Startup Networking Workshop, Station F (Paris), Wednesday 25th February 2026

A recap of FlexUp’s first in-person startup networking workshop in Paris

On the 25th February 26, we hosted our first in-person FlexUp Startup Networking workshop at Station F in Paris.

Station F is often described as Europe’s largest startup campus, and it’s exactly the kind of place where founders come to build, test, and iterate fast. That made it the perfect setting for what we’re trying to do with these workshops: bring entrepreneurs together to discuss the real challenges of structuring a business when resources are limited and uncertainty is high.

This article is not a transcript of the workshop. It’s a structured recap of the case studies and the discussion dynamic.

Note: to preserve confidentiality, we’ve changed the names of the entrepreneurs and some details of their projects. The core challenges and solutions discussed are real, but the specific numbers and scenarios are illustrative.

Why we run these workshops

Early-stage startups don’t usually fail because founders don’t work hard. They fail because the structure breaks before the product has time to mature:

• Co-founder splits are agreed too early (or too emotionally)
• Hiring is delayed because there isn’t enough cash
• Suppliers demand full payment upfront
• Investors push for valuation discussions before the reality is clear
• Partnerships don’t happen because incentives can’t be aligned

FlexUp exists to make these conversations more practical. Instead of arguing about percentages and hypothetical valuations, we focus on something founders can actually measure today:

• What value is being contributed (cash, work, time, risk)
• How to split remuneration between cash and equity
• How to keep control while still rewarding early supporters

The in-person dynamic at Station F

We had a small group (6 participants), and that made the discussion unusually open.

A few things stood out:

• The meeting didn’t feel like a pitch event. It felt like a working session.
• Participants built on each other’s ideas and challenged assumptions in real time.
• The most valuable moments came from concrete numbers (prices, costs, scenarios), not theory.
• By the end, everyone wanted to stay connected, so we agreed to create a WhatsApp group and meet again.

What I personally found most energizing is that every entrepreneur’s situation was different, yet the same underlying question kept coming back:

“How do I get the resources I need now, without creating a structure I’ll regret later?”

Case study 1 – Clara: from 1:1 supplement coaching to a B2B2C clinic/hospital platform

Clara is a European entrepreneur with an investment banking background who later specialized in evidence-based supplement plans. She has already been coaching clients one-on-one and building visibility, including strong traction in the Middle East.

Now she’s building a platform and app that translates personal health context, goals, and blood tests into research-backed supplement protocols. The platform is designed to:

• collect individual data on health & wellness context and goals through a questionnaire
• combine it with blood test results
• generate personalized, evidence-based supplement recommendations, including precise form, dosage, safety considerations, and a simple daily schedule

The immediate challenge: building the product without over-scoping

Clara received a quote of about €20,000 to build the full application. One scenario we discussed was working with a development partner under a hybrid structure combining cash and equity — while avoiding premature dilution.

For example:

• 50% cash
• 50% equity (e.g., “€10,000 worth of equity”, rather than “X% of the company”) And importantly, using a redeemable structure where she can buy back the equity later, under pre-agreed terms.

In the workshop, we discussed an illustrative rule-of-thumb logic for buybacks (purely as an example, not a recommendation):

• buyback price = at least 2× the cash-equivalent amount, plus 25% per year

This type of structure can be reused not only with developers, but also for early team members, creating flexibility when cash is constrained.

The strategic opportunity: B2B2C distribution via clinics or hospitals

The more original angle in Clara’s case was the B2B2C distribution model:

• a clinic/hospital is the paying client
• the provider then offers the service to patients as part of preventive care.

We explored an illustrative pricing logic such as:

• target license price: €10,000 / year per provider
• if the provider runs 1,000 protocols per year, license cost is €10 per protocol
• if the provider runs 10,000 protocols per year, license cost is €1 per protocol

But early on, Clara needs growth funding. So we explored a structure where the clinic/hospital pays more upfront, and receives a “future discount” via equity:

• clinic/hospital pays €50,000 initially
• Clara gives back €40,000 worth of equity

The clinic/hospital is effectively taking risk upfront to help the product exist. In return, if the platform scales, the hospital’s “extra” €40,000 can generate upside (and can also be redeemed later if the company chooses to buy it back).

A second growth path: a premium coaching network

Finally, we discussed that Clara can maintain a premium 1-on-1 offer for high-end clients. One longer-term expansion strategy is to train and certify other coaches so they can deliver the service locally.

A practical way to help finance the platform’s development is to let these coaches “invest” through higher royalties initially. For example:

• a coach pays a higher royalty early on (e.g., 30% vs. a long-term target like 10%)
• the “extra” royalty effectively becomes an investment into the platform
• the coaches become associates with a direct incentive to help the overall business grow

Case study 2 – Marco: turning suppliers into aligned partners for a baby gifting platform

Marco is building a platform similar to a wedding registry, but for newborns. Instead of gifting toys that are redundant or unused, families can:

• donate money
• allow parents to buy what they actually need
• keep funds for the child
• potentially invest long term (e.g., education)

Marco can use flexible cash + equity deals to hire a team and build the platform. But the most interesting angle we discussed was partnerships with suppliers.

Aligning incentives with suppliers

If Marco’s platform sells baby products (strollers, furniture, etc.), suppliers can become more than “vendors.” They can become strategic partners.

An illustrative example discussed:

• stroller costs ~€500
• instead of paying the supplier €500 in cash, Marco pays:
  • €250 cash
  • €250 worth of equity

This does two things at once:

• it preserves cash for platform development
• it turns a supplier into someone who benefits from the platform’s long-term success, not only from today’s sale

The practical next step after a workshop like this

A workshop is intentionally high-level and exploratory. The value comes from discovering plausible scenarios. The next step is to make them concrete.

For participants, the process discussed was:

1. Review FlexUp resources (case studies, tutorials, videos) and try the app in sandbox mode
2. Pick 2–3 use cases and put real numbers on paper (cash, equity, timing)
3. Come back to FlexUp for a detailed simulation and contract-ready scenario
4. Use that scenario to engage partners (hospitals, developers, suppliers, employees, investors)

Want to join our next workshop?

• If you’re working on a startup or with startups, and dealing with questions on how to structure your project and collaboration with co-founder, team members and partners, join one of our upcoming sessions: www.flexup.org/events

Further reading

• Workshop archive: www.flexup.org/blog/workshops-8
• Explore more case studies and resources on www.flexup.org/case-studies