🧨 Odoo Unlocked #004: The New Hotspots

📊 The public numbers only tell part of the story

Odoo.com now lists 66,930 public references — an increase of 2,023 in just one month.

But public references are only the companies willing to be listed. In late April, Odoo had 64,907 references for over 160,000 paying clients. That’s a 2.5x multiplier between what's shown and what's actually running.

So when reference growth picks up, it's a sign that live implementations are surging behind the scenes.

Let’s start with volume.

Countries with the highest net new references (April 23 → May 26):

• 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia: +200

• 🇫🇷 France: +158

• 🇲🇽 Mexico: +120

• 🇧🇪 Belgium: +116

• 🇪🇸 Spain: +80

Saudi Arabia now ranks #2 worldwide in total references.

Lots of countries posted high percentage increases, but most of those were off a base of 10 or fewer. That’s noise.

Here are the ones combining high speed with useful scale:

These aren’t temporary bumps. Reference growth here is tied to real partner activity, ongoing projects, and market readiness.

Saudi Arabia is the clear leader in new logos. Egypt, UAE, Tunisia, Algeria, Lebanon — all showing reliable growth. Even Iraq and Libya are trending up.

Odoo is supporting the region with ocalization, events, and local hires.

Midsize companies are jumping from spreadsheets to ERP. Many of them want the full suite.

The demand is outpacing the supply of experienced partners.

The UK has room to grow. Reference growth is modest, but the ceiling is high.

The real blockers aren’t client volume — they’re brand awareness and crowded accounting competition: Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, FreeAgent.

Most prospects don’t have Odoo on their radar until a partner puts it there.

It’s a viable market. But winning here means outbound positioning, not waiting for inbound traffic.

Most partners stay focused on big reference totals. That’s a lagging signal.

When you focus on fast-growing countries — the ones gaining 10%+ month over month with enough volume to matter — you’re looking at markets with less saturation, more interest, and better margins.

The longer you wait to explore them, the harder it gets to differentiate once everyone else catches up.

• Use growth, not totals, to scout new ground
  Honduras and Tunisia are moving faster than much larger markets.

• Pick one market and localize for it
  Translate your homepage. Add a regional case study. Mention country-specific growth in sales calls.

• Turn reference counts into proof of traction
  Saudi Arabia added 200 public references last month. Given the 2.5x multiplier, that points to over 500 real client go-lives.
  That’s something your next prospect should hear.

• Don’t wait for a perfect playbook
  These markets aren’t capped. But early movers have more room to define pricing, delivery models, and trust.

What would it take to become the go-to Odoo partner in a market that’s just starting to accelerate?

See you next Monday at 08:00 CET.

— Cath & Fred, Just Doers.