The Fortunes of Benjamin Chemla: A Journey through the World of Investment
Journey of Benjamin Chemla:
Benjamin Chemla is a French entrepreneur and investor. He's
known for starting businesses and supporting new ventures. Right now, he's
leading a company called Shares, which helps people invest in Europe.
Benjamin Chemla is the co-founder and CEO of Shares. As CEO,
he's responsible for leading the company. This means he makes important
decisions about its direction and strategy. Benjamin Chemla has had a journey
as an entrepreneur. He's been involved in various projects and startups, using
his skills and experience to bring new ideas to life. In addition to running
his own company, Benjamin Chemla is also a business angel. This means he
invests in other businesses and helps them grow. His support can be crucial for
startups looking to succeed.
Benjamin Chemla's Academic and Professional Journey
Educational Pursuits
In 2010, Benjamin Chemla earned his first master's degree in
business law from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. Following this,
he pursued a second master's degree in business law with a specialization in
e-commerce and the digital economy in the subsequent year.
Entrepreneurial Focus
In 2012, Chemla pursued his interest in entrepreneurship by
obtaining a specialized master's degree from ESCP Business School.
Concurrently, he gained admission to the Paris Bar School, signaling a pivotal phase
in his legal career.
Legal Credentials and Philanthropic Endeavors
Continuing his professional journey, in 2013, Chemla
completed the Certificat d’aptitude à la profession d’avocat (CAPA) at the
Paris Bar School, thereby securing his qualifications to practice law. Beyond
his academic and professional endeavors, Chemla actively serves as an
Ambassador of Epic Foundation and Institut Curie, underscoring his dedication
to philanthropy and social responsibility.
Benjamin Chemla's Journey: From Aspiring Lawyer to
Entrepreneur
Benjamin Chemla's career trajectory took a significant turn within just two hours of starting his first job, solidifying his aspiration to become an entrepreneur. Driven by an early desire to pursue a career in law, Chemla enrolled at Sorbonne at the age of 18, where his passion for advocacy and public speaking flourished.
However, the realities of a career in business law failed to meet Chemla's expectations, leading to disillusionment with the impersonal nature of the corporate environment. On his first day at a business law firm after seven years of legal studies, Chemla's dissatisfaction reached a tipping point, prompting him to make the bold decision to leave the company at noon, marking the end of his brief venture into traditional legal practice.
Despite this setback, Chemla's departure from the corporate
world served as a catalyst for his entrepreneurial journey, reaffirming his
determination to pursue a career path where he could directly engage with
clients and make a meaningful impact.
The Early Days of Entrepreneurship: Challenges and Triumphs
Benjamin Chemla embarked on his entrepreneurial journey at
the age of 23, armed with a plethora of startup ideas in a time when
entrepreneurship wasn't as widely embraced as it is today.
Initially met with skepticism from friends and family, who mistook his entrepreneurial spirit for unemployment, Chemla persevered, immersing himself in the startup life for 18 months. Operating from an office in the basement of his business school, Chemla and his team navigated the challenges of startup life, paying a nominal fee of €100 a month until they secured their first round of funding.
With an initial investment of €400,000, Chemla recalls the
painstaking process of convincing investors, often making calls for as little
as €5,000, tirelessly selling his story and vision. Despite facing rejections,
his unwavering determination led to triumph, with one investor ultimately
coming on board after a persuasive follow-up.
For Chemla, success in entrepreneurship transcends monetary
gains; it's about bringing people into your vision and fostering meaningful
connections with investors and staff. This journey of connection and persuasion
has been a constant for Chemla, reinforcing the importance of both selling
ideas and negotiating deals with caution.
The Fortunes of Benjamin Chemla: A Journey through the World of Investment
Entrepreneurial Ventures of Benjamin Chemla
Launching Citycake
In January 2012, Benjamin Chemla co-founded Citycake, an
online delivery business based in Paris, alongside Ralph Guyot-Jeannin, an ESCP
Business School graduate.
Funding and Expansion
In 2013, Citycake secured funding from Investessor, a
network of business angels, enabling the startup to grow its team and
strengthen its financial position.
Acquisition by Resto-In
In 2014, Resto-In acquired Citycake, leading to Benjamin
Chemla's appointment to oversee Resto-In's operations in France and Belgium.
The Emergence of Stuart
In January 2015, Benjamin Chemla and Clément Benoît launched
Stuart, a leading European last-mile B2B delivery platform.
Rapid Growth and Investment
Within four months of its launch, Stuart raised 22 million
euros in funding, facilitating its expansion into multiple countries and the
recruitment of new personnel.
The idea was to create a safe environment and strict
community guidelines have been implemented. Any profile on Shares has to be
validated and fake profiles are impossible. Portfolios are monitored if someone
is promoting a decision and the concept will protect users from fake
information and news.
We have communities around discussions and interests. Our
first was based on female CEOs and founders where we had a lot of traction.
It’s about how you present yourself to the world and these are just the seeds
before the magic happens, while having Venus and Serena Williams as
shareholders and the faces of the company says a lot about what we are trying
to achieve.
