Comet achieved profitability as early as 2017, 1 year after its creation. The pandemic brought its activities to a halt, and they were only able to resume very gradually, returning to a stable level of activity by the end of Q1 2022*. 2021 was devoted to preparing the opening of its first locations outside France, in Brussels and Madrid. The company has taken advantage of its accumulated experience to develop new offerings, enabling companies to adapt to new work organization models, and to the economic challenges linked to office real estate. These developments are concentrated at Comet Bercy, the 8th site officially opened at the beginning of November 2022 in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. The new Comet Workplaces offering provides comprehensive, tailor-made solutions for companies that have opted for hybrid working.
"Right from Comet's creation, our concern was to commit to a model of reasoned growth, reconciling growth and profitability. At the time, this was a singular choice in a context of record fund-raising for French startups, and it had the virtue of forcing us to remain focused on the value we deliver to our customers. This is how we developed our new offerings, in particular Comet Workplaces. Customer acceptance is very natural, because we give them access to what they really want" , explains Victor Carreau, co-founder and CEO of Comet.
2022 sales: €27m (10 months of fiscal year)
8 directly-operated locations in Paris, Madrid and Brussels
3locations as a service operator in Paris
545,000 visitors since 2016
20,000 events since 2016
Workforce at 31.12.22: 170 including 46 new hires
While the core of Comet's offering is based on "Meetings", its historic and flagship solution, the company aims to accelerate its development with "Workplaces", its new offering designed to meet the new challenges facing decision-makers in terms of work organization and corporate real estate. In addition to the Comet Meetings space, the company's long-standing offering, Comet Bercy includes a vast plateau dedicated to the new Comet Workplaces offering. This pioneering space, designed to encourage collaboration, houses innovative corporate offices, enabling companies to pay only for the square meters they need, under ultra-flexible leases.
"100% telecommuting or 100% face-to-face work at head office are no longer models of team fulfillment and performance. Hybridization of organizations will continue to spread to meet these two objectives. After all, the company is a living organism, which must constantly adapt to new challenges and economic contexts. More and moredecision-makers are concerned about reducing their office space while offering their staff places dedicated to 'working well together', and today, Comet has a real answer to this," explains Victor Carreau, CEO of Comet.
After Brussels and Madrid, Comet will also be pursuing its expansion strategy in Europe, either to strengthen its presence in existing countries, or to move into new ones. On the latter point, it is currently targeting Italy and Germany. Comet's ambition is to open at least one new location in Europe per year, depending on the maturity of the markets addressed in terms of hybrid work.
*the takeover of 100% of Omicron's post-variant activities took place on 01/03/2022, i.e. 10 months of actual activity during the year.
