Valued at €9 billion in 2022 by Ernst & Young, the French corporate seminar industry continues to experience significant growth, growing at over 30% per year. This surge is largely attributed to the increased adoption of remote work, wherein companies are focusing more on seminars for specific teams rather than entire organisations, leading to more personalised and impactful team-building activities.
Expansion plans ahead
This is where the French startup Naboo offers an alternative to the growing needs for simplicity and transparency. The company has developed a unique platform that allows companies to book a complete seminar with a single click at a clear, no-surprise price.
Today, Naboo has raised €7.5 million in funding from ISAI, Kima Ventures that backed Kosmik and Stockoss, Better Angle, and its historical partners CapHorn and Maif Avenir. The startup will deploy the investment towards enhancing the platform’s features, particularly integrating artificial intelligence components, and expanding its reach throughout Europe.
While the Naboo app is currently accessible in France, TFN has learnt that they plan to expand their footprint to Belgium in Q2 this year and step into the UK in the Q4.
“Before I came across Naboo, I couldn’t imagine how you could book a seminar so smoothly and swiftly, whether it’s for 15 or 80 people. But it’s not just about making reservations; Naboo has been a game changer in simplifying the whole seminar planning and execution process for us. Now, Naboo is now our go-to for organising seminars at ManoMano,” said Arthur Latournerie, Workplace & Event Lead of ManoMano.
One-stop-shop for companies
Naboo is touted to be the first instant booking platform dedicated to organising corporate seminars. It enables the booking of complete seminars with just one click, choosing from its network of 3000 partners, all audited and certified by the Naboo team.
Similar to what Airbnb and Booking.com brought to the B2B travel industry, Naboo’s platform allows companies to book a complete seminar with a single click at a transparent price. It is sustainable and cost effective as it lets them book seminars for specific teams. Besides seminars, Naboo allows users to book catering, activities and transportation.
Interested companies can select the venue, catering, activities, and transportation from a collection of offerings of over 2,500 locations and 500 partners.
This lets organisers to easily compare and book seminars, significantly reducing the time and effort involved in the process. Leveraging the power of data and AI, Naboo is set to disrupt the industry by enabling customisation.
It works with largest French and international companies as well as scaleups, including EDF, Payfit, Google, Chanel, Ikea, KPMG, Airbus, BCG.
“We’re thrilled about the journey we’ve had since Naboo’s inception: over half of the CAC 40 companies have already turned to us for their seminars. What astonishes us the most is how quickly Naboo catches on among its clients once a team books a seminar. What really draws them in is the combination of ultra-customisation and the immediacy of booking, an experience that we alone offer today. They’ve never encountered anything like it, turning them into our most vocal advocates. This significant edge is made possible by AI and data, areas where we’ve decided to invest heavily with this funding round, said Maxime Eduardo, Co-founder and CEO of Naboo.
How did the founders meet?
Naboo was founded in 2022 by Maxime Eduardo, Antoine Servant, Lucien Bredin, and Jean-Louis Villeminot. Maxime graduated from CentraleSupelec and Columbia University NYC. He then started his career as a consultant at Oliver Wyman, where he met Antoine Servant (COO).
Antoine graduated from HEC and started his career at Oliver Wyman where he met Maximen, and stayed there for 10 years. Lucien Bredin, CMO, in charge of Marketing and Product, graduated from CELSA and has spent the past 10 years building startups with Jean-Louis, the CTO. In charge of Tech Data and AI. JL graduated from CentraleSupelec where he met Maxime, and then from ESCP.
Currently, Naboo has a team of 60 wherein there are 30 women.
Competition
Naboo has a slew of competitors, including – Kactus, CVent, and Teamout.io. However, the company sets itself apart as it offers all-inclusive platform for users to book other services.
In addition, TFN has learnt that the aforementioned rivals do not provide instant availability nor pricing, so it takes 2-3 days to get quotes. Naboo, on the other hand, provides instant booking facilities.
