business

In the era of hybrid work there is a new unicorn of business management: the Barcelona factorial startup

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In 2020 and in full pandemic a technological startup of Barcelona called Factorial He lived his particular turning point. The company had an attractive and versatile online platform for human resources management, and the confinement gave a unique opportunity to make potential clients known: it offered its platform for free until confinement passed, and that made many known and realized how well that platform could work while the teleworking became strength. His CEO, Jordi Romero, explained So how many of the new clients who registered in factorial maintained their management in local files or at most “in a dropbox folderbut nothing more. “In April the firm achieved an investment of 16 million dollars of CRV, but that was a stressful round. Just before the pandemic came the company had” an agreement between knights (with CRV), so to speak, “Romero commented,” but the money had to be transferred yet. “ The decision to offer its platform for free was a success, and many companies verified the benefits of that comfortable online management that allowed everything very well organized and accessible in a simple way. At that time that round was the largest that was seen in Spain, and it happened at a time when the labor market was in a certainly strange situation. Factorial took advantage of something that no other company in the sector had previously taken advantage of: His platform was perfect for companies that or did not have HR professionals for being too small, or that if they had them were overcome by the workload or by having to make those tasks with others of management. The factorial solution precisely solved the problem, and that marked a before and after for her and her clients. New and important investment rounds After that round starring CRV, 18 months later factorial became one of the protagonists of the Spanish technological sector. In September 2021 the general investment firm Catalyst bet 80 million dollars for her and confirmed her remarkable projection. This bet was a success: the factorial growth has made it one of the most promising technological startups in our country. A year later, factorial lifted another 120 million dollars in a round with the majority participation of Atomico, but also of GIC, Tiger Global, CRV, K-Found and Creandum. That made it a de facto “unicorn”: its valuation was already 1,000 million dollars, twice what was a year earlier with the previous round. The company, which then had 7,000 clients in Europe and in Latin America – where those first years had its great focus— has not stopped growing And he has had a especially notable 2024. His number of customers is now 13,000 SMEs, and has just given another great news: General Catalyst, which as we said already invested 80 million dollars in it, has expanded that investment at $ 120 million, so that the total bet It becomes 200 million dollars. It is striking that this extension of the investment is carried out without diluting the capital of its shareholders. Jordi Romero, CEO of Factorial (on the left in the image with Bernat Farrero, another of the co -founders) explained how that is “something uncommon in hypercrection companies that, in addition, are financially sustainable.” Pau Ramón, the third co -founder and exco from the company, abandonment Factorial in 2023 for personal reasons. The funds, as those responsible for Factorial point out, will go to the expansion of the firm in Germany – where it is growing especially fast – France and Italy. Not only that: they will allow this firm to give the final impulse in a transition in which they have been working for years: to go from being a human resources software to a large business management platform. SANNED ACCOUNTS AND OWN RISK CAPITAL FUND They hope to reach about 20,000 clients before the end of the year, Romero said In the countryand its forecast is to exceed 100 million dollars of recurring income this year. As indicated in that article, 2024 has been the first year in which the company has grown up without consuming its own resourcessomething especially important to consolidate the profitability of the company. Bernat Farrero, Pau Ramón (now outside the company) and Jordi Romero, co -founders of the company. Source: Factorial. The firm had at the end of 2024 with 90 million dollars of cash reserves, something striking because it shows the financial solidity of a company that is capable of growing without practically boxing of cash. The investment round seemed almost unnecessary, but according to Romero that allows factorial to “continue its expansion without compromising its financial stability or diluting the capital of its shareholders,” as we mentioned earlier. The company has no immediate plans to go over – “We are not in a hurry,” Romero explains – and does not seem interested in inorganic growth inking or buying other companies. What they do, explained those responsible In araIt is to bill 1,000 million euros in five years. And although the exit to the parquet is for now an unknown, what those entrepreneurs have done has been, as they pointed out In the avant -garde, Create a risk capital fund of 15 million euros with which they want to finance emerging companies. It’s called Itnig Capital, and He has already invested One million euros in nine Spanish companies. The “Startup factory” of Factorial seems to have started with good foot, and is helping that new firms created by former factorial employees take their first steps, as pointed out expanding A few months ago. Growing, but with comparatively low wages During all this factorial time it has evolved. Its creators began working on a human resources platform to manage both employees and various administrative tasks, but in recent times they have become a “Comprehensive Business Management Platform“That allows the management of projects, training and control of expenses. Romero, Farrero and Ramón shared the same frustration when creating factorial: that in many companies there was little technology that helped to climb … Read more

