idinvest partners · 2 idinvest partners is one of the most active venture capital firms in europe,...

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Idinvest Partners is one of the most active Venture Capital firms in Europe, with 150+ companies funded and €2.1bn under management. Idinvest has financed high-profile investments such as Criteo, Deezer, Talend, Sigfox and Zenly. The firm supports its portfolio companies from Series A right up until their exit.

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About this guide :

At Idinvest, we are constantly looking for ways to help companies find the right strategy to scale their operations and enter new markets. Part of this includes finding the best partners to support them.

Over the years, the team has gathered a list of providers recommended by our network throughout Europe. Because we know how time-consuming looking for the right business partner can be, and how easy it is to make mistakes, we have compiled a guide of the very best companies which we can recommend for the various aspects of your scaling strategy:

• Acquiring new talent• Finance and Accounting • PR and Marketing• Management coaching• Etc.

The first edition of the guide focuses mainly on the French market.

We hope this guide will save you time and help you do what you do best: grow fast!

Any questions or tips to help us improve this guide ? Write to Sophie Bruchou, [email protected]

This guide was prepared with the help of our amazing analysts Sylvain Cizaire, Alexandre Dewez, Maxime Fonsale and Johanna Husson and our wonderful Communications team, especially Kevin Firmin and Claudia Jackson. Special thanks to Idinvest’s portfolio companies and Benjamin Bitton who helped us select the very best providers.

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Recruitment..............................................................6Internationalisation............................................16LEgal Counsel........................................................20Financial Advice....................................................30Non-Dilutive Financing ......................................36Marketing................................................................40Public relations & branding.............................44Coaching..................................................................50Office hunting.......................................................54office management..............................................58

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True searchTrue Search is a specialised headhunter helping tech startups attract C-level, VP-level, Director-level executives across all key functions: Technology & Product, Sales & Marketing, Finance & Ops, HR... They started out as a team of five in the US and quickly expanded into Europe. They now have 250+ employees globally, 60+ of them in Europe - covering France, Southern Europe, UK, DACH, Nordics.

• The go-to headhunter when it comes to finding proven executives for startups.• Very hands-on, collaborative, transparent approach to search.• Able to attract top international talent into Europe or help companies scale internationally.

https://truesearch.com/

Why startups working with them

SubtypeC-level

Funding stageSeries A, Series B, Series C and +

Active inUK

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Renaissanceleadership

Renaissance Leadership is a technology executive search firm based in London and Silicon Valley, specialising in tech startups and scale-ups. Their highly experienced team recruits high-level profiles from across Europe and the US. They work in all the major technology sectors, hiring across the entire ‘C’ suite and some C-1 positions. They are particularly experienced in Go to Market and CTO recruitment. Renaissance operates a partner-led delivery model with separate practices for B2B and B2C.

• Wide ranging experience with tech companies, having been focused on the VC/PE backed technology segment since 2003

• International network and offices in both the UK and US, making them a strong partner for scaleups looking to expand internationally

• The strongest research team executing executive search in the private technology space in EMEA

• Often acting as a long-term partner, helping startups recruit new high-level profiles as they grow

http://renaissance-leadership.com/


SubtypeC-level

Funding stageSeries B, Series C and +

Active inUK, USA

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Remora talentCreated 6 years ago by experienced head hunters, Remora Talent recruits top management profiles for French scaleups. Their team of 6 head hunters scouts C-level candidates all around Europe for positions in Paris. They specialize in the recruitment of top management positions when companies need to scale fast, typically post-Series B or C.

• Strong track-record with French scaleups• Small team of dedicated, seasoned head hunters• Perfect understanding of the recruitment needs of a scaleup post Series B and later stages

http://www.remora-talent.com/


SubtypeC-level


Active inFrance, Spain & UK

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Montreal associates

Montreal Associates is a headhunting agency specialising in the tech sector. Their team of 100+ headhunters covers all levels of seniority, from junior positions to C-level executives. They usually work to fill full-time positions but will also help with hiring for short-term posts if needed. They have offices in London and in Barcelona but work across all the main European tech hubs - London, Berlin, Paris, Barcelona and Amsterdam.

