Christophe Folschette shares how Luxembourg shaped his international journey, from scaling Talkwalker to launching AI startup nuwacom.
Startup Luxembourg
When Christophe Folschette co-founded social listening and analytics platform Talkwalker in 2009, Luxembourg was the launchpad, but not the destination. “We were in the software space, doing social analytics and big data,” he recalls. “There weren’t many companies in Luxembourg that could use that, so we went to Germany.” Familiarity helped: he had studied there, and his co-founder in Switzerland. They hit the ground running, attending fairs and pitching booth to booth. “Nobody understood what we were doing, except one client. That was the start.”
France followed, then broader European expansion. Each market brought its own rhythm and challenges. “In Germany, testing took six months. France moved faster but was less loyal if the product did not meet their expectations immediately. The Nordics were innovation-driven. Every country had its own way of buying.”
Building trust was essential in those early days. “We needed to be there physically,” Mr Folschette explains. “It was about sitting in the room, looking each other in the eyes, and showing what we aimed to do. Once we had five or ten clients, it became easier. We would simply say: talk to them, see the product in action. If it worked, the trust followed.”
Luxembourg remained the strategic base.
We ran everything from Luxembourg until our revenue in a country reached €1 million. That’s when we’d open a local office. Luxembourg’s perceived neutrality helped and clients felt we belonged everywhere.” - Christophe Folschette
Fast forward to 2024: Mr Folschette launched nuwacom with two co-founders, an AI-first workspace designed to eliminate the pain of fragmented tools. “People spend over an hour a day searching for information across emails, meetings, SharePoint. Then they copy-paste between tools to get things done. We solve that.”
The startup is already active in Benelux and DACH (Germany, Austria and Switzerland), backed by €3.2 million in funding. This time, the playbook is sharper. “You don’t ask yourself 5,000 questions. You take what worked and do it better. We started in Germany and added Luxembourg as our hub.”
Mr Folschette is also strategic about market selection. “I’m a big fan of attacking the closest markets first,” he explains. “We’re selling to businesses and if it works with big organisations nearby, then you can go bigger. So for us, the DACH market, the Benelux, as well as France are our key markets at this stage.”
Luxembourg’s startup ecosystem continues to play a key role. “We’re talking to the different authorities, for example about R&D grants to accelerate our product development, and we are exploring new projects with Luxinnovation.” Events like Nexus Luxembourg and networks like Pulse help founders connect, share and grow. “You meet the whole ecosystem in two days if you organise yourself.”
Mr Folschette’s team now includes 25 people from eight nationalities. “English is our first language. It’s about respecting individuals and creating an inclusive culture. That’s what motivates people.”
Hiring has been surprisingly smooth. “We hear the market is tough, but we found great candidates quickly. AI engineers want to work in AI, not in banks. We hire for curiosity, not experience, so our team is very young.”
His advice to founders? Stay grounded. “Don’t go to the US unless you’re sure what you’re doing. It’s expensive and risky. Test here first.” And above all, stay hands-on.
