To revolutionise digital exchanges and offer a social platform that respects users’ data, Thomas Fauré, a 2006 graduate of the École Centrale de Lille, founded Whaller in 2013. This free solution, made in France, offers thematic spheres according to the audience and aims not to impose advertising and not to index any content on Google. Whaller has 500,000 users to date. To continue its development, the company raised 2 million euros last June.
In the beginning, Whaller was supported by the Boloré Group, for R&D and software development, then Thomas bought his company in 2018 to be completely independent. He surrounded himself with shareholders to bring the company to a financial stability. Currently, 30 people are working on the platform with one technological pole and the other commercial development / marketing / communication. Thanks to the fundraising, Thomas hopes to recruit between 35 and 40 people.
The health crisis has helped the deployment of this social network; Whaller is aimed at all audiences but also at the following 3 types of organisations: institutions, companies in the strategic field and higher education (in France and abroad).
Thomas remembers his autonomous project during his engineering training, which allowed him to manage his project from A to Z with total independence. A formative experience that has projected him into the world of entrepreneurship: “Being self-employed is a state of mind,” explains Thomas. “There are many choices to make and things to learn. You have to surround yourself with the right people to seize all the opportunities and to consolidate your network.”