• Able to recruit internationally• Vast experience working with European scale ups• Large Talent pipeline of candidates coming from various industries

https://www.montrealassociates.com/


SubtypeC-Level, Junior Positions, Tech


Active inFrance, Germany, Spain, UK

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Talent.IOtalent.io is the obvious choice for tech recruitment for French startups. So obvious in fact that we wondered whether it really needed to be included in this guide! Founded in 2015, they have 140+ employees based in Paris, but also in London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Toulouse, Lyon, Munich, and many other cities. They specialise in hiring tech profiles: devs, CTO, data, and others.

• talent.io is halfway between a job board and a consulting practice, allowing their clients to hire extremely quickly (within 19 days on average), and at a cost lower than with their competitors.

• With so many startups in their portfolio, talent.io is experienced in the recruitment challenges faced by startups throughout their various stages of growth.

https://www.talent.io/


SubtypeTech


Active inFrance

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Urban Linker

Urban Linker is a go-to recruitment agency for digital startups in France. They have over 50 employees, based in Paris and Lyon, and are able to reach most ecosystems, including Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes, Montpellier, Lille They focus on tech profiles, as well as sales and digital marketing.

• Urban Linker has built a strong network for 10 years and is now anchored in the French Tech ecosystem.

• Urban Linker meets every candidate and startup, making sure that their work cultures match. • They support clients in various aspects of recruitment, for example offering a follow-up 2

months after hiring.

https://www.urbanlinker.com/bienvenue


SubtypeTech, Sales & Business Dev

Funding stageSeed, Series A, Series B, Series C and +

Active inFrance

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MobiSkillMobiskill is a French recruitment firm which works with all levels of tech positions, from junior to CTO. Their employees’ specialities are grouped by type of position and even by programming language. Mobiskill also offers coaching services for startups wishing to improve their HR strategy, set up internal tools and processes for recruitment and attract the best talent.

• 100% specialised in tech. • They have a rare level of understanding when it comes to startups’ needs for tech profiles. • More than a service provider, they often form long-term fruitful relationships with their

clients and accompany them as they grow.

https://mobiskill.fr/


SubtypeTech


Active inFrance

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Opus search

Founded 5 years ago, Opus Search is a headhunting agency with a team of 5 people. Working with both large companies and startups, they are specialised in the recruitment of top and middle management positions for support functions: HR, Marketing, Finance, Legal.

• A small agency willing to go the extra mile to meet clients’ needs, for example offering a one-year guarantee period during which they will recruit a replacement for free.

http://opus-search.fr/


SubtypeSupport functions


Active inFrance

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PraMEXPramex is a subsidiary of BPCE. They act as a one-stop-shop for starting up business activities in a new country, whether that’s the US, the UK, China, Spain or Germany, among others. They offer consulting services for international expansion and organic growth, helping to set up a subsidiary and manage the day-to-day in the social, fiscal and accounting domains. They also offer M&A advice (small & mid-cap).

• Experience working with 35% of the NEXT40 and with over 150 French startups• Close ties with BPI, Business France and several VC funds• Leader in this industry in France, so startups can be sure they are in good hands

https://www.pramex.com/en/



Active inFrance

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axelia partners

Axelia Partners provides the support that French and European startups need to expand and succeed in the US by helping them set up and manage daily operations efficiently and compliantly. Their services include operations set-up, accounting, payroll, financial reporting, tax, HR compliance solutions, talent search, inter-company policies, immigration and expatriation support.

• Axelia Partners has 30 years of experience helping hundreds of French and European companies settle, expand and manage their daily operations in the U.S.

