In September, Dan Serfaty, boss and co-founder, Lunati with Thierry, the French social network Viadeo, be domiciled in China, in Beijing. A symbol for this company that wants to accelerate its international development. And a challenge that this "outsider" is ready to meet face to be his great American rival, LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is under the spotlight since his introduction to the New York Stock Exchange in mid-May The first day of trading, the action of this social network on Wall Street was burning, valuing the company about $ 9 billion (6 billion). For his first appointment Financial Thursday, August 4, the group published results up sharply. In the second quarter, its sales reached $ 121 million (84 million), up 120% over the same period in 2010. LinkedIn, which claims 115 million members registered on its network, expects a turnover of $ 475 million in 2011.
Facebook faced the juggernaut that has rolled many social networks, some try to resist. Like LinkedIn, which chose not to fight on the same ground as his great rival. From the beginning, he wanted to bring together a professional community. No holiday snaps or evenings with friends, but descriptions of careers, classified ads or recruiters useful contacts for everyone in his profession.
The French Viadeo plays the card of professional network and boasts of being the leader in France, then to LinkedIn, but also in Spain and Italy. Founded in 2004, this site, which employs 300 people including 160 in Paris, has a boost to its international development since 2009. Two years earlier, Mr. Serfaty had met a Chinese entrepreneur who launched Tianji, a professional social network in China. Viadeo takes 10% stake in the Chinese company. This partnership will end in 2009 by a merger of two entities, the shareholders of Tianji entering the capital of Viadeo. A similar approach was undertaken in India as well as in South America. Result: one quarter of the capital of Viadeo is held by the shareholders of the three acquired companies. Viadeo now implanted in the Maghreb and Francophone Africa. "The missing piece now is Russia," says Serfaty who speaks with a Russian media group.
