Gilles Babinet is a French multi-entrepreneur, born in 1967 in Paris.
Biography
editFollowing a troubled schooling[1], he creates his first company, Escalade Industrie, in 1989 at the age of 22. The company grows well and reaches dozens of employees after 6 months only. However, he decides to quit after one year, apparently because of a disagreement with his associates.
He then creates [Absolut Design] in 1991, along with Clément Bataille. In 8 years, the business of the company mainly focuses on public transportation, designing the streetcar of Bordeaux, the garbage cans of the subway in Paris, etc. In 2000, he sells what has become the Absolut Group to Euro RSCG[2].
In 2000, he launches Musiwap, quickly renamed Musiwave. In 2002, Musiwave becomes the first company in the world to offer "hifi" ringtones, i.e. no more made of synthesized harmonies like in polyphonic ringtones, but made from the initial song recording. This very year, the company also offers downloads of CD quality songs [3]. Thanks to these innovations, the company develops and is finally sold to Openwave, for US$139m in january 2006. In december 2007, Openwave sells it to Microsoft.
He is then tempted to move to San Fransisco and launch new businesses but eventually stays in Paris and creates successively Eyeka, a company that leverages an international co-creation community of creative consumers, Mxp4, which provides social music gaming solutions to artists, and Digibonus, an automated games/quizzes creation platform for social networks and websites.
In 2009, Gilles co-founded CaptainDash, an on-demand « communications & marketing » department solution provider that enables companies to optimize their global communications expenses.
Today
editToday Gilles Babinet is still incredibly active in the French entrepreneurial scene and is involved with startups Eyeka, CaptainDash, DigiBonus, MXP4, SacAddict and Hypeed.
- Eyeka, company that leverages an international co-creation community of creative consumers for marketing head offices of big brands
- Mxp4, leader in providing social music gaming solutions to artists
- Digibonus, automated games/quizzes creation platform for social networks and websites
- CaptainDash, on-demand « communications & marketing » department solution provider that enables companies to optimize their global communications expenses
- Sac Addict, e-commerce fashion accessories website, with a strong focus on social shopping, and an incredible approach on brand new products and exclusivities for handbag addicts
Notes
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