Evaneos is a marketplace that connects travelers with local agencies, "for creating unique, authentic trips tailored to individual needs". The startup, founded in 2009, has raised a total of €100 million since its inception, including 70 million in 2018.
More than 600 agencies in 160 destinations and 500,000 clients have booked trips through its platform since its creation. Today, Evaneos has 170 employees, 80 of whom are in tech.
Eric La Bonnardière, co-founder and CEO, CentraleSupélec alumnus, shared comprehensive insights and valuable feedback with us after 15 years of entrepreneurial adventure.
Key discussion points for this meeting:
> Seed funding in the early 2010s, when sustainable tourism was less popular.
> The journey to achieve this Marketplace model.
> The Covid crisis as a catalyst for transforming the offering and strengthening the business model.
> Managing a network of partner agencies spread worldwide, in the midst of a pandemic
> Profitability in 2022, with a strengthened business model and new European markets in sight.
Excerpts from his talk:
"I consider us a travel tech company. We've provided digital tools for local tourism players."
"Regarding the Covid period, as early as January 2020, on an investor's advice, we spent a month working on a theoretical scenario of a total air traffic blackout."
"In the midst of the crisis, over 40% of Evaneos travelers agreed to postpone their trip within two years, rather than cancel it. This allowed us to preserve our cash flow as much as possible."
"Today, we are positioning ourselves in sustainable tourism with a more virtuous model. We have reduced the number of Evaneos partner agencies and integrated impact-related KPI tracking."
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