• From start-up phase to exit, their team of French and US experts provides a high level of personalized support across all stages of development in the US.

https://www.axeliapartners.com/fr/



Active inFrance, USA

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BOLDBold is a corporate law firm founded almost 2 years ago (spin off of a 10 year-old law firm which had specialized in counselling founders) and is specifically designed to meet startups’ needs. Bold has 40 employees and has advised over 250 companies. Their lawyers have expertise in corporate law, private equity, IP, contracts, fiscal law and data & tech regulations. Unlike standard law firms, Bold charges a flat fee for unlimited access.

• Founder-oriented• Suited to both early and later stage companies• Comprehensive in their areas of expertise• Competitive pricing

http://wearebold.co/


SubtypeCorporate Law


Active inFrance

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GIDEBorn in France in 1920, Gide is an international law firm with over 500 employees. They advise on all aspects of corporate law, across all sectors. Gide has a long history of working with scaleups in France and abroad on various projects such as profit-sharing mechanisms, employment law, GDPR and alternative financing.

• Excellent service and wide-ranging experience • Wide geographic coverage well adapted to scaleups with international ambitions• One lawyer as a dedicated point of contact for the scaleup

https://www.gide.com/




Active inAlgeria, Belgium, China, Egypt, France, Morocco, Poland, Tunisia, Turkey, UK, USA

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ORRICKOrrick is a top-level corporate finance law firm. Areas of expertise include fundraisings (corporate, tax, compensation & benefits), strategic partnerships and exits. They have a team of 150+ lawyers across all tech hubs dedicated to working with tech companies worldwide.

Lawyers at Orrick have plenty of experience with startups and the common issues they face (famous names include Alan, Algolia, Dataiku, Sqreen, Payfit and Zenly). They usually nurture long-term relationships with startups from early stage to exit. Orrick is active both in Europe and the US.

• Suited for both early and later stage• Leading US presence

https://www.orrick.com/




Active inFrance, Germany, UK, USA, Italy & Japan

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JonesDAy

Jones Day is a 125 year-old global law firm which places customer service as its highest priority. The company advises on a wide range of legal matters and matches each client with the lawyer best suited to their specific case.

• Broad scope of expertise• Particularly relevant for international scale-ups




Active in Worldwide

https://www.jonesday.com/en

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Impala AvocatsImpala is a legal practice with a strong focus on tech. They provide legal advice on corporate and strategic matters, capital raises ranging from €0.4m to €15m & incentive. They also have expertise in contracts, IP and data law (e.g. GDPR).

• The founders are known for their responsive customer service and for going above and beyond in terms of the legal service they provide. They work closely with the startups to help them build the best strategy

https://www.impala-avocats.com/


SubtypeCorporate law - Contract law - Legislation of new technologies


Active inFrance

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ParallelAvocats

Parallel is a law firm dedicated to advising and defending tech and innovative digital businesses. Its lawyers focus on strategic regulatory, litigation and corporate issues. In particular, Parallel’s regulatory and litigation services cover legal structuring of digital businesses, compliance, data protection and related litigations, and Parallel’s corporate services cover venture capital, M&A deals and corporate governance.

• An in-depth knowledge of tech and innovative business models.• A cohesive and passionate team which goes the extra mile for each client.• A strong involvement of the firm’s partners in every strategic matter.• Parallel’s legal advice is available to clients 24/7.• A proven track-record alongside digital businesses and tech entrepreneurs.

https://parallel.law/


SubtypeRegulations - Litigations - Company Structuration - Corporate Law


Active inFrance & USA

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PlasseraudPlasseraud IP files patents, trademarks, domain names and designs, conducts audits and valuation of IP assets, identifies the industrial property rights of competitors, assesses FTO, handles litigation, supports drafting and negotiates contracts.

Plasseraud IP has a department which focuses entirely on startups. With ten members, the team handles all kinds of technology. Patents can be filed at both the French and European offices. Plasseraud IP also has a large network of partners and can introduce their clients to the best professional to help them through whichever legal issue they face.

