How did the start-up LiveMentor find opportunity in lockdown?

Now based in Aix, the start-up successfully relocates its offices and teams

Self-reinvention and adaptation are foundational principles at Live Mentor. France's pioneering educational technology start-up is always on the move, so of course it saw opportunity in lockdown. After successfully shifting its business model from a school clientele to an entrepreneurial target, the company eagerly embraced the change by inviting its employees to leave Paris and relocate to southern France.

Their offices are now housed in a co-working space in downtown Aix-en-Provence. Since September 2020, more than half the team has signed up for this new lifestyle. Provence Promotion assisted with their relocation and is also helping the company establish itself in the local economic ecosystem. Twelve full-time positions have already been filled with local applicants and more openings are expected in the near future.

With more than 13,000 learners, Live Mentor is one of the major players in the French EdTech landscape. When it launched in 2012, the start-up specialized in online school lessons, but then gravitated toward providing assistance with business creation, which has become its core mission.

Drawing on their own personal experiences, the two thirty-something founders, Anaïs Pretot and Alexandre Dana, created a comprehensive training program to help entrepreneurs hatch, grow and scale up their projects. The 100% online experience features mentoring from coaches who are subject matter experts on topics such as marketing, creating or acquiring a business, e-commerce and social media. Learners can interact with their mentor throughout the training, which means they have access to a vast community of entrepreneurs ‒ over 10,000 members ‒ for mutual assistance and network building.

Roadmap for a successful relocation

When the lockdown ended and the question of leaving Paris for a better of quality of life was raised, the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis and more specifically, Aix-en-Provence, was chosen. Looking back, everyone applauds the decision, from all points of view. Anaïs Pretot, co-founder and CEO of Live Mentor, explains,

"We were pleasantly surprised by the quality and depth of talent in the job market. Our offer stands out in this city which has a French Tech presence and a location just four hours from Paris by high-speed train, so we can go back whenever we like. It was easy to find apartments, especially for the younger team members who were accustomed to the tribulations of looking for housing in Paris. Plus they can enjoy a lifestyle that is beyond compare! The region is splendid and we can get to the office in 5 or 10 minutes, which is impossible in Paris."

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