Xavier Niel is one of the investors supporting the development of OneFlash, a self-service portable battery solution.
This young French start-up, launched in 2019, announces a fundraising of 3 million euros.
Xavier Niel as an investor
This sum was collected from several investors, including Kima Ventures, an investment company specializing in supporting so-called early-stage companies. Kima Ventures was co-founded by a certain Xavier Niel, boss of Iliad (Free). Well-known business angels like Bernard Mourad, former banker of Patrick Drahi and co-founder of the media Loopsideror Julien Callede, co-founder of the furniture site Made.com, also got their hands on the wallet.
OneFlash is therefore an installation service for portable battery terminals in public spaces. Its customers include IKEA, Carrefour, Decathlon, Leroy Merlin, Boulanger, Casino supermarkets and Relay. The start-up has already made 400 terminals available, each with 6 to 48 batteries.
In China, this kind of service is already very popular, but has not yet taken hold here. OneFlash opts for a different economic model from its Chinese competitors, since it rents its terminals to other companies, and not directly to the end user who does not pay.
Businesses are convinced, but OneFlash wants to expand beyond
” It’s a win-win model for everyone, and OneFlash is the only one to have adopted it in this sector. “says Bernard Mourad, quoted by The echoes. But why would stores spend money to allow their customers to recharge their mobiles? Because it would increase the time spent in the store by 30%, and therefore the chances of selling products.
With this round of financing at 3 million euros, OneFlash aims to develop in Europe. The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany are the priority markets. The company would also like to convince establishments other than shops, such as cultural venues, hotels, amusement parks, hospitals… Stadiums are also in its sights as France hosts the FIFA World Cup in quick succession. rugby 2023 and the Olympic Games 2024.
Source : The echoes
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