• Excellent service• Specific department dedicated to startups• Network of partners to support those looking to file a patent in the US or in Asia

https://www.plass.com/fr


SubtypeIntellectual Property Law


Active inFrance & Worldwide

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Aublé & AssociésAuble & Associes are lawyers specialising in both regular corporate law (capital raises, M&A) and restructuring operations to help insolvent companies closing their businesses. Matthieu Auble founded his firm in 2017 and has been a lawyer at the Paris Bar for 6 years. Since its creation, Auble & Associes advised clients in the context of 42 private-equity operations and 13 M&A operations.

• Specialised in innovative startups• Competitive prices • Responsive customer service• Tailor-made legal and strategic advises

https://www.aubleassocies.com/


SubtypeRestructuring - Corporate Law


Active inFrance

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2C FinanceFounded in 2008, 2C Finance has 35 employees and over 80 clients. As well as performing fund audits, they fill in part-time for companies unable to hire a full-time CFO but who are looking to scale.

• 2C Finance has experience of working with many startups in the past and have helped these startups scale both financially and in terms of setting up operations.

• Their CFOs are all seasoned executives with 10 to 15 years of experience in tech. They are able to work with several startups at the same time.

http://www.2cfinance.net/


SubtypeFinancial Advice/CFO part-time

Funding stageSeed, Series A, Seris B, Series C and +

Active inFrance

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ACLACL is an audit and accounting firm with over 50 employees. ACL clients range from startups and SMEs to consulting firms. They have three lines of business designed for startups: auditing; accounting (including annual accounts, monthly reporting and payroll); consulting (including part-time CFOs to tech startups and other services).

• ACL consultants pride themselves in delivering high quality work and reactivity. • Experienced former certified accountants act as part-time CFOs and accompany the

startup on a long-term basis.

http://www.acl-audit.eu/


SubtypeAudit/Accounting - Financial Advice/CFO part time

Funding stageSeries A, Series B

Active inFrance

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01 AccountingServiceS01 Accounting Services are accountants based between London, Paris and Dublin. Their focus on the UK means they are ideal for companies wishing to move business across the Channel. They are highly capable when it comes to reporting and also offer payroll services.

• Very practical for companies based in both France and the UK• Broadly connected within the French Tech ecosystem

http://www.01accountingservices.com/


SubtypeAudit/Accounting

Funding stageSeries A, Series B

Active inFrance, UK

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Euro Expertise COMPTABLE

Euro Expertise is an audit and accounting firm with twenty years’ experience in working with successful startups. The reporting and other services they offer can be developed over time to suit the needs of growing companies.

• Many of Euro Expertise’s services are wholly dedicated to startups, for example offering personalised reporting to create relevant KPIs, mappings, and other useful tools.

[email protected]


SubtypeAudit/Accounting

Funding stageSeed, Series A, Series B

Active inFrance

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AGKAGK was born out of the merger of 3 firms specializing in audit, accounting and consultancy. AGK offers a comprehensive suite of financial services to entrepreneurs and CFOs of SMEs and startups: ongoing accounting, tax, payroll services, financial and HR advisory.

• Specialized in startups• Service is adapted to the maturity of the company• AGK has an extended network of advisers and wide-ranging expertise in order to provide

full services.

http://agk-groupe.com/


SubtypeAudit/Accounting - Financial Advice/CFO part time


Active inFrance

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IIIFinancementsiii Financements helps startups apply for financial aid from the BPI. They cover everything except JEIs (Jeunes Entreprises Innovantes) and R&D tax credits, offering support with seeking proof-of-concept funding and financial assistance for (international) project development.

• The founding members are ex-BPI employees so know this public institution inside out.

http://www.iii-financements.com/


Funding stageSeed, Series A

Active inFrance

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R4InnovR4innov specialises in sourcing public funds to finance innovation. They are experts in obtaining tax credits for R&D and Innovation (CIR/CII), JEI (Jeune Entreprise Innovante) status, funding from EU (Horizon 2020/Europe), BPI and local funding from regions, departments, and other public sources. They usually work for startups post-Seed or Series A and after.

