Clipperton, together with Endeavor, organized an event in Madrid, Spain for entrepreneurs of the Endeavor network. Ben Askew-Renaut, CEO of Packlink, and Pablo Fernández, CEO of Clicars.com, shared their experience and process of selling their companies with the audience.
The Spanish tech ecosystem is experiencing strong growth dynamics: in 2021, entrepreneurs were riding on a strong funding wave, including several mega-rounds. Many acquisitions of Spanish tech companies were also announced – including the acquisition of Packlink, acquired by Auctane, a US-based player. In this buoyant context, Endeavor and Clipperton hosted a session on how founders contemplating the sale of their company prepare and execute their exit: Ben Askew-Renaut and Pablo Fernández discussed how they’ve led their companies through a successful strategic exit and the pros and cons of being advised in this process.
Feel free to discover some impressions of the event below!
About Endeavor
Endeavor is a global organization that selects and supports high-impact entrepreneurs to catalyze their long-term projection. Through its offices, present in 38 countries on 5 continents, Endeavor identifies entrepreneurs who lead fast-growing companies and helps them maximize their potential through an unmatched network of mentors and allies.
About Ben Askew-Renaut
Ben Askew-Renaut is the co-founder and CEO of Packlink, Europe’s leading multi-carrier SMB shipping company connecting more than 250K online merchants with over 80 carriers globally. The company was founded in 2012, and sold in 2021 to Auctane. Ben founded his first company, Authentika France in 1999, a food distribution business which he sold to SDV Group in 2001. He moved to logistics and transportation software and held management positions in sales and marketing at OMI and Retalix, before joining Tecsys, an ERP software company quoted on the Canadian stock exchange. Ben holds an MSc in Management from the London School of Economics.
About Pablo Fernández
Pablo Fernandez is the co-founder and CEO of Clicars.com, a €100M profitable online platform that enables users to finance, buy and sell refurbished cars through a more transparent and digital experience. Leader of online car sales in Spain, it was acquired by AramisAuto.com in 2017. Prior to that, Pablo founded Becasfacil, the largest scholarships website in Spain. He then joined Santander Bank in the investment banking division and the global CFO office and became the youngest Executive Vice President (Head of Strategy & CEO Office Director) at Santander U.S. Pablo is an investor in more than 30 startups and completed the General Management Program at Harvard Business School.
About Clipperton
Clipperton is a leading investment bank dedicated to technology and growth companies. We provide strategic and financial advisory to entrepreneurs, corporates, and top-tier investors in Europe willing to execute transactions such as strategic M&A, private equity transactions, and private placements. Founded in 2003 and with offices in Paris, London, Berlin, Munich, New York, and Beijing, Clipperton has completed over 300 M&A and private placement transactions with fast-growing technology start-ups, blue-chip corporates, and renowned financial investors.