It’s always Day 1.
Today, 10 years after I started in venture, I’m joining force with Emmanuel Seugé as we build the next chapter of CASSIUS together.
Let me rewind. In 2015, Xavier Niel offered me the unique opportunity to join his venture capital arm. Shortly after, Alexis Robert joined us, and together we grew KIMA under a simple idea: every year, be the first check for 100 founders launching their startup. With the KIMA team we created a fast and straightforward discipline to investing cultivating trust, hard work and curiosity. Alexis, Chloé and I will continue to operate that way in the future.
To founders, we’re allies.
We have invested in more than 1,000 companies, a third of them based in the US, writing small checks ranging from $100K to $200K, alongside a select few larger commitments in the millions for founders we couldn’t resist supporting further. Companies like Zenly (sold to Snap), Payfit, IBanFirst, Alan, Side (sold to Randstad), Nabla, DICE, Doctrine (sold to Summit Partners), Sourced (which later became Poolside), and MWM, among others.
In 2021, we continued this momentum with a fund called New Wave, welcoming for the first time new investors alongside us. Over just four years, we invested in another 20 startups, including BeReal (sold to Voodoo), Lago, Mistral, Amo, and Sweep.
If the past 10 years in venture have taught me one thing, it is the importance of building with the right partners; those you respect deeply, who inspire shared values and offer complementary strengths. Much like the partnership built with Xavier or the one forged with Alexis Robert at Kima Ventures.
After years of working alongside Emmanuel Seugé, investing in his previous CASSIUS funds, sharing board seats, navigating the ups and downs, and exchanging our thoughts about the world of venture and how to win, the idea of partnering together felt inevitable. We were ready to join forces and build something that stands the test of time.
Together, we’re building on the foundation of the past decade and our shared experiences, doubling down on our commitment to founders who inspire us. Deploying together Cassius 3 marks the beginning of this new chapter, with Cassius 4 already on the horizon.
Emmanuel and I share love for European founders with a global ambition. CASSIUS was an early investor in Sorare, Brut, Kings’ League, Dice or MWM to name a few. All companies started in Europe by entrepreneurs with a global ambition.
As a US based fund ran by Europeans, we will continue to back those founders who draw from the strengths of both worlds. Those who combine Europe’s creativity, ingenuity, and diversity with the US’s unmatched ambition and scale. We will continue to help them navigate this journey, bridging continents, breaking barriers, and empowering them to dream bigger, aim higher, and win globally.
Here’s to this next chapter.
To the founders we’re supporting with KIMA and CASSIUS, thank you for trusting us with your dreams. To the friends and partners who’ve walked alongside us, we’re grateful for your belief in what we’re building. And to everyone who shares this journey with us, we’re just getting started.
It’s always Day 1.