The French startup The Treep, which helps companies and business travel agencies make more eco-responsible trips with the aim of reducing their carbon emissions, recently announced a fundraising of 1.6 million euros. ‘euros. Business Cool spoke with Laurent La Rocca, CEO of The Treep. He enlightened us on the future ambitions of this startup.
Everything you need to know about The Treep
Who are you ?
I am Laurent La Rocca, CEO of the Treep. I run the company with my partner and I am very involved in the eco-responsible innovation of our products.
I am an ENSAM engineer and I also have a Master’s degree in Marketing Management from ESSEC. I maintain a link with these 2 schools by acting as a speaker or coach for the students. After a career in large electronics and telecoms groups, I decided to create my own company in 2016 to realize my desire to do business in the service of the planet. The result is the Treep!
What does The Treep do?
My partner and I wanted to provide a concrete answer to the question “How can we support companies in decarbonizing their travel?” These can represent up to 90% of their carbon footprint. This is where we must start if they want to take part in the fight against climate change.
The Treep is therefore a publisher of low-carbon business travel booking software, a Self-Booking Tool allowing you to compare, combine and reserve trains, flights, cars and hotels around the world. Our mission is to accelerate and contribute to the decarbonization and sobriety of the business travel sector.
Our Self-Booking Tool has been adopted by numerous business travel agencies who market it to hundreds of companies or public organizations such as Generali, Handicap international, Sport 2000, AFM Telethon, Greenflex, the National Health Insurance Fund , the SNCF group, Inter Mutuelle Assistance… We have more than 100,000 users and this continues to grow.
The Treep fundraising
Why did you raise 1.6 million euros?
The Treep will be able to invest in eco-responsible innovation and the commercial development of its software. Our ambition is to move very quickly to respond to the climate emergency.
Why did you choose to bring these investors into your capital?
The Treep has chosen to include Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations and IMA Participations in its capital.
These two investors, one public and the other private, looked kindly on our project. They support us over the long term, because they share our “why” and our desire to provide concrete solutions to the market.
What will The Treep look like in 5 years?
I would like The Treep to be the reflex of every traveler who wants to know if their trip is essential and, if so, how to reduce its impact. Not all travel is essential, but it is essential to meet and maintain our social connections.
