Operating Partner: winning duo for startups and VCs

OPERATING PARTNERS: WHAT?

Alongside investors (VC, Family Office, Corporates, etc.), Operating Partners, etc.), Operating Partners are resources that intervene to help the founders of startups or SMEs to develop. What characterizes them?

Their particularity lies in the fact that these resources benefit both from entrepreneurial experiences (ex-CEO, Co-founder, COO, or even CFO) on the one hand, and from an Ability to Support (Full Time or Part Time) The Managers of a Company With a Strong Operational Dimension : they immerse themselves in the company, in its daily life to understand it well and support the managers over a period of 6 to 18 months with a focus on indicators that measure the results.

In general, investors use operating partners in three main situations:

• In case of difficulties: These experienced entrepreneurs help leaders ask the right questions, make choices, imagine rebound/pivot scenarios, but do not stop there. Operating Partners work alongside managers to support them in the implementation of operational and organizational solutions,
• In the event of growth/hyper-growth: When the potential of a startup is proven, investors and founders shift into high gear. An often critical phase for organizations. To do this, the VC or CVC or Family Office are increasingly calling on partners who work together with investors and founders to help them manage and structure the growth phases (go-to-market, organization, process, process, technological choices, internationalization... ),
• In the event of a specific operational need: It may happen that an SME or a startup needs very specific expertise to help it take a step forward, for example to accelerate internationally, to succeed in an M&A (post-integration), to take a Data turn... in this case, the operating partner has a very targeted approach to succeed in a key challenge for the company.

In the two cases above (pivot and traction), the Operating Partners intervene in the long term to Maximize the chances of success of these critical phases . This practice is widespread in the United States (Cf. Wikipedia ), Asia, Israel, etc. areas in which investors are used to work in synergy with Operating Partners either upstream of an investment (due diligence), or downstream (monitoring and growth).

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1ST DIGITAL OPERATING PARTNERS NETWORK

We have brought together entrepreneurs and talents who have contributed to the success of the most beautiful French startups (ex: Doctolib, Zendesk, Spendesk, iAdvize, Unowhy, Wengo, SimpliField...): they are able to support you from strategy to 'execution.