Shows
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseSmall Business Payments and Financial Management with QontoChris and Ethan had a chance to catch up with Alexandre Prot, Co-Founder and CEO of Qonto, on their amazing growth and what's ahead.
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The French Tech News is a newsletter, podcast, and video media highlighting important stories, in English, in the world of France’s startups, its entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem leaders. Hosted by Chris O'Brien and Ethan Pierse.
Sign up for the newsletter: https://frenchtechjournal.com/signup/2022-07-1134 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PiersePeople and Product-Driven Investment with Pascal Cagni's C4 VenturesJoin us for a passionate discussion with Pascal Cagni, Founding Partner at C4 Ventures and Chairman at Business France, previously GM & VP, Apple EMEIA, and GM Europe, Packard Bell.
Intro and background 0:28
Pascal's journey at Apple 4:50
C4 Ventures' focus and interests 7:12
C4's investment themes and thesis 12:35
France is back and French Tech's growth 15:02
From French Tech startups to European scaleups 22:36
Government's role in driving tech growth and addressing new verticals 28:49
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The French Tech News is a newsletter, podcast, and video media highlighting important stories, in English, in the world of France’s startups, it...2022-04-2038 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseYnsect Vertical Insect Farm VisitThe French Tech News visited Ynsect's mealworm farm in Dole, France, and spent some time with CEO Antoine Hubert learning more about Ynsect's journey, their mission, their science, and where they go from here.
1. Intro and acquisition of US mealworm factory, Jord Producers: 00:48
2. Vertical insect farm factory description: 1:57
3. Behind the Engineering, Data, and Biology of farming insects (mealworm beetles, Tenebrio molitor) 3:37
4. Inventing the intellectual property of insect farming 5:20
5. What's next and the the challenges ahead: regulation for US and EU animal and human consumption of insect pr...2022-04-0809 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseEffective Company Carbon Programs with SweepDiscussing reducing carbon emissions in your business and value chain with CEO and Co-Founder of Sweep, Rachel Delacour.
Description and history of Sweep: 1:49
Climate change startup investment landscape 3:52
Doing good can also be good business 5:14
Sweep's $5m seed fundraising 6:47
Optimism and the COP26 Experience 7:14
Will technology save the planet? 11:47
Founding BIME Analytics and the Zendesk acquisition 16:04
Build your passion 20:55
On to angel investing 23:15
Heading to space? 24:47
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The French Tech News is a newsletter, podcast, and video media highlighting important stories, in English, in the world of France’s startups, its entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem le...2022-04-0629 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseBuilding the Future of Work with Startup Studio eFoundersFounder & Managing Director of eFounders, Quentin Nickmans, takes us back to the beginning of their startup studio to share the journey of building a portfolio of 29 companies and raising more than $400 million.
1:15 Intro to eFounders
4:25 Spinning out one SaaS startup after another
9:11 Solve the problems you have yourself. Build the solutions you need.
11:53 Discovering founders and matching them to ideas
16:38 $400M in fundraising and 2 unicorns
20:33 Being a studio founder and resisting building each project yourself. Watching your kids grow up.
25:11 Logic Founders fintech startup studio
28:44 Web3 and other vertical startup studios
31:15 Building a successful founding team
Be...2022-03-1636 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseGrowing Life Anywhere and Everywhere with Interstellar LabBarbara Belvisi, Founder and CEO of Interstellar Lab, shares their mission to create sustainable plant cultivation both in space and here on Earth.
Be sure to subscribe to and share the podcast on your preferred podcast platform and check out the video version on our YouTube channel.
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The French Tech News is a newsletter, podcast, and video media highlighting important stories, in English, in the world of France’s startups, its entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem leaders. Hosted by Chris O'Brien and Ethan Pierse.
Be sure to sign up...2022-03-1031 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseSeyna, The All-In-One Platform for Insurance BrokersStephen Leguillon, CEO of Seyna, shares their journey on creating a regulatory-compliant, all-in-one platform enabling insurance brokers to build and operate digitally native insurance programs.
0:48 The journey from Appetise to La Belle Assiette to ezCater to Seyna
2:50 Becoming an Insurtech entrepreneur
5:31 Joining an existing team to build the next insurance scaleup
9:27 Innovating the technology and processes of insurance
15:12 The complexities of the insurtech business
21:10 Most insurance companies or insurtech startups can be partners or clients of Seyna
26:25 Raising a $33M Series A and structuring for hypergrowth
Be sure to subscribe to and share the podcast on your p...2022-02-2438 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseInnovating Music Streaming with DeezerJoin Chris and Ethan for a fascinating discussion with CEO Jeronimo Folgueira on Deezer's continuing mission as an independent music streaming platform:
1:01 Intro to Deezer and Jeronimo's background
2:55 Deezer's place in the music industry
4:30 Deezer's unique value proposition as a music streaming service
10:24 The Home of Podcasting or Music?
