Mid-December 2024. It is between two stages of a pilgrimage to the island of Shikoku, in Japan, that Thomas Querton announces to us, with a touch of emotion, that he is closing the chapter opened eight years earlier in San Francisco Bay. “I am proud of the impact we have had with atlasGO, he confides. In eight years, several hundred thousand people have contributed to their well-being while raising more than 25 million euros for environmental and social causes.”.
A (brief) marriage with Tero
One year after integration into the Tero group (founded by the Lhoist brothers), the new shareholders concluded a deal with United Heroes. AtlasGO’s marriage with Tero was therefore short-lived… “It was not planned, explains Thomas Querton. With the Tero teams, we were able to reorganize the company, expand our offering and our customer base, but we underestimated the complexity of combining their business with a digital product.”.
The Belgian group Tero takes on board the start-up AtlasGO and aims to double in size
Concerned about “do things well and thoroughly”Thomas Querton personally took care, with the help of the new CEO of teroGO Geoffrey Nève, of the passing of the torch from atlasGO/teroGO to United Heroes. “As co-founder and former CEO of atlasGO, I had a responsibility – towards our customers, our teams, our investors – to ensure that we found the best piece of the puzzle to allow the adventure to continue”.
Founded in 2017, United Heroes has developed a wellness and sports application for businesses. Or an app very similar to atlasGO. “He is a competitor who has always done his job very well and whom I have always respected”underlines Thomas Querton. “This is why we chose United Heroes, because we know that they will take care of our customers as well as we do”. United Heroes has more than 450,000 active users in 150 countries; more than 600 companies and organizations (PwC, Castorama, LVMH, Decathlon, Vinci Énergies, etc.) have already used the application.
A single shadow on the board
Established in Paris and Madrid, United Heroes will now be more active in Belgium. “Our alliance is based on common values and beliefs around the commitment of employees, the collective and positive impact. Together, we will be able to strengthen our presence in the Benelux”rejoices Elsa Feugueur, partner and commercial director of United Heroes. This union allows United Heroes to expand its portfolio by nearly 100 active clients in Europe and the United States, with a strong presence in Belgium.
gull“Despite the fact that the fifteen or so private investors, of which I am one, do not emerge with any added value, we remain proud of the social return on our investment!”
When cutting the cord with atlasGO, Thomas Querton, now based in Portugal where he is developing a very innovative artistic project, says he “learned a lot from hundreds of mistakes made” since its beginnings in San Francisco. Was the main failure not being able to make AtlasGO a financial success? “Oui, he confesses. Initially, I wanted to do a Strava for Good, with both a societal and financial return. We tried so many different models. Today, it is time to pass the baton and turn the page with dignity. Despite the fact that the fifteen or so private investors, of which I am one, do not emerge with any added value, we remain proud of the social return on our investment!”.
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