Like any startup, it’s like a wild animal in the first few
years. You know where it starts but not where it ends. It evolves over time and
I’d like to say that Shares will never finish as a product. We are adding
assets all the time. We started with US stocks, but already we are working on
NFTs, Cryptos and European stocks
Transition and New
Ventures
In 2017, Geopost, a subsidiary of La Poste, acquired Stuart,
prompting the departure of its founders after a brief transition period.
Following this, Benjamin Chemla and Clément relocated to the United States.
Establishment of Fithouse
Later in 2017, Benjamin Chemla and Clément embarked on a new
venture in the US, founding Fithouse, a chain of gyms based in New York.
Despite initial success, the business ceased operations by the end of 2020 due
to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Creation of Shares
In April 2021, Benjamin Chemla, along with partners Harjas
Singh and François Ruty, established Shares, an online investment platform
aimed at providing accessible investment opportunities.
Initial Funding and Launch
In August 2021, Shares secured a $10 million seed round of
funding before officially launching its product. The platform quickly gained
traction and garnered significant attention from investors.
Rapid Growth and Expansion
Within a short span, Shares successfully raised $40 million
in Series A funding, followed by an equal amount in Series B funding. The
platform expanded its operations, launching in the UK during the summer of 2022
and subsequently entering the French market in July 2023.
Benjamin Chemla: A Visionary Entrepreneur Leading Shares.io
Benjamin Chemla, a Parisian entrepreneur, serves as the CEO
and co-founder of Shares, Europe's pioneering 'social-trading' app. Since its
launch in the UK, Shares has rapidly garnered over 250,000 users. Recently,
Shares secured an additional $40 million in funding as part of its Series B
raise, bringing the total investment to $90 million in just 14 months. This
impressive feat was led by Valar Ventures, the venture capital firm founded by
Peter Thiel.
Prior to his role at Shares, Chemla demonstrated his entrepreneurial
prowess by launching Stuart in 2015, an on-demand delivery platform. Stuart
raised €22 million even before its official launch and later saw acquisition by
La Poste. Under Chemla's leadership, Stuart expanded its operations to over 100
cities, employing over 900 individuals.
Benjamin Chemla's Investment Ventures
- In 2016, Benjamin Chemla initiated investments across diverse sectors, including transportation, entertainment, and e-commerce. His portfolio encompassed Everoad (later acquired by Sennder), Cultur'In The City (acquired by Wonderbox), Virtuo, Molotov TV (acquired by FuboTV), and Epicery (later acquired by Stuart).
- Expanding his investment horizon in 2017, Chemla diversified his portfolio by backing emerging startups such as PayLead, Hugging Face, Whoz, Relationship Hero, and Cosmo Connected.
- In 2018, Benjamin Chemla further broadened his investment portfolio with the addition of Fumé, indicating his sustained interest in supporting innovative ventures.
- The year 2021 witnessed Benjamin Chemla's continued commitment to investment, with contributions to Pokmi, Timeleft, Pallas Paris, P00LS, and PaySika, reflecting his strategic diversification across various sectors.
- In 2022, Benjamin Chemla persisted in his investment activities, demonstrating support for promising startups like Kinetix, Delta Business School, Origins Fund, Pixmania, Flowdesk, Gekko, MetaFight, and Formance, underscoring his dedication to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.
Benjamin Chemla: A Visionary Entrepreneur
Benjamin Chemla has a rich history of building and leading
successful teams and companies, spanning over a decade, across Europe and the
United States.
As a French serial entrepreneur and certified business
angel, Benjamin's expertise lies in business law, providing him with a strong
foundation for navigating complex regulatory landscapes. He demonstrated this
skill with the launch of Stuart, an on-demand delivery platform, at the onset
of the gig economy's rise. Stuart raised €22M before its launch and was later
acquired by La Poste, expanding its operations to over 120 cities with a workforce
of over 750 employees.
At Shares.io, Benjamin is once again at the forefront of
innovation, spearheading a transformative community-based service. With a
talented and determined team, he is pushing boundaries to realize a new vision.
Shares.io has secured $90M in funding from notable investors such as Valar
Ventures (led by Peter Thiel), Singular, Global Founders Capital, and Red Sea
Ventures.
Benjamin Chemla's Insights on Leadership and
Entrepreneurship
Benjamin Chemla emphasizes the importance of hiring the
right people and learning from them, whether they are superiors or direct
employees. Despite his knack for making swift decisions, he acknowledges the
value of continuous learning and listening from individuals who possess greater
expertise.
At Shares, Chemla has assembled a team comprising
professionals from esteemed companies such as Revolut, Monzo, and Bumble, each
contributing significant expertise to the venture.
Reflecting on two distinct types of founders, Chemla aligns
himself with the latter category—those driven to innovate and solve problems
across various industries. His entrepreneurial journey has seen him traverse
diverse sectors, from logistics to fitness, with Shares representing his vision
for the future of finance.
Despite initial skepticism from investor friends regarding
Shares, Chemla's conviction ultimately led to their involvement in the venture.
He underscores the long and unpredictable nature of entrepreneurship,
emphasizing the centrality of people in the journey. While setbacks and
failures are inevitable, Chemla advocates for decisive decision-making, prudent
investment in people, and the willingness to pivot when necessary, embodying
his key learnings from years of entrepreneurial experience.
