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One of Relogate’s recent success stories is securing the French Projet Innovant startup visa for Vladimir Nikandrov and Ekaterina Kuzina, who are set to launch an innovative app in Paris. Over two months of intense preparation, we transformed our clients’ creative ideas into a convincing business concept, gaining approval from an accelerator and the French Ministry of Economy.
Vladimir and Ekaterina aimed to develop a habit-tracking app for professionals in creative industries, such as producers, screenwriters, fashion photographers, fashion designers, and magazine editors. The creative sector is known for its irregular work hours, frequent high-priority assignments, intense psychological stress, and the imperative of achieving maximal outcomes within tight time constraints. Their app is crafted to fight potential burnout among these creative professionals.
- B2C: Creative industry professionals.
- B2B: HR departments to monitor employees' psychological condition, provide timely support, and enhance overall team well-being and productivity.
Vladimir's experience in the creative sector and marketing, coupled with Ekaterina's background as a psychologist, laid a strong foundation for their startup venture.
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Our clients chose the French startup visa because they saw great potential for their project in France. Neither Finland nor Greece, where the founders already had residency permits, were the primary markets for launching their startup, even though Finland’s startup visa allowed them to establish a company within the EU.
France was the main target market for their habit-tracking app due to its highly developed creative industries — beauty, fashion, glossy magazines, branding, and clothing design. They were confident that most of their potential users were based in France. Therefore, Paris was seen as the ideal location for developing their business and engaging with their target audience.
Preparing the business plan took about two months of meticulous work. Initially, the founders had launched a similar business in Finland as an educational platform with pre-recorded courses, but this product was not particularly innovative for the oversaturated French market.
We had to rework the concept, focusing on the habit-tracking feature. We emphasized the necessity of this solution specifically for France’s creative industries, detailing how it would help combat professional burnout and other specific issues in this field.
A significant innovation was adding B2B features for HR departments, expanding the target audience. We assessed the business's potential in the French market and crafted a development roadmap outlining strategies to attract investments.
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Our extensive experience with startups allowed us to study typical questions, interview structures in various accelerators, and the personal preferences of different assessors. After each interview, we gathered detailed feedback from our clients, building a comprehensive knowledge base.
With our clients, we conduct mock interviews lasting from one to one and a half hours — much longer than the usual 15-20 minute accelerator meetings, which often run multiple startups through the process in an hour. We fully simulate interviews in French or English. Assessors generally discuss the project itself, so clients need to be ready for a pitch presentation. Sometimes, the conversation is more about the founders’ backgrounds, why they chose France and this particular niche, their confidence in their success, and their future plans.
With Vladimir and Ekaterina, we conducted mock interviews in English — they felt more confident speaking English, which was not an issue for the accelerator. Beyond practicing their responses, this helped them feel more confident overall and realize that the process was not as daunting as it seemed.
We submitted applications to three accelerators, and one invited Vladimir and Ekaterina for an interview within two days. Thanks to our thorough preparation, including mock interviews, they were far more equipped than the interview required. During the interview, the two accelerator representatives focused mainly on the founders' backgrounds, business experience, and education. The project idea, including the details of their current business and the prepared presentation, was exhaustive as they had already reviewed it.
One week after successfully finishing the interview, Vladimir and Ekaterina's startup secured a spot in the upcoming acceleration program scheduled to kick off in June. Following the accelerator's approval, we promptly submitted documents to DRIEETS, a division of the French Ministry of Economy, and obtained approval for a startup visa within a week — an impressively swift process.
Ekaterina has already submitted her visa D application at the Greek consulate, as her residency permit is expiring. Vladimir will apply at the Finnish consulate in a couple of weeks. After receiving their visas, they will move to Paris and undergo the six-month acceleration program. During this phase, we will assist them in securing funding — either attracting an investor or obtaining a grant for further project development.
Securing a startup visa involves having an entrepreneurial idea and launching a business. Yet, this does not prevent the option that the startup may not succeed. By nature, startups entail risks, with approximately 90% failing to evolve into established businesses. And there is nothing wrong with that — even if the startup does not launch, both the attempt and the business concept contribute to securing the visa. The duration of stay in the country under these conditions is considered in determining eligibility for permanent residency or citizenship.
Therefore, a failed startup does not pose a barrier. One can still legally remain in the country and transition to a different visa category, such as work, student, or even embark on a new startup venture. This visa offers flexibility in immigration strategy, empowering entrepreneurs to adjust to evolving circumstances and develop long-term plans aligned with their personal and professional needs.
A startup visa opens numerous opportunities for those looking to develop their business in France, the UK, the USA, or other countries. At Relogate, we have extensive experience supporting innovative projects and securing startup visas.
Trust the professionals — book a consultation with Relogate today and start your journey to a successful startup!
