Understanding what you put on your plate or on your body, a public health issue taken head-on by Yuka, the application with 43 million users in 12 countries. After major battles won in France, Julie Chapon and her associates decided to develop their notoriety in the United States by settling in New York. “We have succeeded in influencing the debate in France and wish to do the same in countries like the United States. », explains Julie Chapon who won the Entrepreneur Trophy from the French Trophies of the United States, awarded by Edhec Business School.
Who has never wondered what makes up the products we consume? Certainly not Julie Chapon! Co-founder of Yuka in 2017, the application which scans consumption to know its impact on health, became essential for 43 million users in 12 countries around the world. After reaching the milestone of one million users at the beginning of 2018, the entrepreneurial adventure becomes international in 2019. But there is no question of launching in blindly: “When Yuka launches into a new market, there are several key factors to take into account. The language since the entire application must be translated (…) but also the specificities that there will be, in particular when displaying the nutritional value. In the United States, we work by portion for example and the regulations are different depending on the State. » explains the CEO.
Julie Chapon and her associates in New York (credit: Portrait Madame)
A year to make a difference in the United States
In 2020, in the midst of confinement, Julie Chapon, François and Benoit Martin, founders of Yuka, launched the application in the United States. In 2022, following a video on TikTok, downloads accelerate to the point of reaching 500,000 new American users each month. “Overnight, there was a huge growth spike that took us a few hours to analyze. A TikTok video went viral and it had a snowball effect”, rejoices Julie. Interest continues to grow in a key market for the entrepreneur and her two partners.
In September 2023, the decision was made: they moved to New York to accelerate the development of Yuka. And for good reason, 10 million American users now use the application to discover the composition of thousands of everyday products, three-quarters of which are hygiene and cosmetic products, a specificity of the market across the Atlantic. “We are giving ourselves a year to see if our presence can allow us to further accelerate our growth, in particular by intervening with the American media. In France, we took off thanks to two levers: word of mouth and media coverage.” Attacking the United States is not done lightly, especially when the lobbies are so powerful. “We sized ourselves accordingly. This installation in the United States represents a real investment for the company,” explains the startuper, who surrounded herself with lawyers but also with a press relations agency to master American specificities.
Yuka, struggles and great successes
At the same time, Julie Chapon and her co-associates have not forgotten their actions for health, such as the petition calling for a ban on nitrites with the League against Cancer and foodwatch. More than 500,000 people signed the text, which led to measures from the French government. “We have succeeded in influencing the debate in France and wish to do the same in countries like the United States. » hopes Julie Chapon, who is however not ready to embark on another major legal battle after three years of proceedings in France. “Our challenge here is to develop our notoriety. 10 million users is a good start, but that’s still not a lot on the scale of the United States ».
L’alumni Edhec Business School is in any case already delighted with this first recognition across the Atlantic: the Entrepreneur Trophy from the French Trophies in the United States. A prize that rewards the hard work of an entire team: “I am honored to receive this trophy. I am proud to have developed an international project with so many users and having so many impacts, all with a small team of 12 people”. The co-founder is particularly proud of having propelled this French project onto the world stage without having been bought out. She tells us: “We want to make Yuka an international reference. »
2023-11-10 00:38:20
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