Laurent’s story at IBL

Enter: IBL

IBL is nothing like a VC firm.

It’s a huge firm based in Mauritius with interests in [insert business segment].

While VC firms are often small teams with nose to the ground and a startup culture, IBL is a conglomerate.

But sometimes, your world gets so big - you’re worried about what’s slipping under your notice.

That’s the story of Laurent Fayolle, who was running the technology division at IBL.

Laurent had led different projects at IBL → [insert a few examples].

He’d had a successful run in IBL, but he wanted more.

He’d noticed startups popping up across the continent, but he didn’t

Selling the idea of investing in startups is one thing, but Laurent now had a mandate - he had to deliver solid results to IBL.

And without a strong background in venture capital, he needed to get up to speed somehow.

So, he decided to do something that’s sometimes radical among VCs - learn.

He went back to school to get a certificate in Business Excellence in VC and PE at Columbia Business School.

But school wasn’t enough.

He needed a co-pilot - a solid partner he could learn from and invest with.

This partner had to have two things:

1. A strong knowledge and experience of the ecosystem.

2. A willingness to collaborate, learn, and invest together.