The blueprint

Scaling smart: how Kolsquare became Europe's influencer powerhouse

What really happens after you join forces with a larger group?  Quentin Bordage is the Founder and CEO of team.blue brand Kolsquare, one of Europe’s leading influencer marketing platforms. It helps brands and agencies discover, manage and measure collaborations with creators across social media.  In 2024, Quentin made a decision many founders wrestle with: joining a larger group to accelerate growth.  In the first episode of the blueprint Season 2, Michelle Grieve, Senior PMI Manager at team.blue, sits down with Quentin to discuss what has really changed since Kolsquare joined the team.blue ecosystem.  They discuss rapid growth, international expansion, M&A strategy, founder autonomy, and how the right ecosystem can accelerate a company’s trajectory.  In just 18 months since joining team.blue, Kolsquare has:  • Grown from 35 to 140 people  • Completed three strategic acquisitions across Europe  • Built its own post-merger integration engine  • Accelerated toward an ambition of €100M ARR  In this episode, we discuss:  • The real challenges of scaling after product-market fit  • Why Quentin chose to partner with team.blue  • How founders can grow faster while keeping autonomy  • The power of a community of entrepreneurs  Whether you're building a digital startup, exploring M&A, or thinking about your next stage of growth, this conversation offers practical insights from a founder doing it in real time.  About the blueprint  The blueprint brings you the stories of tech entrepreneurs who joined team.blue to accelerate their growth in Europe’s digital ecosystem.  🎧 Follow the podcast to hear more founder stories shaping the future of European tech.

Keep Swimming: How Metricool grew from a living room project to over 3 million users

In this episode of The blueprint, we sit down with Laura Montells and Juan Pablo Tejela, the founders of Metricool, the all-in-one social media management tool trusted by over 3 million users worldwide.  From bootstrapping their company from their living room to leading a fully remote team of 120 people, Laura and Juan Pablo share their journey, the lessons learned from Finding Nemo and Ted Lasso, and how joining team.blue is helping Metricool expand globally.  Tune in to discover how confidence, trust, and small, steady steps can turn a side project into an international success story.  🎙️ Listen now on the blueprint, stories of entrepreneurs who joined team.blue to take their growth to the next level.  Follow team.blue on LinkedIn [nkedin.com/company/teamblue/] to stay connected with more stories, insights, and entrepreneurial journeys from across our ecosystem.

Compliance, Grit, and Growth: The iubenda story with Andrea Giannangelo

In this episode of .blueprint  we sit down with Andrea Giannangelo, founder of iubenda, a team.blue brand, to hear the story behind one of Europe’s leading compliance platforms. Andrea shares how the idea for iubenda first came to life during his university days, the challenges of building a company while juggling side jobs, and the long journey to seeing real returns.  He opens up about what it was like to join team.blue, the unexpected benefits that came with being part of a larger group, and how the partnership has empowered him to grow personally and professionally — and came full circle — from being acquired to acquiring others.  Tune in for an inspiring and honest conversation about entrepreneurship, resilience, and what happens when innovation meets the right ecosystem.  #teamblue #blueprint #entrepreneurship #SaaSfounders #DigitalSuccess

Building helloCash Together: A Story of Partnership and Growth

In this episode of the blueprint, we speak with Anna Zalesak, co-founder of helloCash, a leading provider of digital point-of-sale (POS) and cash register software for SMBs. Anna shares the story of how helloCash started, what it’s been like since joining the team.blue family, and the realities of running a business with her husband. From entrepreneurship to teamwork and growth, this conversation offers an honest look at building a company together.  #blueprint #entrepreneurship #teamblue #SaaSfounders

Scaling Digital Success: The vision behind team.blue with Jonas Dhaenens

Join Jonas Dhaenens, Founder and President of team.blue [https://team.blue/], in the third episode of .blueprint for online success. From starting Combell [https://www.combell.com/en/] as a teenage entrepreneur to building team.blue into one of Europe’s leading digital enablers, Jonas shares the story behind the growth — and what’s next. He talks about the vision driving team.blue’s ecosystem of brands, what makes it a unique partner for SaaS entrepreneurs and online businesses, and how it’s helping simplify online success for millions of SMBs.