Exec Avenue assists innovative companies with their recruitment strategy.
A key factor for success!
Integrating the HR strategy from the very start of an entrepreneurial project
France is a breeding ground for entrepreneurs whose projects are often at the cutting edge of innovation. Nevertheless, a project does not simply have to be good to see the light of day. The initial phase of financing is essential to ensuring that these innovative projects are consistent with a strategy of creating wealth and employment.
Exec Avenue assists investment funds in evaluating the management teams of growth companies. In the process of making investment decisions, besides the technological aspects, all the elements of the corporate strategy must be clearly defined and human resources play a key role. In fact, surrounding yourself with good people right from the outset and continuing to recruit throughout the company’s development is crucial to ensuring long-term growth.
It was in order to bring her expertise in the field of recruitment to the initial phase of innovative business projects that Anita Pouplard, an Exec Avenue partner, became involved with the ‘Financing Chain’ working group of the Venture Commission of the French Association of Capital Investors (AFIC).
Along with the experts representing the AFIC professions: Business Angels, Venture Capital, M&A, HR and Public Financing Consultancy, Exec Avenue is helping candidate companies to obtain the label from the ‘Financing Chain’ working group of the AFIC Venture Commission.
The ‘Entreprises Innovantes des Pôles’ label was awarded to three businesses at ‘Ambition PME’ day on 16 November 2010. The projects of 23 companies were presented in the form of ‘elevator pitches’ to the System@tic investors club which has more than 40 members. Among the three winners who will now be supported in their fund-raising processes were two of the four companies being assisted by the ‘Financing Chain’ working group of the AFIC Venture Commission who took 2nd and 3rd place.
Building on the success of this experience, the commission now wishes to explore the possibility of using this initiative for other competitiveness clusters and larger-scale innovative projects.
Anita Pouplard says, “The relevance of this combination of complementary expertise like management assessment in order to assist innovative businesses with raising funds, has been clearly demonstrated. It has also become essential to combine the HR strategy and business project right from the very start. Careful and thorough evaluation of the executive team highlights the management’s strengths and weaknesses in terms of implementing the strategy. Extending this principle of support should boost the emergence of innovative French companies and enable effective economic development in the new technologies sector.”