• R4innov tailor their research to the kind of financing their clients are looking for. • The founder left a large firm in order to work more closely with startups; R4innov therefore

places high value on the quality of their relationships with clients.

https://www.r4innov.com/



Active inFrance

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ElyasCreated 6 years ago, Elyas Conseil and their 20 members offer a three-fold expertise (technical, financial and legal) in public fundraising to support R&D and Innovation projects. Elyas Conseil’s expertise, built on 15+ years of experience acquired alongside CAC 40 companies as well as high growth startups, enables them to identify the best financial strategy meeting their clients’ needs. Their experts have assisted over 500 clients in their innovation funding, whether it be R&D Tax Credits or regional fundings (BPI) as well as european (e.g. EIC Accelerator).

• With a team of 100% engineers and PhDs, they have a strong understanding of technologies and the tech industry.

• Responsiveness and agility that fit startups’ needs • Ability to work with all sizes of companies

https://elyas-conseil.fr/



Active inFrance

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Iytro

Iytro is a marketing accelerator/support which offers: strategic planning, marketing structuration and marketing deployment for early stage startups and VC funds (3-month service for setting up best marketing practices), as well as one-off marketing services for a specific project.

• Suited for early stage onward• Experience of working with very successful startups and VC

https://www.iytro.io/


SubtypeMarketing Strategy


Active inFrance

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JUNto

Junto has two things to offer the startup ecosystem: fully externalized acquisition campaigns (SEO/SEA/SMA), as well as consulting and support with scaling your marketing stack (support with hiring, employee training, data analytics, etc.).

• Part of a strong network• Flexible and responsive service

https://junto.fr/


SubtypeSEO optimization - SEA optimization


Active inFrance

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ArcheTypeArchetype is an international PR and branding agency, with 20 consultants based at their Paris office. The firm specialises in tech and innovation and provides services in branding, community management, events, graphics and media relations. They work both on year-long and project-based contracts (e.g. product launch), usually with later stage companies (Series B+).

• Flexible and responsive• International presence• Great value for the service provided

https://www.archetype.co/en/


SubtypePR - Branding - Community management - Graphism


Active inAustralia, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands, Singapour, USA

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LicenceK

Licence K, created by Jean-François Kitten, is a small PR agency of seven consultants based in Paris. They work exclusively with tech startups, both in software and hardware. Although they mainly serve companies based in France, they have the skills needed to launch media campaigns in other European countries and in the USA too. They offer both year-long and project-based contracts (e.g. for a product launch).

• Focused on startups• Strong network• Great value for the service provided

http://www.licencek.com/fr/


SubtypePR


Active inFrance

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RaoULRaoul is a Paris-based PR agency founded by Sibylle de Villeneuve who created the agency in 2013 after years of experience in PR in the tech industry. Raoul specialises in tech and innovation companies. They offer public relations and brand building support to startups looking for a long-term collaboration, typically from Series A onwards. They do not however perform short-term/one-off services. Their focus is on the French media so they are best suited to French companies.

• Seasoned professionals• Long-term approach • Strong network of journalists in tech

https://www.agenceraoul.com/


SubtypePR


Active inFrance

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ATIKATIK is a collaboration between two PR professionals, Shanez and Lea. They advise startups, large companies and public organisations on innovation. They enjoy working as a long-term partner for startups, although they can also support short-term projects such as product launches and fundraisings.

• The agency is small and the perfect size for fostering good working relationships• They have plenty of experience working with startups• Great value for the service provided

https://agence-atik.com/


Active in

SubtypePR


Active inFrance, UK

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MatthieuLangeardMatthieu Langeard is based in Paris and coaches French entrepreneurs throughout their startup journey. Matthieu organises group and one-to-one meetings, putting personal values at the centre of his work.