The real business will be to see a Madrid-Osasuna in the car

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For years we are listening to the cars software will be key when choosing a vehicle. The possibilities they offer are numerous but, for the moment, traditional companies seem to have not been able to get economic performance to it. Byd, however, gives his “eye of God” that promises to be decisive when buying the car. His “eye of God” can be the least. What is the “eye of God”? This is how Byd calls his driving aid systems or automated driving (under supervision). They obviously contemplate from adaptive cruise control systems to remote parking services, where you send orders from the mobile phone and the car park alone. A price war. A few days ago, the Chinese company confirmed that it will include these systems completely free in all its cars, regardless of their price. The announcement fell like a bomb in the industry since this type of aids always They have been used to attract customers to a brand. Tesla, for example, boast your autopilot And for years he has sold his Full self driving (FSD) as the great promise of a completely autonomous driving in all cars prepared for it. Xpeng in China have based their growth on this type of functions and is one of the reasons that have attracted Volkswagen for a collaboration between both manufacturers. Make these systems available to all buyers, regardless of whether tens of thousands of euros pay for a car or a few thousand euros, Open a price war on a front that had not been seen so far. In addition, it puts the software as a central element for Decide a purchase. Defined by software. For years we have heard manufacturers say that the vehicles of the future will be defined by the software and that It will be an added value to the vehicle itself. China has even demonstrated that it is a central element, as we will see. In Europe, however, we are in the superficial layers. We talk about whether a car is more or less technological because it uses Android Automotiveits customization capacity or if you have opted for your own development that adds distinction to the brand and the model. Despite this, The generated income is almost non -existent. Manufacturers have given blind sticks to the point that Volkswagen has had to delay the launch of key models (Porsche Macan and Audi Q6 e-tron) and Search for help in China either BMW has had to back down to controversial subscriptions such as the heating of the seats. Subscribe, however, to autonomous driving functions did seem like a perfect path to begin to make efforts to make efforts. A bridge. But what if the finger points to the moon and we are looking at the finger? That is what you think of But auto insights. He exercises software -related consultancy work and usually participates in media such as Financial Times, Nikkei either The Economistamong others. In his NewsletterHe points to that to understand the “gift” of his “eye of God” to buyers you should not look exclusively at car sales that Byd can convert, you have to look at the juice that can get a highly automated driving . If people can activate a system of Level 2+ or Level 3 (During slow traffic situations), that opens huge potential opportunities to sell services, entertainment and others, while people move in these traffic jams. Think of a zoom call during a jam. Think about watching a movie. Play a video game. A first approach. What he affirms has all the meaning of the world. The Chinese automobile industry is turning the car into a four -wheel chassis that arrives completely defined by the software. In fact, only See some videos From what is presented in each car hall to check that the car is now a tailor drawer where to watch movies, play video games or enjoy a karaoke. Kevin Williams also told it well for Inside Evs. In his article he explained how Western manufacturers have become completely obsolete at what the interior of a Chinese car offers. An easy position if we attend to speech that the local client It begins to have about European and local cars. Under way. What you are talking about in your weekly entrance is that Byd’s true business can be in everything that offers their cars once they behave as low -speed autonomous vehicles. It is a relatively easy level of autonomy to reach for the manufacturer since it is easy to drive for the car in a jam. The Mercedes can do it In specific places at speeds below 60 km/h. Byd and any other manufacturer has the opportunity to have their own store with applications that compete for the attention of … driver? Is to move the mobile phone applications business to the carcharging a percentage per discharge to the owner of the application so that it can be put into operation in the vehicle. That discounting that it is not the vehicle manufacturer who offers these entertainment services or for labor productivity. A private market. You have to understand the particularities of the Chinese market. There, the cities are gigantic and the driver passes, on average, more than 45 minutes to get to work daily. Those more than three quarters of an hour, however, barely suppose less than 30 kilometers of journeyso the average speed is very low. This is decisive when it comes to understanding the cars offered. Chinese brands themselves have explained that the paths that are made by car are usually urban and rarely cover long distances such as in Europe and the United States. That is why they have cars where the space for the rear seats is prevail, the trunk is removed … and priority is given to the infotainment systems. The latter has been key to understanding market evolution. More and more the customer prefers to give priority to the voice controls of the vehicle, their connectivity with … Read more

