for companies based in the United Kingdom and South Africa, with a rich partner ecosystem, deep integration with the largest financial markets in Africa and Europe, and decades of experience managing equity for hundreds of thousands of participants.
EquityPeople brings deep expertise in helping outstanding companies with equity and total rewards — including EQT Ventures, Balderton, Sequoia Capital, Personio, Vinted, and more. Their experience in equity design and total rewards consulting strengthens our ability to support clients beyond software alone.
The result: a true end-to-end equity compensation ecosystem for companies operating across borders. From plan design to administration to participant engagement — we've got it covered.
G2 Recognition: Proof, Not Promises
We earned three badges in the G2 Winter 2026 report: High Performer — Europe, High Performer, and Users Love Us.
These aren't awards we gave ourselves. They come directly from verified users rating their experience on the platform. When 500+ companies trust you with their equity programs, the feedback speaks for itself.
To every client who took the time to leave a review — thank you. This recognition belongs to you as much as it does to us.
Stock N' Roll: Where Equity Meets Real Talk
This year, our podcast Stock N' Roll hit its stride. Over two seasons and sixteen episodes, CEO Christoffer Herheim sat down with industry leaders to unpack the realities of equity compensation — what's working, what's not, and what they would do differently.
Thousands of downloads later, the conversations keep getting better.
Most-listened episodes of 2025:
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Navigating Global Employee Share Plans — Essential insights for managing equity across borders
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Decoding IFRS 2: Key Insights on Equity Compensation and Valuation — Expert guidance on financial reporting
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Designing Equity Programs for Pre-IPO Growth Companies — Strategic advice for scaling companies
Listen on Spotify, YouTube, or your preferred podcast app.
A Selection of Platform Updates of 2025
Beyond the headlines, 2025 was marked by significant product development. Here are the major releases that landed this year.
Optio Mobile App: Engaging Your Entire Workforce
Now generally available on iOS and Android with over 4,000 monthly active users. The app helps companies reach employees beyond the office — factory workers, field teams, and anyone not at a desk. And, even for office workers, it offers a convenient way for participants to quickly check their incentives. More access drives better engagement across your program.
For many clients, this has been the unlock for truly company-wide participation.
Entity Hierarchy: Reporting That Reflects Your Business
We replaced our flat entity system with flexible, hierarchical structures. Companies can now organize by business unit, region, or cost center — and generate roll-up reports that reflect how the business actually operates.
No more workarounds. No more spreadsheet gymnastics.
Journal Entries: From Financial Reports to Your ERP in One Click
Generate pre-formatted journal entries directly from IFRS 2 and Social Security reports. Upload-ready for SAP, NetSuite, or your system of choice.
You save hours of manual work in the busiest period of the year.
Performance Tracking Module: Bring Transparency to Your PSUs
Performance Share Units just got easier to manage. Set, track, and visualize performance against market and non-market goals — whether that's TSR, revenue targets, or ESG metrics.
Employees get a dedicated page showing real-time progress and outcome simulations. More clarity for participants, more motivation, and fewer questions landing on your desk.
Evergreen Employee Tax Guides: Global Clarity, Always Up-to-Date
Powered by CMS Legal data, these guides update automatically. No more drafting annual PDFs that go stale in weeks. Participants get notified before vesting events — reducing tax-related queries before they start.
And Many More
These were the headliners, but 2025 was packed with smaller updates too — performance improvements, UX refinements, and new features that make equity compensation more seamless and impactful.
Looking Ahead to 2026
2025 set the foundation. 2026 is about building on it.
We're already deep into developing what's next — new capabilities, expanded integrations, and features designed around how equity teams actually work. We can't share everything yet, but if this year was any indication, it's going to be worth the wait.
To the 500+ companies who trust Optio with their equity programs: thank you. Your feedback shapes what we build, and your success is what drives us.
Here's to a strong 2026 — and equity programs that actually work.
Want to see what Optio can do for your team? Book a demo and let's talk.
The Optio Team