• When scaling, the framework and structure of the company shapeshift, occasionally leading to tensions between cofounders. Matthieu helps to smooth the transition by improving team cohesion, the key to success.

http://entreprenance.com/



Active inFrance

(ent

repr

enan

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JAB

JAB is a consultancy firm specializing in sales performance. JAB offers a method, training & coaching for entrepreneurs & sales team to improve their result. Other custom programs aim at resolving company-specific issues including implementing better ones. They have the most impact on entrepreneurs, CEOs, Heads of Sales and Sales who want to challenge themselves and achieve high performance.

• Effective coaching strategy to acquire hard skills with rapid, tangible results• Services are completely adaptable to the startup• They challenge startups to reach higher goals and give tools for it

https://www.jab101.com/


SubtypeFor Sales teams


Active inFrance

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HubertReynierFounded in 2009, Visconti Partners is a go-to company for management coaching. Their 28 coaches are all former company directors and support over 300 clients per year, of which two thirds are SMEs. Hubert Reynier, Partner at Visconti, has been highly recommended by several of our portfolio companies.

• Monthly support package which either party can cancel at any time• Clients are guided through any kind of challenge, including fundraisings, structural

reorganisation or even selling the company • Monthly package includes access to close support and a database of best practices• Visconti can put clients into contact with experts if necessary

https://visconti.partners/



Active inBelgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, UK

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Part

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FactoryFactory helps startups with 25-1000 FTEs find a new office in Paris. They help negotiate the lease and its terms conditions, and accompany clients every step of the way until the signature of the lease. Factory also takes care of design once the office has been found, including the branding of the space.

• Proven track-record of success with startups• Comprehensive offer with research, design and build• Committed to helping startups grow the DNA of the company

https://www.factory.fr/


SubtypeFind an office - Interior Design


Active inFrance

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Paris unlimited by JLL

Part of JLL, Paris Unlimited helps startups find and decorate offices in Paris. They work for any size of startup and help clients throughout all stages of the transaction. Their expertise on financial, technical and legal aspects ensures clients get the best conditions. Paris Unlimited strives to shorten the office hunting process, notably by providing their clients access to an immersive room where they can virtually visit offices before physically visit only their favorites.

• As JLL is well-known for sourcing offices for large companies, startups will benefit from their experience and vast network of real estate providers

• Experience working with some of the best French scaleups.• Unique pricing model, which is not a % of the first year annual rent, but a fixed rate

function of the number of employees relocated

https://www.jll.fr/fr/campaign/paris-unlimited


SubtypeFind an office - Interior design


Active inFrance, Netherlands, Spain, UK

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SpliitSpliit was founded in 2019 by experienced real estate professionals. They find offices in Paris for startups of any size and have partnerships with coworking spaces for smaller startups. If necessary, Spliit will also find a replacement tenant for the lease at no extra cost. With regards to interior office design, they have a network of quality service providers they can recommend to their clients.

• Very competitive pricing compared to the market average with full support throughout the process

• Spliit will find a replacement tenant at no extra cost• Seasoned real estate professionals, able to advise on the best office size depending on

the startup’s speed of growth

https://www.spliit.fr/


SubtypeFind an office


Active inFrance

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Officy.IOchanger la description: Officy is the reference in Office Management services (part time office management & tasks automation), operating in Paris area. They have a team of approx. 25 Office Managers and Automation Coaches helping their clients deal with, digitalize and automate accounting, HR, sales administration, general administrative tasks, facility management and office purchases. The majority of Officy’s client are startups and scaleups with 10 to 200 employees looking to grow quickly and undergo rapid transformation. Their staff are familiar with startups’ needs and adapt their services to each client.

• High reactivity and flexible services• Recognized know how’s and professionalism• Ability to provide solutions to (almost) any problem regarding Admin

http://officy.io/


Funding stageAny

Active inFrance

117, avenue des Champs-Elysees, 75008 Paris - France+33 (0) 1 58 18 56 56 - www.idinvest.comS.A à directoire et Conseil de Surveillance RCS Paris B 414 735 175SG agreee par l’AMF n°97-123

Création Graphique : Kévin Firmin

idinvest partners · 2 idinvest partners is one of the most active venture capital firms in europe,...

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