Grégoire Vigroux is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor and philanthropist who co-founded and invested in over 20 businesses across Eastern Europe and had 4 exits so far.
His luckiest venture is TELUS International Europe, formerly named CallPoint, which he co-founded 16 years ago. The outsourcing company currently employs 6,000 team members in Bulgaria and Romania.
He belongs to the French Tech global community, which he serves as Co-Founder and President in Romania. He supports several NGOs, primarily HOSPICE Casa Speranței, which takes care of patients with life-limiting conditions and rare illnesses. He also runs the TELUS Foundation in Romania, which distributes 100,000 EUR per year to Romanian NGOs.
In this interview, Grégoire told us about bonapp.eco, the mobile application dedicated to reducing food waste, and about his future plans.
The interview was published in November 2022, in the bilingual yearbook Community Index Magazine no. 4. The publication can be accessed here: https://communityindex.ro/flip-book-2022/
1. You have co-invested with Diego Roy de Lachaise, former Senior Tech Consultant at KPMG, in developing and launching on the market a mobile app dedicated to reducing food waste. What has determined you to choose this kind of app?
The role of entrepreneurs, in society, is to identify problems and provide solutions. It’s as simple as that. With no problem to solve, there is no business at all. Last year, we identified a problem with major negative social and environmental consequences. It’s the fact that the world wastes 40% of its food supply, according to WWF. Food waste alone accounts for 10% of all global greenhouse gases, which exacerbates climate change. On top of exacerbating climate change, food waste also causes retailers significant losses.
At bonapp.eco we launched a mobile app whose goal is to turn these environmental and economic challenges into a sustainable business opportunity, for the benefit of everyone. Our solution, that comes in the form of a mobile app, has been designed to be a win for consumers, a win for food retailers and a win for the planet.
We launched bonapp.eco in November 2021. It is a Romanian startup that combats food waste. The company’s app, available on iOS and Android, connects users with local retailers. Through the app, users can purchase products approaching their expiration date, at a 40% to 80% discount.
I believe entrepreneurs have an increasing role to play in shaping a meaningful world. I think our success must come with responsibility. Profits with purpose. Growth with progress. Prosperity with philanthropy. Bonapp.eco is a great example of a startup that does not only look for growth and profitability, but also wants to have a positive impact on people and the planet.
Last year, between the idea of bonapp.eco and the launch, we talked to large retailers, conducted a diligent market study and focus groups, in order to assess the potential of our mobile app. The results of the surveys were extremely encouraging – the market potential was confirmed. Therefore, we decided to launch.
I have Diego as a business partner in bonapp.eco, because I never launch a new business alone. Raising a new startup is like having a baby – it is better done with a partner! To keep the baby’s metaphor – my timing, in business, is like with a pregnancy. I usually need nine months between the time I think of a new business till the moment I launch it. Bonapp.eco was no exception. I would add that launching a startup is like deciding to have a baby. It is never the perfect time to have one. People think it’s cute, but it keeps you up at night, and its future is a constant concern!
2. What are the benefits for the Romanian market? Which are the results you are most proud of?
Through our mobile app, consumers save up to 80% on food, across a network of 250 locations (supermarkets, hypermarkets, restaurants, hotels, coffee shops, bakeries and gas stations) in Bucharest and Cluj. Using bonapp.eco, people make significant savings on food, and this is what we are the most proud of, because Romanian households devote almost 40% of their budget to food and beverages. It’s only 10% in France and Germany!
In addition to this, inflation will reach almost 10% in Romania this year. It is going to be more and more difficult for many families to buy food. We are glad that we can help people buy quality food at a cheaper price, while having a positive impact on the environment, in the same time.
3. What was the beneficiaries’ reaction and how have you tried to encourage them to contribute to this project?
People who use bonapp.eco are part of a community of what I call – “smart buyers”. They tend to be young, urban and educated. They are students or have families. They want to make savings while having a positive impact on the planet. Word of mouth works very well for our app. People often recommend it to their friends and families. We invite them to join our groups on social media to promote our movement against food waste. We have a mission – We are food waste fighters!
4. Considering the fact that you come from Paris, what has determined you to settle in Romania and get involved in this business environment?
Romania is a beautiful and modern country, full of talented people and unsuspected business opportunities. The country utterly embraces technology and digitalization. Romania has more IT engineers per capita than the US, China or even India. It’s a dream, for a French tech startup entrepreneur like me! The local presence of shared-service and development centers including Amazon, Microsoft, IBM, HP, Oracle and my TELUS International (that employs over 2,600 team members in Romania), and the emergence of Romanian tech players (such as Bitdefender and decacorn UiPath) are just starting to unveil Romania’s IT talent and potential.
I would add that as a French, it was easy for me to settle in Romania, learn the language and do business locally. French and Romanian are close, culturally speaking. We have the same cultural Latin roots.
5. Can you share your future plans? Do you have in mind other project ideas which you want to talk about?
I co-founded and invested in over 20 businesses across Eastern Europe and had 4 exits so far. I am 42 years old and I do not plan to stop here.
Soon, I will soon launch a new company! It won’t be my first startup rodeo, but it might well become one of my most ambitious ventures ever. Just like any other fellow Serial Entrepreneur, I often wonder… What’s the next big thing? What sectors are most likely to be disrupted? What new products or services should I launch to make a positive difference?
Well, in my case, my next startup is going to be a fintech (financial technology) business. Why? Because among all industries in Central and Eastern Europe, I believe finance is among the ones that need most massive disruption. The three most highly valued startups in the rest of Europe — Klarna, Checkout and Revolut — are fintechs, and so are 35% of unicorns. According to Sifted, the sector has grabbed an average of 22% of total European funding over the past five years, and accounted for roughly 15% of all deals in the same period. It’s no wonder fintech has been so attractive to investors. Exits have been lucrative, regulators friendly and consumers and businesses can’t get enough of new digital tools. Startups have built one of the most dynamic — and relatively profitable — sectors in the ecosystem.
In the corporate world of banking, I believe there is room for new startups that can offer better, faster, easier, greener and more user-friendly services, especially in B2B — primarily SMEs, NGOs, freelancers and entrepreneurs. I will soon disclose more details about my upcoming fintech startup. I will also share the names of my business partners. They are seasoned high flyers with tremendous experience in tech and finance. It’s not their first rodeo either.
