Newsletter subscription
Log in
Menu
10/11/2017

The software Per Angusta was created by a KEDGE Alumnus and has raised 1M€

The purchasing software was created by Pierre Laprée (ESC, 2000), is already used by HOP!, Kering, LVMH, Monoprix, and even the Adecco Group and has been accumulating awards.

Hello, Pierre! To start with, can you tell us about your background, what did you do before, during and after your time at KEDGE Business School?
 
I have a rather traditional background. I went to a prep school for HEC and then joined Kedge, which was still called ESC Bordeaux at the time. I had the opportunity to be one of the first alumni from the eManagement programme - a real innovation in 2000. I also participated in the pilot eBusiness MBA, a joint programme with the Université Laval in Canada.
 
After my studies, I started my career as Head of Technology at Carlson Wagonlit Travel, then worked as a consultant, and the a project manager within the international IT department with the groupe Adecco. I was notably in charge of deploying financial solutions in different countries that the group was working in. I then stumbled by chance into Purchasing: my knowledge of the IT sector enabled me to become an IT purchaser, and then to oversee all IT purchases for the group. That led me to become Director of purchasing and then right arm to the worldwide head of purchasing, which enabled me to deal with many other subjects: CSR, methods, tools...etc. After than, I decided I wanted to embark on an entrepreneurial adventure. 
 
Where are you today?
 
Today, I manage Per Angusta, a piloting software for purchasing teams that measures the contribution of purchases to a company's profitability. As a matter of fact, I developed the software to deal with issues I confronted myself as Director of Purchasing. 
I was frustrated having Excel as the only tool I could use to measure the purchasing performance of my teams and my organisation and I realised that no other software companies were providing an appropriate response to this issue. That's how I ended up developing Per Angusta, application in SaaS mode, which was commercialised at the end of 2014. The main objective of the tool is to provide meaning to the actions of the Purchasing department. We bring structure and efficiency to purchasers, as well as more collaboration and transparency to other departments in the company, in particular the Financial Department. The solution addresses the problems facing major international groups, actors in the public sector, ETIs, and SMEs. Companies such as HOP!, Kering, LVMH, Monoprix, or even The Adecco Group are using the solution to strengthen the dialogue between purchasing, finances, and their internal clients. Today, Per Angusta counts more than 2,000 users in 50 countries and has an ecosystem of partners, including consulting companies and companies that provide e-purchasing solutions in France and in Europe. 
 
 
It appears that Per Angusta has also received several awards? 
 
Indeed! In 2016, Spend Matters, the worldwide reference site, designated Per Angusta as a major actor to watch at the global level and included us in its "50 to watch" list. In June 2017, at the Trophées des Achats we received the special prize from the Jury, composed of the Heads of Purchasing at Air France, BNP Paribas, Vinci… in the category "Digitalisation of Purchasing Processes" alongside our client the CHU in Montpellier. Per Angusta was also elected by Airplus as "most innovative startup" from the innovation room in September, 2017. And very recently, Deloitte identified Per Angusta as one of the three startups that CFOs should watch in its Future Of Finance guide.
 
 
 
What are your goals for the future?
 
Since its creation, Per Angusta has grown significantly, especially abroad. Sixty percent of our market is abroad. We increased our annual recurrent revenue by 85% in 2016 and already reached 100% in the first semester of 2017, which indicates we are likely to experience similar growth in the second half of the year. Per Angusta just concluded a fundraising operation in which we raised one million euros from two investment funds: Kreaxi et Pléiade Venture, and received financial support from five Business Angels (including several buyers!). These funds will enable us to accelerate our commercial development in France and abroad and intensify our R&D in order to provide new solutions to purchasers and their financial departments, as well as improve user experience. 
 
How did your time at KEDGE Business School help you achieve this remarkable career? 
 
In addition to the academic benefits, the real value came from the projects I participated in or organised. It's at Kedge that I really learned to interact with others, lead a project, and defend my opinions. And most importantly, 10 years before anyone else, Kedge provided me with the keys I needed to understand and address the challenges related to digital transformation! 
 
If you had one piece of advice for KEDGE Alumni who want to follow in your footsteps, what would it be? 
 
"Forget that you don't stand a chance and go for it." More seriously, we are exposed to a lot of opportunities. You can't hesitate to seize them and go for it, even if everything isn't clear yet. You'll always find the solutions as you go along. 
 
For more information:
 

YOU ARE NOMINATED, YOU LAUNCH A PROJECT, A START-UP?

0 Comment

You must be logged in to leave a comment.

No comment