[FOCUS ENTREPRENEUR] He's a podcaster and is crowdfunding a medieval castle with his listeners! 

He's a podcaster and is crowdfunding a medieval castle with his listeners! 

The beginnings of the adventure

It took them over two years of research and 18 visits to find the nugget.

Jérémy met Martin on his podcast. They became friends and realized they had much in common: A love of beautiful stones, a taste for adventure, and enough madness to set themselves amazing challenges.

Arriving at the Domaine de Fontenay for the first time, they fell under the spell of the 13th-century building and the region and its people. 

"We were incredibly well received, by the family who have owned the property for 400 years, by the mayor of Fontenay-sur-Vègre and its inhabitants. It's nothing like our visits to other départements, where we've even been chased away!" 

On the estate, they are seduced by the immense vaulted cellar, the underground passages, the river, and the ruined mill, which could one day be used to produce their hydroelectricity. 

How to buy a château? 

The two friends are particularly complementary and already well-known in the real estate world.

After graduating in engineering from ESTP and ESCP, and spending time at Harvard and MIT, Martin co-founded Bevouac, a turnkey rental investment company.

Jérémy founded the Echoes Studio agency and produces numerous podcasts for brands and entrepreneurs. 

They then set their search criteria: 

• Maximum 2 hours from Paris 
• Connected by TGV
• A historic site in the heart of nature 
• Maximum budget including work: 2.5 million euros 

The business model was obvious: create a unique venue in the region, to organize seminars and boot camps during the week, weddings at weekends, and cultural events to reopen the doors of this historic monument.

To raise the funds, Martin and Jérémy are appealing to their community on social networks. 

"We first opened the capital to our family, friends, and fellow entrepreneurs.

 Then we launched a crowdfunding campaign on the Bricks platform, which enabled us to raise a further €690,000 in just 3 days.  

 Several personalities joined us, including Bruno Maltor, France's #1 travel influencer, and David Laroche, personal development coach, both of whom are followed by millions of people." 

Taking part in the project 

The rest of the story is yet to be written. Jérémy is currently putting together the team that will accompany him on this adventure. With work starting in March, part of the estate will be available for rental from the summer of 2024, and events and weddings will be organized there from 2025.

If you'd like to participate in the project, follow their adventures, lend a hand during the renovations or be one of the first people to book the place, contact Jérémy! 

Email: jeremy.nabais@domainedefontenay.com

Website: https://www.domainedefontenay.com/

Chateau's Instagram: @domainedefontenay 

Podcast Instagram: @cafaitunbail_

LinkedIn: Jeremy Nabais