12:13 and speaking of Spotify, let's talk about Joe Rogan
17:13 Music Exclusives... Ed Sheeran, James Blunt, Alicia Keys original sessions
18:25 European data/privacy sovereignty vs US platforms
21:25 Web3: Music NFTs, social tokens, and digital collectibles
24:39 The Future of Deezer
Be sure to subscribe to and share the podcast on y...2022-02-1629 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseRelationship-based Customer Communication at Scale with FrontChris and Ethan had the pleasure to sit down and discuss Front's mission to build an authentic, relationship-based customer communication hub with Co-Founder and CEO, Mathilde Collin.
1:20 Intro to Front
2:50 eFounders and the origin story of Front
8:07 Onward to Y Combinator
11:03 Raising a $66M Series B in 2018
14:22 More fundraising and pandemic-powered growth
18:00 Building in San Francisco for French entrepreneurs
23:34 The Entrepreneur/Operator model of angel investing
26:36 Hyperscale growth coming in 2022
Be sure to subscribe to and share the podcast on your preferred podcast platform and check out the video version on our YouTube channel.
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French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseElevating Sound in Our Lives with DevialetA fascinating chat with Franck Lebouchard, CEO of Devialet, on their mission to elevate sound to its rightful place in our lives through an exacting attention to engineering and design:
1:28 A short history of Devialet
4:07 Being different about sound and design
8:50 People want better sound as streaming and video quality massively improve
11:46 3D and immersive audio are coming
13:53 Devialet's explosive growth and continuing demand
16:10 Phantom speaker for consumers and bringing great sound to cars, televisions, laptops, and more
19:43 B2C vs B2B revenue
20:30 ArianeGroup, materials science engineering, and rocket audio
23:43 2022 ambitions: what's next after amplifiers, connected speakers...2022-02-0132 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseShaping The Future Of Music with BelieveToday our guest is Denis Ladegaillerie, Founder and CEO of Believe, to discuss how they enable independent musicians to build and engage with their community and fans:
1:23 The mission of Believe
2:04 Believe's history and the evolution of the music industry
6:25 Tunecore, helping independent artists build their career through premium and automated solutions.
8:57 Scaling your music's visibility and reach through platforms vs. doing it on your own
12:26 Do you still need a label and its team?
14:37 The impact of social media on music promotion
19:36 Believe's Euronext Paris IPO: Going public in Europe for French Tech companies
24:14 Music NFTs: Crowdfunding...2022-01-2533 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseInterview: Benoist Grossmann (Eurazeo) at France Digitale DayOur interview with Benoist Grossmann, Co-President of France Digitale and CEO of Eurazeo (formerly Idinvest), at France Digitale Day.
– Idinvest becomes Eurazeo
– A little history of Idinvest
– About yesterday's announcement of $1.5B invested into Sorare, Mirakl, and Vestiaire Collective
– 'Values' and Sustainability at France Digitale Day
– Sustainability, greentech, and impact venture capital as good business
– The market is demanding Tech4Good
– We now have the capital, so talent is the next problem facing the ecosystem.
Be sure to subscribe to and share the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform...2021-10-0117 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseInterview: Yann Lechelle (Scaleway) at France Digitale DayOur interview with Yann Lechelle, CEO of Scaleway, at France Digitale Day.
– Scaleway's view on datacenter environmental impact and sustainability – Energy and water-efficient datacenters – Datacenter optimization vs legacy infrastructure – Sustainability as a business decision – Greentech and sustainability as a competitive advantage
Be sure to subscribe to and share the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform, and check out the video version on our YouTube channel.
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The French Tech News is a newsletter, podcast, and video media highlighting important stories, in English, in the world of France’s st...2021-09-2915 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseInterview: Audrey Soussan (Ventech Capital) at France Digitale DayOur interview with Audrey Soussan, Partner at Ventech Capital, at France Digitale Day.
The mission and thesis of Ventech Capital
Early-stage valuation trends and VC competition
What might IPO/acquisition exits look like for these higher valuation early-stage investments?
Does the IPO location matter?
Does private equity growth investment create liquidity or do you wait for an exit?
Any specific trends, markets, or opportunities to watch?
Be sure to subscribe to and share the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform, and check out the video version on our YouTube channel.
