Today is Startup Day. So once is not customary, we will use the opportunity of this day to talk about a startup that we like: ours, Aveine!
What is a startup?
But before getting to the heart of the matter, we will try to define what a startup is. The startup must be innovative, make use of new technology, and have strong potential for growth and speculation on its future value. What fundamentally differentiates it from a traditional company is its business model. Indeed, the innovative character of the startup forces it to go through a phase of experimentation of its market and its business model. A company is structured in such a way as to put into practice and optimize a business model that works, whereas a startup aims to find one. Once the business model becomes stable and profitable, it becomes a company like any other. Moreover, searching for financing and fundraising are (almost) mandatory steps in the life of a startup.
The startup Aveine
Well Aveine checks all the boxes of the startup! Indeed, the connected wine aerator is an innovative project, designed to democratize access to wine and to offer an intelligent object that allows to live the best possible tasting experience. To develop the aerator, it took two years of research and development, and several fundraisers to industrialize the final product.
The Aveine startup was born in July 2016, thanks to the personal investment of its founders, but also their entourage. The funds raised, and the help of the French innovation financing program, allowed, among other things, to hire the company’s first employee and to register the patents of the innovation. Aveine was supported, tested and validated by a sommelier, won numerous awards and was the subject of a large number of articles in the press!
The Aveine experience
The adventure started from a simple observation: there is no object on the market that can precisely aerate wine. And this step, a little mysterious and yet essential to appreciate your wine at its true value, is often overlooked. So what is the secret of wine aeration? How long does a wine need to breathe? Is it really necessary to decant the wine? And why not create a connected object that can aerate the wine?….
Thanks to the aerator and the application, the user will be able to focus on the tasting experience. With no waiting time constraints, he will have the guarantee that the aeration conditions are optimal and this instantly.
The corporate culture
Since its creation, Aveine has federated a community of wine lovers but also investors who have supported the company in its development, and above all a close-knit team.
“At Aveine we have a weekly meeting that cannot be missed! Every Thursday at 5pm, each division prepares a presentation in a few slides to show its work done and to come. In this way, each employee has a global vision of the project and its progress. It is also a privileged moment of communication awaited by all. Especially in this time when we are all working from home.”
Nicolas Naigeon – CEO Founder of Aveine
The startup mindset
Startup is also and above all a human adventure. You have to know how to adapt, change direction, believe in your project and surround yourself with a dynamic team. More than an open space with a a foosball table, what best represents the startup is the state of mind of the entrepreneurs and the teams. Before finding a profitable market, it is necessary to test and try out several models. And to know how to reinvent quickly. Besides, agility and flexibility are the key words in startup work!
