Nicolas Furlani, 35 years old, is the co-founder of Privateaser, the platform that has helped over ten million people easily find places to gather. This success story belongs to a Montauban native (Tarn-et-Garonne).
Nicolas Furlani, 35 years old, a native of Montauban, is the founder of Privateaser, the leading French platform to book bars and restaurants for groups. His story reflects the convivial spirit of the Southwest, post-Covid comeback, and concrete economic impact.
Origins from Montauban and Central Paris
Originally from Montauban, Nicolas completed his education in the region, including at Bourdelle high school. It was a math teacher who encouraged him to venture into preparatory classes: “She told me that I could always choose what to do later, and I followed her advice because I had no idea what to do in high school.” After studying in the preparatory class PSI Pierre-de-Fermat in Toulouse, he pursued his engineering studies at Centrale Paris (now CentraleSupélec). “I initially thought about working in finance, but after interviews in the field, I realized it wasn’t for me,” he recalls. During the gap year organized by the school, he completed two internships, including six months in a Chinese startup in Shanghai manufacturing bricks, where he took his first steps in entrepreneurship.
Bold Launch of Privateaser
In his final year of studies, Nicolas chose the entrepreneurship major: “Instead of doing an end-of-studies internship, we had to launch our own business. What frustrates most people about entrepreneurship is having to leave a job that brings them money to pursue a venture. With the school, we could first test entrepreneurship.” He then launched his project, and after six months, the monthly turnover reached 6,000 to 10,000 euros. “Initially, we weren’t sure if it would become a professional project, but eventually the numbers were encouraging, and we had our first investors by the time we graduated.”
The idea for the project was directly linked to his experience in the South: “Here, people are festive and often gather at each other’s homes. But in big cities like Paris, where people live in small apartments, it’s more challenging to meet up, and rental spaces are quickly expensive.” Privateaser’s challenge was to connect groups looking for a place to gather with restaurants seeking clients. “From the start of the project, I highlighted my festive side from the South, love for the restaurant sector, rugby…it created bonds with the restaurateurs,” he confides.
Meteoric Growth and Covid Comeback
From 2014 to 2020, the company experienced six successful years with three fundraising rounds, growing from three associates to 130 employees. Then Covid hit: “We received a hard blow, with the ban on gatherings even though our raison d’être is to help people come together,” Nicolas laughs today. Reduced to 20 employees, Privateaser survived thanks to public aid and investors. The company took the opportunity to innovate: “We developed software that allows restaurateurs to manage group reservations themselves. Before, it was just a public site to bring customers to restaurants.”
80 Employees and Major Impact Today
Today, the company employs 80 people and serves over 3,000 restaurant owners in France, Spain, and Belgium. “What motivates me the most in my work is the impact we have: over 10 million people have gathered thanks to our company. And in times of crisis, the revenue generated by these groups allows restaurants to stay afloat,” highlights Nicolas Furlani. However, the entrepreneur reminds us: “In entrepreneurship, resilience is essential because there are always crises to overcome; it’s never a smooth journey.”
While now living in Paris, Nicolas doesn’t hesitate to return to the Southwest whenever the opportunity arises.
