French startup Leap, a contemporary tackle the idea of umbrella corporations in France, has raised €11 million (round $12 million at present trade charges) in a Sequence A funding spherical.
Leap gives full-time contracts to freelancers on the lookout for some stability and the advantages concerned with a full-time job. It solely acts as an administrative companion and staff stay unbiased — they’ll work with a number of shoppers and negotiate their contracts straight.
Breega is main at present’s funding spherical, and Index Ventures and Increase Ventures are additionally collaborating. The startup had beforehand raised €4 million (round $4.5 million) again in 2021.
After signing up, freelancers can invoice their prospects by way of Leap’s platform, and on the finish of the month, they’ll create payslips and obtain a wage. This function alone implies that freelancers can outline a pay for themselves that works all 12 months lengthy — even throughout these sluggish summer time months.
And with a everlasting contract, staff are registered with the nationwide healthcare system and may contribute to the nationwide pension system. Leap additionally supplies medical insurance contracts through Alan, meal vouchers through Swile, entry to worker financial savings schemes and extra. In France, a everlasting contract can also be significantly useful while you’re making an attempt to purchase a house and negotiating a mortgage with a financial institution.
There are some tradeoffs, although. Company contributions are deducted out of your pay, and Leap itself prices €99 monthly. However while you’re a freelancer, cash is only one a part of the equation. I can see many freelancers who would love the most effective of each the freelancing and full-time employment worlds. To this point, the startup has managed to persuade 2,000 freelancers to make the soar.
The startup lately additionally launched a free providing for freelancers who’re simply getting began. It features a free, skilled checking account with a digital debit card that works with Apple Pay or Google Pay. There are additionally a handful of software program options that can assist you invoice your first shoppers, similar to a built-in invoicing software and a dashboard to trace your monetary efficiency.
“It’s just about consistent with how freelancers work: They usually get began with the essential French freelancer standing, after which swap to a different standing after they start to really feel the boundaries of their freelancing standing and so they have sufficient income,” mentioned Nicolas Fayon, Leap’s co-founder and CEO (pictured above).
Sooner or later, Leap desires to have the ability to help extra unbiased staff, because it now caters to software program builders, knowledge engineers, mission managers, inventive consultants and sports activities coaches.
For example, it desires to help B2C sellers, similar to “companies that invoice shoppers through Stripe utilizing on-line funds or bodily fee terminals,” Fayon mentioned. Leap additionally plans to increase to different international locations, beginning with a British umbrella firm for freelancers working within the U.Ok.
