Johnny Boufarhat on fundraising
From My Story. Johnny Boufarhat - Founder @ Hopin · · UPPSTART
“Investors work on warm intros, so conferences and meeting ex-founders are the best way to get introduced — I raised $150,000 from a couple of angels and Seedcamp in London.”
On , Johnny Boufarhat, CEO & Founder at Hopin, spoke about fundraising during My Story. Johnny Boufarhat - Founder @ Hopin on UPPSTART.
About Johnny Boufarhat
Johnny Boufarhat, founder and CEO of Hopin, has spoken extensively about the company's rapid growth and his personal journey. He stated that his motivation for creating Hopin stemmed from his own experience with an autoimmune disease that left him housebound, making it difficult to attend in-person events. Boufarhat has described the company's growth from a small team to over 500 employees, and has discussed the company's valuation and fundraising, noting that his first fundraise took several months and was difficult to secure. He has emphasized that the company's focus is on creating accessible online and hybrid events, and has cited a 73% turnout rate for Hopin events compared to an industry-wide 22% for webinars. Boufarhat has shared his views on company culture and management, stating that "culture follows a founder" and that a founder's behavior sets the tone for the company. He has advocated for remote work, saying that for early-stage companies it is often the right decision because it allows for global talent acquisition<｜begin▁of▁file｜>. He has also discussed the importance of hiring, stating that a CEO's primary job is to be the best hirer. Boufarhat has described the company's approach to acquisitions, noting that they screen for cultural fit beforehand Mend. He has also commented on the future of events, predicting that the majority will be either virtual or physical, with about 30% being hybrid.