The fintech Ezio wants to become the universal wallet for home carers

The Vendée-based fintech wants to establish itself as the dematerialised wallet for carers in the booming directed payment market. It has just completed a €400,000 fundraising round. This should enable it to accelerate the deployment of its solution on the French and European personal services market.

FACTS

• Launched at the end of 2020 after a year of development, Ezio is a fintech based in Vendée. It currently has 7 employees in its team.

• To make everyday purchases easier and more secure, the fintech has developed a dematerialised payment solution, which works like a bank account associated with a multi-user payment card.

• The service has already been adopted by 200 agencies and associations providing personal assistance, including Âge d'or services, the O2 group, Apef and Générale des services.

• To accelerate commercial adoption, Ezio has raised €400,000 to consolidate its position as a universal wallet for carers.

• Ezio is a partner of Orange Bank. The start-up is remunerated in the form of a subscription; it achieved a turnover of €150,000 in its second year of operation. It is now aiming to double this figure and become profitable by 2023.

CHALLENGES

• Helping carers: paying for shopping when you are a carer at home can create problems of organisation, control and security. Each establishment, which brings together professionals responsible for supporting vulnerable people, sets up its own solution with the beneficiary: blank cheque, loaned bank card, cash or deposit, etc. All these solutions are neither secure nor supervised. Ezio therefore provides a solution by regulating these uses.

• A wider deployment in France: Ezio's objective is to deploy its solution more widely in France in the field of personal services, but also in all related markets where a legal representative makes payments on behalf of an underprivileged person, whether it is an establishment for the disabled, a rest home, or a temporary accommodation facility.

• International launch planned for 2023: Ezio also plans to launch its first tests in Europe at the end of 2023, starting with Germany, Spain and Belgium. Through partnerships with Banking-as-a-Service platforms, Ezio will be able to have its own payment accounts and associated cards in each of these countries.

MARKET PERSPECTIVE

• The Ehpad is not the only solution to the problem of dependency. Older people who are still independent and in good health can remain at home in good company. This second option is promoted by Ouihelp, a startup that connects caregivers and families. Founded in 2016, Ouihelp has developed an algorithm to find the most suitable assistant (household help, shopping) and find a quick alternative to cancel household help at the last minute.

• Several companies offer solutions that facilitate or improve the life of elderly people who remain at home. Mamie-Boom is a solution set up by students to break isolation, for example. This startup was born in December 2020, in the middle of a health crisis.

• Accompanying the elderly in loss of autonomy in care and daily life. This is what GoodCare aims to do with an online platform that allows them to connect with service providers that meet their needs. The startup offers several packages depending on the assistance the partner needs.