Entrepreneurs Loan
Non-dilutive financing. Zero interest. No guarantee required.
Increase your equity on a non-dilutive basis with our Entrepreneurs Loan.
€10M loaned to entrepreneurs each year with no interest or personal guarantee.
Up to €150k per startup & €60k per associate
12-month deferral & 48 months for repayment
Interest-free loan with no guarantee required
Our Entrepreneurs Loan are transferred directly to the startup associates to help finance their launch.
The exclusive advantages of our Entrepreneurs Loan
Increase your startup equity without diluting your capital.
Increase your startup equity without diluting your capital.
Finance expenses to drive your growth.
Finance expenses to drive your growth.
Use them to leverage additional financing opportunities.
Use them to leverage additional financing opportunities.
Loans since WILCO’s founding
0
M€
in loans issued
100
startups supported
100
entrepreneurs financed
Annual financing for startups
0
M€
in loans issued
0
startups supported
0
entrepreneurs financed
WILCO Île-De-France Entrepreneurs Loan Fund
CREATED IN 2001
Fund objective:
Finance the commercial launch of young, innovative companies in the Ile de France region by providing them with zero-interest loans.
Fund recipients :
Operational associate entrepreneurs at startups accelerated by WILCO.
FUND FINANCING
- Total endowment: €29M
-
Financed through Entrepreneurs Loan repayment
(95% repayment rate).
SINCE 2011
80M€
in loans issued
1425
startups financed
3400
entrepreneurs supported
Fund financed by
Fund financed by
FEDER Entrepreneur Loan Fund
CREATED IN OCTOBER 2017
Fund objective :
Top up financing for the commercial launch of young, innovative non-industrial companies in Ile de France (Paris region).
Bénéficiaire du fonds :
Operational associate entrepreneurs at startups accelerated by WILCO and already supported by the WILCO Île-De-France Entrepreneur Loan Fund.
FUND FINANCING
- Total endowments: €8.11M
-
Financed through the repayment of Entrepreneurs Loan
(95% repayment rate).
SINCE 2011
6,71M€
in loans issued
288
startups financed
678
entrepreneurs supported
WILCO benefits from European Union funding
3 WILCO projects are financed by European funds
ESF: European Social Fund
PROJECT 1
- ESF : IF0015426
- Project : Structure the development of young, innovative companies by financing and accelerating their commercial launch.
- Period : 2017-2018
- Amount : €643k
PROJECT 2
- ESF : IF0027018
- Project : Help startups during the seed stage to structure and finance their project without using capital.
- Period : 2019-2020
- Amount: :€631k
EDF: European Development Fund
PROJECT 3
- EDF : IF0010042
- Project : From VSB to innovative SME
- Period : November 2017 – December 2019
171
startups
1585
days of support
564
€210 EDF funds
A few words from the entrepreneurs who have benefited our loan
Julien Watry
Co-founder & CFO-Deputy CEO
We’re proud to have been selected by WILCO when Liberkeys was starting out, at a critical juncture for the structure of our development. The advice received from their specialists helped us consider the best opportunities and stay one step ahead of the competition. What’s more, the €150k financing provided by WILCO allowed us to raise €1M from investors and recruit a technical team. WILCO is the ideal partner for moving from startup to scaleup. Our advice? Go for it with WILCO!
A few words from the entrepreneurs who have benefited our loan
Sébastien Bequart
CEO & Cofounder
Being selected by WILCO was the first victory for the GYMLIB team. We quickly benefited from a €40k loan, a significant contribution that enabled us to double our cash and finance the acquisition of our first clients. This also financed the first metrics for our marketing investments. We enjoyed meeting other entrepreneurs at the same growth stage who were facing similar challenges.
A few words from the entrepreneurs who have benefited our loan
Arnaud de Rohden
CEO & Cofounder
“One of elements that makes WILCO stand out is the Entrepreneurs Loan. It enabled us to finance our development, while boosting our equity to leverage other sources of financing.”
How exactly does the Entrepreneurs Loan work?
Everything you need to know about our loans
Who can obtain an Entrepreneurs Loan?
The loans can be taken out by operational associates with at least 5% capital in a startup chosen to participate in one of WILCO’s themed acceleration programs. The startup must be headquartered in Île-de-France and legally exist for fewerthan 3 years. The associates must add these funds to the company as capital or directly to their current account.
Who finances the Entrepreneurs Loan?
The first fund was initially financed by public partners (Europe, Île-de-France region and Bpifrance) and large corporations. Today, the loans are mainly financed by loan repayments from entrepreneurs – with a 95% repayment rate. The second funds, the EDF loan fund, top up the first funding loan and is financed by the European Union’s Development Fund and the Île-de-France region
How much can you borrow?
The maximum loan is €60k per associate with a minimum of €10k and up to €150k per startup. The average loan from WILCO is €100k per startup. The borrower may need to sign several Entrepreneur Loan contracts depending on the funding provided.
How is the loan repaid?
Repayments are made by each associate (borrower) and made over 48 months via monthly repayments, following a 12-month deferment period.
What do interest free and no guarantee mean?
This means there is no interest. The associate will only repay the amount borrowed. WILCO doesn’t require the borrower to provide a personal guarantee. However, the loan must be covered by Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) in the name of WILCO and at the expense of the borrower. The average cost of this insurance is €325 for a €50k loan.
What happens if the startup stops operating?
The loan is a personal loan, and the borrower is therefore liable for the full amount due. The loan can be covered by a guarantee from Bpifrance (this is the case for 75% of loans). This means that, if necessary, Bpifrance will repay (subject to eligibility criteria defined by Bpifrance) the amount due at the agreed guarantee rate (50-70%). To obtain this guarantee, the borrower will need to pay a commission to Bpifrance.
When do you receive the loan?
The loan is usually released 3-6 months after the startup has been selected for one of WILCO’s themed acceleration programs, and once the development plan has been presented to and validated by the acceleration committee. This committee comprises the same jury members who select the startups for our programs. The disbursement of the loan(s) takes place during a monthly event organized by WILCO, at which the recipients sign their loan contracts.