The OùFormer start-up founded by a KEDGE graduate, in...
From student Pro-Act to real company - these three Kedgers have launched Kozyvisit, a project developed at KEDGE
Kozyvisit is designed to simplify remote accommodation viewings. Anne-Sophie, Luc, and Martin tell us about their entrepreneurial adventure, which began while they were doing a student Pro-Act at KEDGE and then developed at KEDGE’s Business Nursery.
To begin, tell us about your educational background. What did you study, both before and at KEDGE?
Anne-Sophie got a STAPS degree (Faculty of Sports Science) in Strasbourg. While there, she worked as a Student Brand Manager at RedBull, and also served as President of the Student Council. Those experiences made her want to specialise in sports management. It made sense to earn a master from a business school and so she enrolled at KEDGE Bordeaux to continue her studies.
As for Luc and Martin, they met while they were working on their respective bachelor degrees at Sup de Co La Rochelle and quickly became friends. They also decided to further their education and enrolled in KEDGE’s Grande Ecole Programme in Bordeaux.
It was during their time at KEDGE Bordeaux that they met Anne-Sophie in a digital marketing course and became friends. She invited them to join the Pro-Act group she was in, which is where their entrepreneurial adventure began.
Tell us about your project
Kozyvisit is an innovative platform designed to simplify remote housing viewings. Economical, ecologically sound, and socially responsible, their solution lets people outsource their apartment viewings to a local “Kovisitor” in just one click. A Kovisitor is someone trained in conducting remote viewings, who then provides a fully detailed report complete with photos and videos to the future tenant! Thus, unnecessary travel is avoided and carbon emissions are limited.
Our goal is to offer an innovative solution that helps everyone, and importantly our planet. Last August, we held a crowdfunding campaign on Ulule, and our goal was surpassed (118%) in 30 days! The funds raised allowed us to finish developing the platform’s beta phase and to start conducting the first viewings in France.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT DISCOVER KOZYVISIT ON INSTAGRAM
What are your plans for future development?
We will start the development of the mobile application that will be used by Kovisitors to further facilitate viewings and offer the same quality of service to each of our customers. We are also preparing to raise funds for the expansion of our product to B2B. We are currently working on its MVP (minimum viable product) but we will need funds to put it into place.
Has Kozyvisit received any awards or other types of recognition?
We started this project because of the entrepreneurship course we were taking. Then, we turned it into a Pro-Act which we called: " Mon Super Concierge " at that time. Pro-Acts gives students the chance to learn professional project management methods. Because of the enthusiastic response from lots of people, we entered in the “Lauréat Trophée des Pro Act KEDGE” competition and won the jury's favourite award in the entrepreneurship category in 2019. A special mention to Manon, Mya, and Pierre who were our classmates during this pro-act and who also worked very hard.
After two more years of professional experience and more focused development, Kozyvisit was featured in several media articles, notably in L'Echos Ile de France: "Kozyvisit réinvente la visite de logement à distance" (Kozyvisit reinvents remote apartment viewings). It was also featured in Lianapresse: "Kozyvisit, la nouvelle solution de visite d’appartement à distance" (Kozyvisit, the new solution for viewing apartments remotely), and on the website, 360Degré: "La recherche d’appartement en mode Zen (Kozyvisit: Searching for an apartment in Zen mode".
How did the education you got at KEDGE Business School and the support you received from the KEDGE Business Nursery help you become who you are today, and how did its teachings help you develop your Pro-Act project?
KEDGE's curriculum encourages entrepreneurship through its courses and its very well developed student associations. The many situations and practical cases we dealt with during our courses allowed us to develop our business skills.
The Pro-Act was the spark for us because it let us take a good idea that was still a bit academic and turn it into a professional business. We were able to perfect our idea, and sharpen our vision and objectives so we could respond to actual situations and provide expert service adapted and tailored to the needs of our clients.
A project incubated at the KEDGE Business Nursery
Kosyvisit, the innovative startup created by three Kedgers, was incubated at the Business Nursery, KEDGE Business School's incubator. Created in 2012, the Business Nursery offers a range of services to help entrepreneurs create a start-up in 6 months, with the possibility of renewal.
The incubator also gives them the opportunity to test their product/service against the reality of the market by putting them in contact with KEDGE's partner companies. It also facilitates access to financing during the seed phase of their project via our institutional and corporate partners (France Initiative, BPI France, Crowdfunding...).
Start-ups also receive support from experts in various fields such as law, marketing, finance, etc. Finally, the Business Nursery offers its participants a number of workshops and conferences each week, led by experts or successful entrepreneurs.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE BUSINESS NURSERY
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