Ecosystem Radar

Wilfried Durand's Journey from Paris to Sofia – Featured by Trending Topics

Wilfried Durand, co-founder of the €17.5M-funded French startup Mailjet, relocated to Sofia, Bulgaria, to launch a new venture and invest in the local startup ecosystem. In an interview with Trending Topics, Durand shares how he founded Onvey, started backing local startups, and became a co-founder of La French Tech Sofia — all while shifting from scale-up founder to product builder and ecosystem enabler.

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE

November 28, 2018

Wilfried Who Chose Sofia Over His €17M Startup in Paris and Started Investing in the Local Ecosystem

by Alexandra Kozbunarova

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Article Summary

After helping scale Mailjet into one of France’s and Europe leading email infrastructure startups, Wilfried Durand stepped away from operational duties and made an unexpected move: he relocated to Sofia, Bulgaria. Originally drawn to the country for customer support hiring, Durand quickly saw its broader potential.

He launched Onvey, a product studio aimed at building internal tools and business productivity apps. Alongside this, he began investing in early-stage Bulgarian startups, allocating €125K across three ventures: iGreet, SessionStack, and Puzl CowOrKing.

Durand’s investment approach is driven by community-building, not exit multiples. He avoids board seats and prefers to offer founders advice and infrastructure. Under Onvey, he launched two products — Pagescreen and Userpace — and plans to create a portfolio of compact, targeted SaaS tools.

Durand is also credited as a co-founder of La French Tech Sofia, supporting collaboration between French-speaking founders and Bulgaria’s growing digital economy. His journey reflects a commitment to long-term, values-driven entrepreneurship and a belief that Bulgaria is fertile ground for serious tech building.

Key Highlights

  • Wilfried Durand co-founded Mailjet, which raised €17.5M before he exited its operational team.
  • He moved to Sofia and launched Onvey, a lean venture builder focused on digital tools.
  • Durand invested €125K to date in Bulgarian startups including iGreet, SessionStack, or Puzl CowOrKing.
  • His investment philosophy centers on experience sharing and community support, not financial returns.
  • He co-founded La French Tech Sofia, bridging Bulgarian and French startup communities.

Takeaway

This article is a powerful example of how experienced founders are choosing Bulgaria not just for cost advantages, but for its talent, openness, and entrepreneurial energy.

Wilfried Durand’s story proves that Bulgaria is no longer just a support center — it’s a place where digital products, investment portfolios, and long-term startup ecosystems are being built.

As a co-founder of both a French scale-up and a Bulgarian product studio, Durand represents the kind of cross-border founder that defines the future of European tech.

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About Trending Topics

TrendingTopics.eu is a digital media platform covering startups, innovation, sustainability, and the digital economy across Europe, with a focus on Central and Eastern Europe.

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Onveyofficial

Onvey specializes in B2B SaaS (Software-as-a-Service), adding value to product and user-experience management. We aim at helping companies and entrepreneurs connecting their product, market and customers by delivering a stellar experience design and actionable insights.

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