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Name: Nathalie Gaveau
Business: Shopcade, a social shopping app
Industry: Clothing & Accessories, E-Commerce, High Tech
Location: London, England, U.K.
Reason for starting: I started Shopcade because I wanted to do social shopping properly – to master it. No one else was doing it and the big social media sites weren’t getting it quite right. So I founded and still sit as CEO of the world’s largest social shopping app, Shopcade. I am originally from Paris and now based in London – as I wanted to start Shopcade in English. After three years (it launched in 2011) the app, which won 2014’s ‘Coolest App in Europe,’ currently attracts nearly one million active users and 2.5 million unique visitors per month.
Related: Read about another female entrepreneur diving into the high tech app world here.
How do you define success? Convincing as many people as you can that your idea is valid and has merit, realising that idea and profiting from it.
Biggest Success: Prior to Shopcade, I set up PriceMinister in 2000 with a partner and the site quickly became the largest e-commerce marketplace in France (think French eBay). We sold it in 2010 to Rakuten for €200 million. The departure consequentially made me part of one of the largest consumer website exits across Europe. It’s really exciting and humbling to be known globally across both the fashion and technology industries for my extensive digital experience, and to be deemed one of the most successful female e-commerce entrepreneurs in Europe. I hope to inspire other females who want to get into tech and always advise girls to just go for it. If you have an idea, do it! The internet and tech arena don’t care what sex anyone is. It’s open and very meritocratic. Shopcade is also growing exponentially at 30% month-on-month, we just launched in India and we work with a range of retailers, from high street giants to global recognized luxury department to new cutting-edge designer labels. It’s brilliant how many celebrities are engaged with the app as well.
Related: Positive Attitude, Positive Financial Change
What is your top challenge and how have you addressed it? Starting an e-commerce site (PriceMinister) after the tech bubble burst, however, all the mistakes made during that time served as great beacons of learning. As any female entrepreneur can attest to, it is difficult to juggle having a family and helming a new company. I try to spend as much time with my partner and my children as I can.
Who is your most important role model? Social media is allowing lesser known influencers to take the stage and I’m inspired by people every day. I’m inspired by so many female and male entrepreneurs that did great things before me. On Shopcade, for example, we are seeing the democratization of tastemakers and style influencers. Anyone and everyone can serve as a role model.
[box_light]Website www.shopcade.com
Twitter @Shopcade
Facebook www.facebook.com/Shopcade
Tumblr http://nathgaveau.tumblr.com
Pinterest www.pinterest.com/shopcade[/box_light]
Tell us your story! Read about another clothing & accessories entrepreneur here
Edited by The Story Exchange