How did Hugo Bentz co-found 32 companies, including 6 with sales in excess of €1m?

Creating a profitable business is already quite a challenge. But to co-create 32 brands, including 6 with sales in excess of one million euros, is nothing short of entrepreneurial genius. Hugo Bentz has succeeded in this crazy challenge. 👀

But how did this serial entrepreneur manage to string together a string of successes? ⭐️

Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at his success (and some practical lessons for you).

Fasten your seatbelts, we’re about to get things moving! 🏎️

Who is Hugo Bentz?

Before being a serial entrepreneur, Hugo Bentz is above all a content creator on LinkedIn. 🚀
With over 56,000 subscribers, he has established himself as one of the most influential content creators in the French startup scene.

His most successful posts?

• Threads in which he discusses his entrepreneurial successes and failures.
• Concrete feedback on business creation.
• More personal formats where he shares his vision of branding and innovation.

On the business side, Hugo Bentz isn’t just a LinkedIn creator. Since he started out in 2010, he has co-founded 32 companies in a variety of sectors:

• 👕 Textile.
• 💻 Digital.
• 📣 lnfluence marketing.

Of these, 6 exceeded one million euros in sales 💸 .

This just goes to show that his method isn’t just LinkedIn talk, but a real growth-generating machine.

Let’s go behind the scenes of some of his most emblematic creations! 📈

6 companies with sales in excess of $1m

1. Kymono – When textiles tell the story of your corporate culture

Kymono is probably Hugo Bentz’s most famous creation. 👘

Specializing in personalized corporate clothing, the company has made corporate image both trendy and meaningful. In 2023, it posted impressive sales of 7.49 million euros.

2. La Piscine – Branding and printing on a grand scale

With sales of 2.9 million euros in 2018, La Piscine has established itself as a benchmark in the textile printing sector. It has supported companies in their visual identity with creativity and efficiency. 🌊

The concept? To create a “creative factory” capable of assisting companies with all their visual communication needs:

• Textile printing (t-shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags).
• Advertising objects.
• Event support.

It’s like a swimming pool where all brands come to plunge their ideas and emerge with a coherent visual identity. 🏊🏼‍♂️

3. Kermess – Student entrepreneurial passion

Kermess was a real success, with sales exceeding one million in its first year. 🤯

Launched on the student market, the company offers personalized clothing (hoodies, t-shirts, caps) for associations, schools and BDEs.

The idea was simple but powerful: Give students a real sense of belonging, through clothing designed for their generation.

4. Kapsul – Test before you sell in supermarkets

Kapsul is the “coup d’avance” project. 👀

The idea is simple: to create short-circuit textile capsules (sold exclusively in supermarkets and hypermarkets).

Rather than plunging headlong into retail, Hugo and his team used Kapsul as a testing ground.
They launched test products in stores like Leclerc and Auchan, measured customer reaction, and kept only what worked.

A “test & learn” model applied to the retail sector, which enabled us to achieve sales of $1 million in the first year.

5. Araok – Responsible textile sourcing

The company specializes in responsible textile sourcing, with a transparent and optimized supply chain. 👀

The aim: to offer companies quality products, while respecting environmental and social criteria.

In its first year, Araok posted net earnings of $229,000.

Proof that ethics and profitability can go hand in hand. 💪🏼

👉 Where others were content with greenwashing, Araok relied on rigorous cost and supplier management.

6. Le Plongeoir – Innovative strategic consulting

Finally, with Le Plongeoir, Hugo has proved that it’s not just about the product or the textile. 🪂

This strategy consulting agency supports growing companies, with a very pragmatic approach: no endless PowerPoint slides, but clear, actionable plans that are monitored over time.

In 2021, Le Plongeoir posted net income of $45,600.

Its name aptly illustrates its mission: to help companies take the plunge (“the plunge”) but with a solid strategic net. 🤿

The common ingredients of Hugo Bentz’s success

Each Hugo Bentz company has its own identity, but there are certain keys to success that are always present: 👇🏼

• 🔥 In-depth market knowledge: precisely identifying the needs of potential customers.
• 🎨 S trong, bold branding: immediately recognizable and attractive brands.
• 📊 A mastery of numbers: decisions always established on concrete results and precise analysis.
• 🤝 Solid partnerships: knowing how to surround yourself with the right people is crucial to large-scale success.

Finally, Hugo doesn’t just create brands, he also builds his own personal brand. On LinkedIn, he counts no less than 1 million views a month, sharing his successes, failures and processes on a daily basis. 😇

What you can apply to your entrepreneurial journey

Here are some practical tips inspired by Hugo Bentz:

• 1️⃣ Test your market quickly: adopt the “test and learn” method to limit risks.
• 2️⃣ Take care with your branding: your visual identity and storytelling must appeal to your target audience.
• 3️⃣ Surround yourself intelligently: choose complementary partners who share your vision.
• 4️⃣ Stay close to your customers: understand and anticipate their expectations so you can offer them the right products.

How about a recap?

You guessed it: 32 co-created brands, 6 with sales in excess of one million euros, and above all, an extraordinary capacity to test, learn, pivot and bounce back.

Hugo Bentz didn’t just launch businesses, he saw them through, optimized them and knew how to start from scratch when he had to. 👀

So, now it’s your turn:

• Launch ideas without delay. 💡
• Learn from each one. 📝
• Tell your story and create a bond. 🔗

Frequently asked questions

How does Hugo Bentz structure its business model?

It’s simple: he relies on his startup-studio La Chapelle, where he applies a “test & learn” method: launch micro-brands (up to 32 already launched), rapidly validate the market, scale up the most promising, and systematize the creation of around 3-5 projects per year. 📆

Why does Hugo Bentz prefer several €1 million companies to a single €10 million one?

Hugo prefers resilience and diversity to single risk. By multiplying projects, he maximizes the chances of success, limits the impact of any failure, and capitalizes on repetition and learning. 📊

What is La Chapelle, Hugo Bentz’s startup studio?

La Chapelle is a startup studio + agency founded by Hugo in 2022.

The goal? 🤔

Create 3 to 5 new businesses a year, supporting them from idea to launch. It’s an organized, industrialized model of business creation, where each project is :

• Tested.
• Validated.
• Extensively developed.

On the media side, La Chapelle also produces quality content through its Substack newsletter, which boasts thousands of subscribers.

The podcast, meanwhile, welcomes over 150 entrepreneurs, with daily broadcasts. 🎬

In the same way as Hugo Bentz, always aim for simplicity, authenticity and action. 👋🏽