Aurore Thibaud, co-founder of Laou, in Limoges
“My driving force to create Laou? A form of revolt in the face of a double observation. On the one hand, people force themselves to live in large cities, convinced that they have no other option. On the other , many territories are losing inhabitants even though the quality of life there is good. I was also struck to see Ile-de-France residents crowding into cities such as Bordeaux or Lyon, which are also saturated! With my partner, we therefore wanted to help small and medium-sized towns like the one in which I grew up in Limoges and to open up the field of possibilities to the inhabitants of the Paris region. Hence the idea of a digital platform for Related.
I left Paris in 2017, two years after creating Laou. Until 2018, I commuted between Paris and Clermont-Ferrand, where I found an incubator that suited us. At the same time, in my personal life, I was also in search of authenticity and Clermont-Ferrand served as a transition for me to return to settle in Limousin, near my family.
I knew Limoges very well, but I had been away for fifteen years… And before settling Laou there, I wanted to be sure that all the conditions were met. At the time, French Tech Limousin was our guide, with a dynamic ecosystem conducive to our development. No one knows, but there is one of the most powerful business angel networks in France in this region! And here everything is easier. In Paris, I never managed to join the Public Investment Bank, whereas in Limoges, it was immediate. Limousin suffers from its image, which sometimes prevents the recruitment of certain profiles in the digital sector, at least for the moment.
At Laou, we know the territories we defend because we live and work there. Our action therefore has a very concrete impact: we have already helped 500 people to move to small or medium-sized towns. We consider each installation as a victory because it generates a better life for the family in question and a new economic dynamic on site! For me, the defenders of hyperurbanisation and the centralization of the economy have not understood the major issues of this century: the environment and the quality of life. Fortunately, more and more of us know that our future lies in dynamic cities, on a human scale, where real estate is attractive and access to nature is easy.”
Anaïs Prétot, co-creator of LiveMentor, in Aix-en-Provence
Anaïs Prétot, co-creator of LiveMentor, in Aix-en-Provence
© / PDS
“When I lived in Paris, reconciling professional and personal lives required military rigor. The first confinement was an opportunity to ask myself some substantive questions. After an internal survey, we moved to our office in Aix-en -Provence, with almost half of the workforce.Today, we have 400 square meters of premises between Aix and Marseille, and we are delighted: not only are they cheaper, but we have diversified our recruitment profiles. .
This does not prevent our development, on the contrary: last year, we raised funds of 11 million euros. The icing on the cake: we are also much more visible – an important issue for a young structure like ours, which is a digital support and training platform for business creators.
The development agency of the Aix-Marseille region has provided us with comprehensive assistance, from the schooling of the children to the search for housing. Institutions have an important role to play in the animation of the business network: things as simple as organizing a dinner with newcomers, it works! Decentralization is on the way and I have become an activist in spite of myself. It should be noted, however, that many regions still lack efficient public transport to decarbonize mobility. Here we are lucky to have the Marseille-Paris TGV, but we are more the exception than the rule. This must change!”