Two years after its creation by Astrid Parmentier, Pauline Faivre and Isabelle Pélissié du Rausas (who left the company in September 2020), Tom & Josette completes a first seed fundraising. This network of micro-crèches aims to establish itself in the places where the elderly live: EHPAD, independent residence, retirement home … The company has collected 1.3 million euros including 700,000 euros in capital and the rest in bank debts.
In addition to the 50 Partners accelerator, several entrepreneurs are participating in the roundtable. For the most part, they are part of the ecosystems to which the start-up is linked, such as Damien Tixier, president of Stories Invest, former founder of the Petit-Fils home help network and Quentin Romet, leader of Homunity (real estate crowdfunding). Charles Desaulle and Florent Mazas, founders of Crecheo, are also among the new partners.
A viable business model
Everyone was convinced by this concept of micro-crèches which benefits both children and the elderly and creates a bridge between generations. It must be said that the first results obtained by the young shoot tend to prove the viability of the model. The first two nurseries, located in Rennes and on the outskirts of Bordeaux, were full with a total of 23 children.
Between the head office and the educational staff, 14 permanent jobs were created for a annual turnover of 400,000 euros. The economic model has the merit of being simple. Contributions paid by parents or employers balance the fixed costs, made up of staff costs and the rent paid to the establishment for the elderly.
At the start, the bet was far from won: the three young entrepreneurs who had just finished their studies at HEC discovered the mysteries of old age and early childhood, sectors that are complex to understand and very supervised. The opening of a crèche must, for example, be the subject of an administrative authorization issued by the maternal and child protection services of the department concerned. Recruiting nursery nurses, a profession that is constantly in short supply, is also a real challenge. 4 professionals are needed to supervise the 10 children of the micro-crèche.
The Covid, both a retarder and an accelerator
To make matters worse, the Covid-19 crisis brought the first projects to a halt, which were therefore several months behind schedule. Proof that setting up nurseries in EHPADs was not easy, out of the 4 openings envisaged in 2021, only two were finally able to materialize.
“By dramatically accentuating the isolation of the elderly, the crisis has given the intergenerational solution a relief that it did not have before. Today, EHPADs and senior residences come to us, convinced of the validity of the device on the well-being of residents, ”says Astrid Parmentier, who is counting on eight openings during 2022. Tom & Josette has an ambitious roadmap: within 4 years, 100 new micro-crèches should be operational.
