Back to basics in French Tech: this entrepreneur buys his startup from Engie

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It’s a beautiful story, the likes of which we rarely hear in French Tech. Entrepreneur Alexander Gushchin has announced the acquisition of MesDépanneurs, a startup he co-founded nine years ago when he was 23. Engie acquired it in 2017 for 10 million euros.

« A feeling of unfinished business »

The principle of the platform is simple. It connects individuals and craftsmen for all kinds of repairs, ranging from plumbing to locksmithing to electricity. Hence Engie's interest in a buyout 8 years ago now.

” In 2017, we started a fundraising campaign, which turned into a sale. It's hard to refuse such a check at 27 years old. But I have a feeling of unfinished business, the impression of not having given everything I had to give to this company “, confides Alexander Gushchin in an interview with Échos. The cost of this recovery has not been disclosed

« Today, at 34 years old, by buying the company I started and that I love so much, I come back more mature, with more experience and networks. I thank Engie with all my heart for having grown MesDépanneurs.fr. over the last few years as well as all those who made this deal possible. Now it is up to me to open Chapter III of the company's history and take it as far as possible alongside the teams », he wrote in a publication on LinkedIn.

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Strategic change

The new leader intends to review the company's business model. Rather than spending on advertising to attract individuals directly, it favours a more indirect approach: developing partnerships with professional players who are already in contact with end customers.

The idea is to partner with insurance companies, property managers or social landlords who will naturally offer MesDépanneurs services to their own customers when they need a repair. The startup, which has nearly 1,200 partner craftsmen, employs around fifty people.

The acquisition of MesDépanneurs by its co-founder is not an isolated case in the French startup ecosystem. We remember the journey of Withings, the pioneering company in connected health, acquired by its creator Eric Carreel after a stint at Nokia. While this takeover proved successful, other similar attempts have failed, such as that of Bertrand Fleurose who failed to take over the reins of Cityscoot, his self-service electric scooter company.

• Entrepreneur Alexander Gushchin is buying MesDépanneurs, a startup he co-founded nine years ago.
• In 2017, Engie acquired it for 10 million euros.
• A takeover that should be synonymous with strategic changes for the company, particularly to acquire new clients.

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