I’d had this post in mind for a while, because I keep meeting more and more married couples who start businesses together or who are both entrepreneurs.
We all know how hard it is to find a business partner, and the trouble with shareholder agreements and not making everything clear at the start by signing an agreement. Since you already signed a contract with your wife or husband when you got married, till death do you part… why not start a business with him or her?
Let’s look at some successful entrepreneurial couples I know first-hand:
Seb Chartier and Candice Laporte
I think they were the first I met, when they were both running Capital & Corporate, much more than the best directory of companies in the private investment sector. As well as the printed guide, they went on to organise powerful events with the biggest private investors in Spain.
After selling the company to IFAES they decided to keep on being entrepreneurs and launched the “salón Mi Empresa”. I had the privilege of being one of the first to get to know the event, and I was also one of the first exhibitors and speakers. I admire how the two of them, plus a few more people on their team, organise the biggest event for entrepreneurs and SMEs, with more than 10,000 attendees and 3 editions. They like writing and have their blog on CincoDías.
I like this duo for how hard-working they both are, the good image they project, their reliability and their tremendous ability to bring together influential people from the worlds of entrepreneurship, big business and investment. Chapeau!! They’re French, after all 😉
François Derbaix and Marta Esteve
I met François and Marta thanks to Seb and Candice at their event. I had heard them speak at an Iniciador before, and afterwards I was able to see them in action thanks to hosting Seed Rocket at my place, the garAJE, where they have both been mentors and speakers.
François launched Top Rural a little over 12 years ago, and his wife Marta was on his team as co-founder. There’s no doubt about the success of the company, which he sold recently. Then came Rentalia, where Marta is the founder and François the co-founder. Once again a successful company with strong growth, leader in holiday home rentals, which Idealista decided to buy.
Having both sold their companies, they decided, as well as investing in other startups, to launch a new project that I love in every way, its image, its tone of voice and because it helps us make shopping easier: “Soy super”. I predict success for them once again.
François and Marta are two approachable businesspeople; they get out and about and are always willing to help other entrepreneurs. I highly recommend François’s blog, where he writes mainly about where he invests and gives advice for startups.
Francisco Carrero and Ana Molleda
Francisco is the CEO of Brainsins, a company I’ve known since it took its first steps; true experts in e-commerce.
Before that he launched other startups such as Wipley and BiteCode, so he’s already a serial entrepreneur. He also has teaching experience as a lecturer at the UEM, where he studied, and he now supports a good number of projects.
I met Ana at AJE Madrid thanks to her project 5 Mimitos, a project that a good part of the team loved. As you’d expect, since Ana’s project is in e-commerce, it’s a BrainSINS client, so everything stays in the family.
Francisco and Ana are two stars with tremendous previous experience in technology companies, so they’re bound to do well as entrepreneurs in this sector. They’re also really nice people and crazy about their children.
In another post we’ll keep meeting more entrepreneurial duos.
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