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The...2021-09-2715 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseInterview: Fleur Pellerin (Korelya Capital) at France Digitale DayOur interview with former Digital Economy Minister of France and Korelya Capital CEO, Fleur Pellerin, at France Digitale Day.
Intro to Korelya Capital
Asian opportunities for European entrepreneurs
Cultural and business considerations on entering Asian markets
Growth capital (finally) comes to Europe
Is private equity a rival or partner to venture capital
$1.5B of investments in Mirakl, Sorare, and Vestiaire Collective announced in just one day
Fleur Pellerin speaking on Values ESG, Social Impact, Governance at France Digitale Day
Be sure to subscribe to and share the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform, and check o...2021-09-2314 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseTransforming Insects into Premium Natural Feed with YnsectYnsect CEO, Antoine Hubert, explains their mission to develop sustainable nutrition for both animals and humans using insect protein:
1:41 10 years of progress
4:29 Building an industrial agricultural company
9:20 Technical challenges, commercial challenges, then the regulatory challenge
13:09 Why do we want to feed the world with insects?
19:55 Feeding animals, great...but feeding people? Creating ingredients for sports nutrition, meat alternatives, and more...
26:10 Robert Downey Jr's fund, FootPrint Coalition, comes onboard
30:03 Scaling up insect-based feed in the US
32:26 Building a sustainable and impactful company
35:41 Largest vertical farm and insect production site in the world under construction in France
Be sure...2021-08-0444 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseInterview: Thomas Courtois (Nickel) at VivatechOur interview with Thomas Courtois, President of Nickel, at Vivatechnology in Paris.
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Be sure to subscribe to and share the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform, and check out the video version on our YouTube channel.
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The French Tech News is a newsletter, podcast, and video media highlighting important stories, in English, in the world of France’s startups, its entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem leaders. Hosted by Chris O'Brien and Ethan Pierse.
Be sure to sign up for the French Tech Journal newsletter for more stori...2021-06-2117 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseBuilding the Global IoT Network and Community with Jeremy Prince, CEO SigfoxToday our guest is Jeremy Prince, CEO of Sigfox, to discuss their mission to build the largest IoT ecosystem in the world.
3:20 Transitioning to a new CEO
5:22 What drew you to Sigfox in 2018?
12:26 2020, a difficult year
20:33 IoT Mass Adoption – 3 drivers: transforming customers' businesses, regulatory compliance, and new, disruptive business models leveraging IoT
26:25 The growth of IoT's different segments and markets
28:30 The impact of 5G on IoT
31:16 Is it finally time for IoT to scale?
38:00 Chocolatine or pain au chocolat?
Be sure to subscribe to and share the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform, and che...2021-06-1539 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseLedger Unicorns; Pasqal and C12 Quantum Computing Funding; Tunecore's Believe IPOs on Euronext; Vivatech Paris is Next WeekOn today’s live podcast on Clubhouse, we'll cover great stories about:
1:02 Ledger, the leading manufacturer of cryptocurrency cold storage hardware wallets, raises a $380M Series C at a $1.5B unicorn valuation, making them France's 15th unicorn and 5th so far in 2021,
11:45 Pasqal quantum computing raises €25M Series A from France's Defense Innovation Fund for their programmable atomic arrays,
18:50 C12 Quantum Electronics raises $10M from Bpifrance, Airbus Ventures, BNP Paribas, and OVH's Octave Klaba,
22:30 Digital music management agency Believe, parent company of Tunecore, IPO'd on Euronext Paris,
31:38 Vivatechnology Paris phys...2021-06-1134 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseOn The Road To Becoming The Intercity Transportation Super-App With BlaBlaCarToday our guest is Nicolas Brusson, Co-Founder and CEO at BlaBlaCar, the world’s leading intercity ridesharing service. We’ll be discussing carpooling in the pandemic / post-pandemic world, lessons in international growth especially of BlaBlaCar’s bus service in markets like Mexico, India, Russia, and Brazil, the road to becoming the intercity transportation super app, and building a culture of entrepreneurship and legacy through the BlaBlaCar mafia.
1:08 Effect of the pandemic on transport and travel. The economic power of collective intelligence.
6:57 Trust broker building community and maximizing connections between passengers and drivers.
10:05 Intercity transport. Connecting bus carriers to the pl...2021-05-2444 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseCloud-based Call Center and Phone Systems with AircallOn today’s live podcast on Clubhouse, we have the pleasure to chat with the founders of Aircall on the journey of building the cloud-based call center and phone system of choice for modern businesses.
Be sure to subscribe to and share the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform, and check out the video version on our YouTube channel.
