About us

Nearbound is the most effective approach today.

An effective market approach playbook involves leveraging an ecosystem.

Convincing a customer is much easier when an existing intimate and trusting relationship can be leveraged. Partnering with other players, whether they are service providers (Agents) or software vendors (Tech Vendors), makes the packaged solution more attractive and results in much higher conversion rates, lower acquisition costs, but also higher customer satisfaction and retention.

Developing an ecosystem makes companies more profitable but also more resilient. Moreover, investing in ecosystems is equivalent to sowing the seeds of potential strategic mergers.

VenKuni helps growing technology companies develop commercial and strategic partnerships.

VenKuni is the concatenation of Venki and Kune, which in Esperanto translates to "Win Together."

VenKuni helps its clients design their partnership strategy, including prioritizing partnership options, formalizing the plan up to the legal framework, and integrating it into the organization (roles, processes, and systems). VenKuni assists in the effective deployment of the program by identifying targets and, if desired, by handling initial conversations and/or partnership negotiations on behalf of or in collaboration with its client.

Partnership strategies often focus on partner recruitment parameters. However, clear goal setting and partnership activation are critical elements for the success of such a strategy. VenKuni helps its clients understand all the elements required to ensure long-term success.

It is common for a company to have already entered into partnerships opportunistically when VenKuni intervenes. After designing a genuine partnership strategy, VenKuni helps deploy the program and can assist in renegotiating previously agreed-upon conditions with certain partners to ensure overall consistency and smooth partnership operations as the ecosystem develops.

VenKuni is not a typical consulting firm. We are pragmatic and hands-on.

One of VenKuni's differentiating elements is its pragmatic approach that takes into account the reality of the field.

VenKuni was founded and led by André Lejeune, who has extensive experience as the CEO of Selligent (Marketing Cloud), whose success was made possible through various types of partnerships during its development. In all VenKuni projects, André is systematically involved in strategic discussions, surrounded by other experts with extensive experience gained during their careers in technology companies.

In the course of their work, VenKuni uses and shares models that facilitate strategic discussions. The first model facilitates the mapping of the commercial landscape (providers of solutions/services active in the targeted market segment), while the second model helps identify potential complementarities to deduce the right partnership model.

Partnership is a strategy, not a mission, not a department.

VenKuni does not intend to remain involved in the long term A typical VenKuni project systematically foresees the program being taken over by active personnel within the company. VenKuni recommends that partnership strategy be supported by all functions of a company.

Many factors come into play when defining the right partnership strategy: the expectations of the targeted customers, the type of solution, the average contract value, market maturity, competition, the presence of actors in this market, the client's ambitions, financial strategy, willingness to let third parties handle some customer integration and retention services, etc.

Our extensive experience allows us to appreciate the advantages and disadvantages of various partnership models. We have designed comprehensive frameworks covering commercial, legal, and financial aspects. Beyond traditional reseller models, we often recommend collaborative selling (co-selling) models to SaaS companies. We are capable of thinking outside the box and proposing original models with significant but lesser-known advantages.

The strategy and priorities defined for the domestic market can apply to the market where expansion is envisaged; however, the strategy and priorities must be reconsidered if the landscape is substantially different.

For clients wishing to expand internationally while minimizing financial risks, VenKuni has developed a Franchise model, which involves signing agreements with local entrepreneurs who develop the brand in a specific market. This strikes a delicate balance between alignment with the client's strategy and independence to define the right priorities for market-specific business development.

In turn, the representative can receive assistance from the VenKuni team in developing a local ecosystem. These agreements may include the possibility for our client to acquire the entity developed by the local entrepreneur when the time is right.

VenKuni offers its services to founders of growing technology companies who are convinced of the opportunity to develop a comprehensive partnership strategy.