It is not for bad taste, they are just business

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Ferrari has been highlighting as a synonym for luxury and exclusivity. The manufacturer of “Il Cavillino Rampante” imposes on its clients a strict decalogue of rules of behavior and use of your carsunder the threat of introduce your name into a blacklist that will make them Customers ‘Non Gratos’. Being on that list prevents, no matter how much money you have, you can buy a car your brand, something very common In the luxury industry. As reported The British The TelegraphFerrari would be studying more energetic measures against those clients who want to modify the appearance of their supercar with extravagant customizations. The reason they argue from Maranello, their intention is to protect the legacy of the brand from those modifications that remain the value of the brand. “We have been thinking internally in defining in advance the combinations (colors). We have to pay attention because we have to defend the values ​​and identity of the brand. We will not make a strange car, sure,” explained Benedetto Vigna, CEO from Ferrari a The Telegraph. The balance between customization and legacy The Italian brand has a very strict policy in terms of its brand image. For example, in 2014, the brand sent an order of cessation and withdrawal to the DJ Deadmau5, which had decorated its Ferrari 458 Italia with a vinyl of Nyan Cat to create the Purrari 458. If the brand did not reverse that customization I would prevent you from buying another Ferrari. The designer Philipp Plein also He received a Ferrari call After publishing in his social media profiles the photo of some sports shoes designed by him on the roof of his Ferrari 812 Superfast Green. In addition to forcing him to remove the photos, the brand sued him. Ferrari is at a crossroads in which he is forced to choose between protecting the legacy that, as a luxury supercoches brand, must convey to his future, and The lucrative business in which the customization of luxury cars has become. It is true that Ferrari has always remained in a Conflict between tradition and modernitybut the figures that move the exclusive customization of its cars are infarction. According to the official dataFerrari obtained a benefit of 1,525 million euros in 2024. Some 1.3 billion euros of these benefits were billed from units that had gone through the Ferrari Atelierdivision that the brand has created to respond to the exclusive requests of its customers. Therefore, imposing more strict measures on “after -sales” customization outside the brand control would not only seek the goal of preserving the prestige of the brand, but also seeks to monopolize the execution and billing of these customizations, something that marks like Lamborghini are also doing. Round trip cars On the other hand, Ferrari’s interest in maintaining his brand identity is also oriented towards the second -hand market, where Ferrari is the priority buyer by contract. When someone buys a Ferrari at a concessionaire, he must sign an opportunity agreement. That contract forces the client to notify the brand when want to sell your car and Ferrari will have priority to buy it. If you try sell it to a third party without warning The brand will face a judicial process and important economic sanctions. Taking into account that priority, Marca wants to make sure that their cars are sold quickly and do not lose value in the process. Therefore, one of the measures you have prepared is to reduce the number of colors available to make them more timeless. Ferrari’s CEO said that almost all cars that came out of Maranello’s factory looked their iconic Rossso Corsa. Today, just 40% of the new Ferrari take it. “There are places in the world in which they like to have a fixed menu. There are other places where they prefer the letter and the freedom to choose what they want. But there are some combinations that are not pleasure from the second potential buyer,” he said Benedetto Vigna. The director of Used Vehicles of Ferrari, Andrea Scioletti, assured to Drive that more than 90% of the Ferrari who have left the Maranello factory They are still in circulationso any customization that does not align with the vision of the Italian manufacturer will leave a lasting scar. In Xataka | While the European automobile industry is bleeding, a brand has found a gold mine: Rolls-Royce and its tuned cars Image | Ferrari