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The French Tech News is a newsletter, podcast, and video media highlighting important stories, in English, in the world of France’s startups, its entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem leaders. Host...2021-05-1242 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseBack Market: The Leading Marketplace Dedicated To Refurbished DevicesBack Market is the leading marketplace dedicated to refurbished devices. On today’s live podcast on Clubhouse, Co-Founder Vianney Vaute and US Managing Director Serge Verdoux join us to discuss their mission to make resurrected devices mainstream.
Be sure to subscribe to and share the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform, and check out the video version on our YouTube channel.
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The French Tech News is a newsletter, podcast, and video media highlighting important stories, in English, in the world of France’s startups, its entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem lead...2021-03-2659 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseAnti-Cancer Startup Resilience Co-Founder Jonathan Benhamou; CEO Adrien Fernandez Baca from Cubyn On-Demand E-commerce Logistics; Jungle Vertical Farming Raises €42M; Literacy EdTech Lalilo AcquiredOn today’s live podcast on Clubhouse, Jonathan Benhamou shares the story behind his new anti-cancer startup Resilience and Adrien Fernandez Baca from Cubyn talks about on-demand e-commerce logistics and their recent €35M fundraising.
We will also discuss:
Jungle Raises €42M to continue scaling their vertical farming platform
And literacy startup Lalilo has been acquired by US EdTech leader Renaissance Learning
Check out our upcoming Clubhouse rooms and links at FrenchTechNews.club and join the French Tech News Club on Clubhouse.
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Welcome to French Tech News with Chris O’Brien and Etha...2021-03-2352 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan Piersee.Ventures and Kili Technology on France’s Data Science Startups; Anti-Cancer Startup Resilience; Cubyn e-Commerce Logistics Raises €35M; Split-Payments Platform Pledg Raises €80MOn today’s live podcast on Clubhouse, Paris Managing Partner Jonathan Userovici joins us to talk about e.Ventures entering the French market, the unfair advantage of French startups in data science, artificial intelligence, video games and other verticals, as well as the growth cycle of innovation ecosystems… Edouard d’Archimbaud, CTO of AI and data annotation platform Kili Technology, joins.
We’ll also cover:
New anti-cancer startup Resilience from FrenchTech veterans Céline Lazorthes et Jonathan Benhamou
E-commerce logistics startup Cubyn raises €35M
Pledg raises €80m for its split-payments platform
and France’s privacy watchdog CNIL opens inves...2021-03-1957 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseFrench Tech Miami with Hugging Face, SimpliField, and YnsectOn today’s live podcast on Clubhouse, we will be chatting with French Tech entrepreneurs in New York and Miami on the growing trend of startups to locate their businesses and teams in up and coming ecosystems like Miami and related topics around quality of life, access to venture capital, local talent pools, engaged local politicians and organizations, and other subjects…
Joining us for our discussion will be
Clement Delangue, CEO and Co-Founder of natural language processing starting Hugging Face, fresh off of their recent $40M Series B fundraising,
Benjamin Zenou, CEO and Co-Founder of retail perfo...2021-03-161h 03
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseGender Diversity in the French Startup and VC Ecosystem with SISTAOn today's live clubhouse podcast, join us for a conversation with SISTA, an association founded 2 years ago to address the imbalance between male and female entrepreneurs in France. Sista's recent barometer report highlighted many of these inequalities. We'll discuss that report and see what lessons Sista has for other ecosystems.
You can learn more about SISTA and download their most recent report in partnership with BCG on gender diversity in startups and fundraising in France.
Check out our upcoming Clubhouse rooms and links at FrenchTechNews.club and join the French Tech News...2021-03-1252 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseVestiaire Collective and Kering on their $215M Unicorn FundraisingOn today’s live podcast on Clubhouse, we will chat with Clara Chappaz from Vestiaire Collective as well as Grégory Boutté from Kering on Vestiaire’s recent $215 million dollar Series H fundraising announcement making them France’s 11th unicorn and the world's go-to second-hand fashion platform.
Check out our upcoming Clubhouse rooms and links at FrenchTechNews.club
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Welcome to French Tech News with Chris O’Brien and Ethan Pierse, an English-language podcast and Clubhouse series highlighting important stories in the world of France’s startups, its entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem leaders.
Please...2021-03-0955 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseSorare Raises $50m For Its NFT/Blockchain-powered Fantasy Football PlatformCEO and Co-Founder of fantasy football/soccer platform Sorare, Nicolas Julia, joins us for another great Clubhouse discussion of French Tech News. On the list is their recent $50m raise from Benchmark, Accel, Antoine Griezmann, Alexis Ohanian, and Gary Vaynerchuk, as well as the current buzz over NFTs and digital collectibles. One of the largest Series A fundraising rounds for any French startup, let alone a blockchain one, this was an exciting discussion about where things are heading in the space.
