Hexa, the startup studio behind Aircall and Swan, unveils its next batch of startups

Hexa, a Paris-based startup studio that has launched dozens of B2B software program corporations, is sharing a listing of its subsequent batch of tasks which can be quickly going to change into impartial startups.

Hexa initially started its life in 2011 as eFounders, a startup studio targeted on B2B software-as-a-service merchandise. Hexa often comes up with the concepts that can function the premise for brand spanking new corporations.

The Hexa workforce then tries to match the correct founding workforce with its new tasks in order that they will make them their very own. Over the primary yr or so, Hexa’s inside workforce helps the founders on the subject of product design, go-to-market technique, hiring, and fundraising.

When a startup raises its first funding spherical, it sometimes turns into a correct impartial firm. In trade for the primary yr of funding and iteration, Hexa retains a 30% stake in its portfolio corporations after this funding spherical.

Whereas it’d look like a steep charge, Hexa’s monitor document speaks for itself. Through the years, Hexa has spawned a handful of unicorns, similar to Front, Aircall, and Spendesk, in addition to some promising tech startups that might quickly change into unicorns, similar to Swan and YouSign.

And these corporations are producing vital income too. In keeping with Thibaud Elzière, Hexa’s co-founder and CEO, over the subsequent two years, at the very least 5 of the startups launched earlier than 2021 will generate between €100 million and €300 million in annual income.

In fact, some corporations by no means actually took off, however that’s how startups work. Total, Hexa has launched 44 corporations. The startup studio itself raised a $22 million funding round in 2023.

Whereas Hexa wished to morph right into a home of startup accelerators with every accelerator specializing in one vertical specifically, Hexa has form of pulled again from this technique.

The corporate continues to be slowly including new verticals with new tasks round healthcare, synthetic intelligence, and open supply software program. However you’ll now not discover pages about 3founders for web3 startups or Logic Founders for fintech merchandise on Hexa’s web site. The whole lot is a Hexa challenge now.

Annette

Annette isn’t a B2B software program firm. The corporate is targeted on serving to you drop a few pounds in case your physique mass index is above 30, or if you happen to’ve been identified with Sort 2 diabetes.

Annette’s service is designed to enhance GLP-1 remedy, similar to Wegovy or Mounjaro, with an app that permits you to monitor your progress in addition to discuss with dieticians and medical consultants. The concept is to maximise long-term outcomes with a tech-augmented program.

Basalt

Basalt is a really 2024 startup. Whereas everyone on LinkedIn says that immediate engineers are the subsequent huge job, Basalt is the device that’s going for use day in, day trip by folks writing prompts for giant language fashions.

After writing your first prompts, you possibly can take a look at them with a number of fashions, see the outcomes, and enhance your prompts utilizing AI. On condition that AI is fuzzy tech, a immediate that used to work might cease working with a mannequin replace. So that might result in recurring utilization. Basalt competes with WorkflowAI.

DermaScan

DermaScan is one other instance of Hexa branching out and venturing into new industries. The startup’s title could be very self-explanatory, as DermaScan will allow you to scan your pores and skin repeatedly for potential pores and skin most cancers.

This isn’t only a software program play; DermaScan plans to open care facilities targeted on pores and skin screenings with some proprietary know-how. On condition that it’s tougher to get an appointment with a dermatologist than a magician, France looks like a very good marketplace for this startup.

FieldX (codename)

Smartphones have modified every thing for area gross sales representatives. They’ll verify their schedule, entry product databases, and course of orders on the go.

This new startup, presently referred to as FieldX, goals to assist reps spend much less time on admin duties utilizing a voice interface. As an alternative of swiping between completely different apps, they may use this voice-first assistant as a copilot.

LegalX (codename)

LegalX, one other startup that doesn’t have a definitive title simply but, is coming into the crowded market of corporations constructing an AI product for regulation companies. The most important regulation companies often depend on a small military of interns to sift by way of 1000’s of pages, annotate paperwork, and put together drafts.

Massive language fashions are a great way to extract data from huge blocks of textual content (despite the fact that they hallucinate sometimes). So it is smart to construct a product round synthetic intelligence utilized to those prolonged authorized paperwork.

OpenCertiX (codename)

In the event you’ve informed your organization that you simply wish to purchase a subscription to a product as a result of it’ll enhance your workforce’s work, chances are high the buying division instantly requested about SOC 2 certification. It often signifies that the product is safe and handles information correctly.

OpenCertiX goes to be an open supply different to SOC 2 compliance platforms, similar to Vanta or Drata. As an open supply product, OpenCertiX plans to supply extra certifications past SOC 2.

Reki

Reki is a startup providing a product to different startups — and past. Whenever you create a startup in France, you possibly can unlock some non-dilutive financing that will help you get began — suppose “Crédit d’Impôts Recherche” or “Bourse French Tech.” However for some industry-specific grants, it may be onerous to know if your organization matches the factors.

Furthermore, placing collectively an utility could be a time-consuming course of with none assure that it’s going to work. Reki helps you collect paperwork, create an utility, and ship it in order that it solely takes you hours, not days. And, in fact, the corporate is utilizing AI to generate the applying routinely.

SleepX (codename)

SleepX goes to supply a sleep-related customized healthcare program. Particularly designed for girls scuffling with insomnia, SleepX will mix Cognitive Behavioral Remedy for Insomnia (CBT-I) with information on hormonal, organic, and psychological elements.

Particulars are skinny on what the product goes to seem like. However on condition that advertisements for sleeping tablets are in all places, the market alternative is important.

StandardX (codename)

StandardX is an AI startup targeted on buyer assist through telephone. Many corporations now allow you to state your subject so that you simply don’t must press 1, then 3, then 4 to achieve the correct buyer assist division. However these voice recognition merchandise don’t actually change the general expertise for folks on the road.

StandardX will probably use all of the buzzy AI applied sciences to overtake these conversations — suppose speech-to-text, LLM, and text-to-speech — mixed with ERP information. However we’ll have to attend to be taught extra in regards to the product.

Tandem

Tandem is one other buyer assist startup. However this time, it’s all about serving to customers arrange their account and information when making an attempt out a brand new device. Onboarding stays a key subject amongst software-as-a-startup founders.

That’s why Tandem plans to make use of AI to facilitate onboarding with customized ideas. As a profit, the assist workforce will obtain much less assist tickets. It has the potential to change into Clippy, however truly helpful.