Business to offer temporary space to businessmen displaced by fires urgently

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The Los Angeles County Supervisor, Janice Hahn urged businesses that have extra space to share their facilities with businessmen displaced by fires. To connect entrepreneurs who can offer temporary space and small displaced businesses, the website was created this week Business-to-Business Space Share released by Los Angeles County Department of Economics Opportunity (DEO). It is a free platform that connects displaced businesses, including non -profit organizations, with temporary spaces of companies along the county. “This new website is inspired by the generosity of the owners of small businesses, entrepreneurs and professionals along the county who are looking for ways to help,” said Hahn supervisor. “If you have a space, that’s how you can help. If you can offer a space where a dentist attends to his patients; or in which a stylist can fulfill his appointments; A lawyer can see his clients; Or any space, you will be helping someone who needs to maintain their way of life and help our economy in the midst of this crisis, ”he added. The idea of ​​creating this website to share business spaces from the Hahn supervisor after talking to Whittier councilor, Cathy Warner. Warner has a periodontal practice with her husband in East Whittier and attends patients in her office three times a week. She told the Hahn supervisor that she wanted to offer the space for four days a week to the periodoncistas displaced by the fires. This gave the supervisor the idea of ​​having a website of the Los Angeles County that facilitates connecting business, taking advantage of generosity. “The exchange of spaces between companies is the direct result that our county government listened to the concerns of local businesses and by showing our own entrepreneurial spirit with solutions, we rebuild for tomorrow,” said Kelly Lobianco, director of the DEO. “Together we are promoting a more resistant and adaptable economic ecosystem in which businesses can open their doors to others while we recover together.” According to the Hahn Supervisor office, the new platform is a critical resource to help displaced businesses to maintain their operations, safeguard their modus vivendi and boost economic strength. Created by the Department of Internal Services (ISD), the platform will be available for a limited time, as part of a coordinated effort of the county to support the economic ecosystem affected by disasters. Through the Space Share portal that works in a friendly way, companies with available space can publish advertisements, providing details such as location, capacity and availability. Angela Herrera, spokeswoman of Deo, revealed that the site will also be ready in Spanish, most likely this weekend. The businesses that were left without their workplace due to the fires can explore the website to find the spaces that best adapt to their needs. Although the platform facilitates the connections, the County clarifies that it does not participate or supervises the terms of the agreements made, since it seeks that companies retain full autonomy in the negotiations. “The Internal Services Department (ISD) recognizes the devastating impact that recent forest fires have had in many local companies, which has caused significant displacements and losses,” said Michael Owh, director of the ISD. “We hope this tool helps companies help each other and provide support in this moment of need.” Business interested in donating spaces or who are looking for a place to work can visit the Business to Business Space Share portal in: https://sharhespace.lacounty.gov/ There is no exact figure of how many businesses were devastated by fires, but it is presumed that thousands are. How it works Businesses or people who offer space can create ads with relevant information, such as size, amenities it offers and availability dates. Several ads are allowed, provided that the spaces are available at least one day. While displaced businesses in search of a workplace can search for appropriate options and connect directly to the commercial space donor. In good faith but complicated Although Mario Cárdenas, business advisor at Lynwood, had not heard of the initiative, considered that it was made with good faith by the Hahhn supervisor. However, he anticipated that his involvement can be difficult and complicated. “It’s not that you don’t want to help, but it represents many risks because you never know how the other person you are going to facilitate a space within your business.” Despite the challenges, Cárdenas kept the hope that the generosity of entrepreneurs will be imposed, and share their spaces with those affected. (tagstotranslate) fires

Steven Soderbergh: ‘I am the cockroach of this industry. I can survive any version of it’