Be sure to subscribe to and share the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcast...2021-03-0830 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseDavid Bitton on Serena Capital’s €300m Fund III and the Operating Partner model; Sorare raises $50m; Xavier Niel funds Hectar agriculture schoolOperating Partner David Bitton of Serena Capital joins our clubhouse discussion to talk about Serena's recent close of €300m Fund III and his role as operating partner in accompanying their portfolio companies. We will also discuss NFT-powered fantasy football startup Sorare's $50m raise from Benchmark, Accel, Antoine Griezmann, Alexis Ohanian, and Gary Vaynerchuk, and then Xavier Niel's investment to launch a 600 hectare agriculture school, Hectar, on a similar model to his free Ecole 42 coding school.
Check out our upcoming Clubhouse rooms and links at FrenchTechNews.club
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Welcome to French Te...2021-03-0544 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseMarc Menasé's Venture Studio Founders Future Raises $50m and Skeepers Acquires Sarah-Diane Eck's Surprise AppEntrepreneur and investor, Marc Menasé, joins us for a Clubhouse discussion on raising $50m for his super-angel, venture studio, Founders Future, and shares his thoughts on helping founders build companies. Marc created and participated in many European successes including nextedia (acquired by Lagardère Group), Kelkoo (acquired by Yahoo Inc), teads (acquired by Altice), Le Petit Ballon (acquired by Vente-Privée.com), Menlook, lendix, Molotov.tv,… Marc is very involved in the European tech industry, he co-founded France Digitale (French digital and venture association) and was elected French E-commerce personality of the year in 2012.
We are also joine...2021-03-0146 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseFrench Tech News TrailerHello and welcome to French Tech News with Chris O’Brien and Ethan Pierse, a podcast and Clubhouse series, in English, highlighting important stories in the world of France’s startups, its entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem leaders.
Recent interviews have included the founder of France's "next fintech unicorn" financial super app, Lydia, noted investors from Elaia Partners, Korelya Capital, and Serena Capital, as well as ecosytem leaders like France's Secretary of State for Digital Affairs, Cédric O, Director of the government's French Tech Mission, Kat Borlongan, and CEO of startup associations France Digitale and European Startup Netwo...2021-02-2800 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseFrance's Cybersecurity Strategy with Secretary of State for Digital Affairs, Cédric OToday, we have a Clubhouse conversation with France's Secretary of State for Digital Affairs, Cédric O, discussing the new national cybersecurity strategy for France. Announced last Thursday, February 17th, by President Macron, this strategy allocates over €1.3 billion of public and private capital to develop and reinforce new cybersecurity solutions for the government as well as businesses and individuals, educate and train new cybersecurity professionals, create 20,000 new jobs in the sector, as well as help scale France's cybersecurity startups, scaleups, and intellectual property.
Discussion:
Minister O's Introduction
€1.3B National Cybersecurity Strategy
Digital Transformation, Cybersecurity, and French Healt...2021-02-2549 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseFrance Digitale, Apple, and the Coalition for App FairnessToday, we have a fantastic Clubhouse conversation with Nicolas Brien, CEO of French startup organization France Digitale, as well as President of the European Startup Network, whose combined mission is to foster the growth of future European digital champions. He is joined by Paul Christophle, investor at Korelya Capital. We'll be discussing France Digitale joining the Coalition for App Fairness as it defends European startups against the Apple app store commission structure.
Check out our upcoming Clubhouse rooms and links at FrenchTechNews.club
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Welcome to French Tech News with Chris O’Brien an...2021-02-2350 min
French Tech News with Chris O'Brien and Ethan PierseLydia, The Financial Services Super-App, with CEO Co-Founder Cyril ChicheCyril Chiche is co-Founder and CEO of Lydia, a financial services super-app offering digital payments, donations, loans, checking accounts, payment cards, and other services…
Discussion:
The Lydia origin story
The Numa Café
Early investments
Product Market Fit and early growth
Lydia, a super-app for your money
Moving into then back out of the UK market
2020, first Tencent (WeChat Pay) then Accel invests in Lydia
Covid and financial services trends and adoption
Cryptocurrency buying/trading and financial services apps
Accel's newest venture partner and former Venmo General Manager, Amit Jhawar, joins the board
2021 and onward
Check out...2021-02-2251 min