The company Baltis Capital, which was created by two KEDGE alumni raised 1.2 million euros in 2016!

After spending his youth in Paris, Lille, Italie, Germany, and Hong Kong, Alexandre Toussaint graduated with a Masters in Economics and Business Management from the Sorbonne in Paris. He then decided to pursue a second Masters in Real Estate and Wealth Management at the IMPI at KEDGE Business School in 2012. There, he met Clément Dornier, another KEDGE alumnus, who later became his business partner. 

He then did several internships in the real estate industry. "I started my career as a real estate advisor specialising in the area around La Défense, in Paris, in a large real estate consulting company. Then I became the Ile-de-France Manager for a property company, which develops investment funds in commercial real estate for private investors." 

Eighteen months ago, Alexandre decided to leave his comfortable position to create Baltis Capital.

The idea for his company came from a simple question, "How can you invest 5,000 € in a way that is not only simple, but also transparent and profitable?" Indeed, a Livret A savings account only earns 0.75%, life insurance is becoming less and less profitable, and the stock exchange is quite volatile; therefore, the question warrants consideration. Real estate? Unfortunately, it isn't accessible when you only have 5,000 € in savings... 

He then came up with the idea to create a platform for all those who have 5,000 € in savings and who want to invest in real estate. The goal is to bring them together so that they can jointly purchase property and share the rent revenues every year. "It represents a yearly return on investment of between 6 and 7%" Alexandre explains. 

In more concrete terms, Baltis Capital is a commercial real estate crowdfunding platform. "We specialise solely in commercial real estate, in other words, the walls of a bakery, pharmacy, fish shop... We also offer a second investment solution: the Club Deal, which is for groups of friends who want to invest in commercial real estate together," explains Alexandre. "We take care of everything: creating the ICS, identifying and analysing the property, negotiating the bank loan, and rental and administrative management for 15 years!" 

And it is working! In its first year of operation (2016), Baltis Capital raised 1.2 million euros and Alexandre has big plans for 2017: "Our goal for 2017 is to raise seven million."

Baltis Capital was also named Coup de Cœur 2016 during the 2016 SIEC Fair (yearly commercial real estate fair). Since 2014,  Alexandre has also been a member of the RICS, a professional organisation which aims to regulate and promote real estate professions. He has been very involved with the organisation for the past three years and was just named Youth Manager for RICS (the Matrics).

What does Alexandre remember most about KEDGE BS?

"My time at the IMPI brought me a great deal. On top of a dual expertise in real estate and wealth management, which I use every day in my job, I also met my partner and co-founder at Baltis Capital. Indeed, Clément Dornier also graduated from the IMPI, class of 2012. Today he is a tax specialist and accountant and has been working with me on developing Baltis Capital since day one.

My academic advisor, Éric Pichet, has also been following Baltis Capital's development since day one. He gives us advice and shares his ideas, and he even participated in one of our operations: the purchase of a bakery in the Yvelines! "

His advice for recent graduates?

"Entrepreneurship is a great human and intellectual adventure. But you must keep in mind that it requires discipline, energy, the ability to quickly bounce back from initial failures, as well as sacrifices in your schedule. 

If I had to give three tips: 

• If you have an idea: go for it! Don't worry, we aren't born an entrepreneur, we become one! 
• Surround yourself with people that can give you advice and support you in the long term
• Start out small, but think big!"

Are you interested in Baltis Capital's offer? Every Friday, the company organises a breakfast meeting open to all at its offices at 8:30 am at 55 rue La Boétie, in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. It's a wonderful opportunity to learn about ongoing and upcoming operations, discuss real estate, and meet!  

Don't hesitate to contact Alexandre: alexandre.toussaint@baltis-capital.fr

To learn more:

• Article in Le Parisien
• Article in BFM Business
• Baltis Capital's Facebook Page
• Baltis Capital's Twitter Account 
• Baltis Capital's Linkedin Page

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