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NEW YORK — Steven Soderbergh is not only the director and cinematographer of his latest film. In some ways, he is also its central character. “Presence” is filmed entirely from the point of view of a ghost inside a house that a family has just moved into. Soderbergh, who acts as his own cinematographer under the pseudonym Peter Andrews (his father’s name), essentially plays the presence, a floating point of view that watches as the violence that killed the mysterious ghost threatens to repeat itself. For the prolific Soderbergh, the film, which opens in theaters Friday, was a unique challenge. She shot “Presence” with a small digital camera while wearing slippers to soften her steps. The 62-year-old filmmaker chatted in a recent interview in Manhattan, in the midst of post-production on his next film (“Black Bag,” a thriller that Focus Features will release on March 14), and the start of production in a few weeks his next project, a romantic comedy that he says “feels like a George Cukor movie.” Soderbergh, whose films include “Out of Sight,” the “Ocean’s 11” films, “Magic Mike” and “Erin Brockovich,” tends to do a lot in small windows. of time. “Presence” took 11 days to film. That skill has made Soderbergh one of the most respected Hollywood evaluators in the film business. In a wide-ranging conversation, he discussed why he thinks streaming is the most destructive force cinema has ever faced and why he is “the cockroach of this industry.” Steven Soderbergh attends the premiere of “Presence” at AMC Lincoln Square on Thursday, January 16, 2025 in New York. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) You use pseudonyms for yourself as director of photography and editor. Were you tempted to credit yourself as an actor for “Presence”?SODERBERGH: No, but what I did is subtle. For the first and only time Peter Andrews has a camera operator credit. That’s not a credit I usually take because I don’t need it and I typically have another operator working with me. But I felt like this was training. It was complicated, but really fun. It was another level of performance anxiety because I ruined more takes than anyone else in the movie by a major factor. I was the one saying, “Cut. I ruined it. “We have to start over.” You made this quickly and cheaply, and then sold it to a distributor. Was working outside the system attractive to you?The beauty of projects on this scale is that I can do them without having to talk to anyone. It’s not because I don’t want comments. It’s because it’s just the trusted group and none of the psychic space is occupied by things that have nothing to do with what you’re going to film. I went from that to a more traditional project where a lot of psychic space is consumed in the process of having a studio finance your film. I like these people, it’s just that there are a lot of lawyers. Many lawyers. You’ve called streaming the most destructive force in the history of cinema. What irritates you the most about it?It removes a key reference point for an artist. It’s useful to know how something is working, or how it worked. You need to know that to gauge whether you achieved what you wanted to achieve, whether you can work at a certain level. That’s one of the most confusing things about it, the black box of it. Aside from the economic invisibility of what’s going on there — the fact that we can’t really look under the hood of how these streaming companies operate economically — there’s another kind of guardrail that’s missing that I find really useful. At the end of the day, at least, I want to know. The market will tell you how you are doing. I want to know that so I can adjust or go in another direction. Being irrelevant is not very attractive. What’s the overlap between what people seem to be responding to and what I like? Because I don’t want to do these things and have no one see them. I’ve had enough people say, “Oh, that came out?” It is a public art form. West Mulholland, from left, Callina Liang, Steven Soderbergh and Eddy Maday attend the premiere of “Presence” at AMC Lincoln Square on Thursday, January 16, 2025 in New York. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) How do you suspect the audience is changing?The good news is, if you talk to Focus Features and Neon and A24, young people are going to the movies. This is the generation of (the social network of movie buffs) Letterboxd. That’s fantastic. I hope that spreads outside of the United States. They are movie buffs and expect something unique. They want the signature, they want the seal of a filmmaker. And that is becoming a real business. One of the things, I think, that we all need to do, but especially people who cover the industry, is to stop using the studio metric for what is a success. That is not a template that you should apply to everything. Do you ever regret that the movies that made you want to be a filmmaker like “All the President’s Men” and “Chinatown” occupied a different place in the culture than movies today?There was a period of about 10 to 14 years where the best movies of the year were also the most popular movies of the year. That’s not necessarily true today. You can pick one of the movies that’s in the competition this year and say: That’s a movie from the ’70s. It’s just as good and interesting as one of those. But it’s not going to do the business that one of those would have done. It is the artist’s job to adapt. When you’re trying to control what people want to see, you’re in a place like, “If I really wish hard, it won’t rain.” The weather is the weather. To some degree, the audience is a weather system. Fortunately, … Read more

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