Two and a half years ago could Reuben Carpenter founder of Springest still proud to report that Sanoma had money invested in his business

Two and a half years ago could  Reuben Carpenter  founder of  Springest still proud to report that Sanoma had money invested in his business. Now the news: "We have Sanoma bought again. We used the money to learn things and to experiment, to make stupid mistakes, in particular by investing a lot of money abroad. Sanoma Ventures is basically shut down. They have chosen a different strategy and we got the opportunity to buy back our shares. We have done that. "

Springest is a learning platform. A marketplace where you can find everything to learn. "That's courses and training to e-learning, online tools, trainers and coaches. Which you can reviewing, comparing and buying. "

The company is working already eight years on the road, has been "quite profitable" and has nearly 40 people. In addition to a public site Springest also offers sites for businesses. Who can use employees to give their teaching budgets. "We are not themselves material. We want to be an Amazon. Amazon writes no books and Booking has no hotels. They are real marketplaces. "

"We want to be the 'Amazon of learning' '

Meanwhile Springest also abroad foothold. In Germany in particular seems to do the trick. Siemens, the fourth company of Germany in terms of size, is brought in as a customer. And thus 138,000 employees who will buy teaching materials through Springest. Moreover, a large corporate customer helps to bring in other customers.

But to really grow through is still extra money needed again. A new investor so. Carpenter knows what he's looking for: "What I find important is that an investor knows that we for long game going. That must be a venture capitalist  really feel and express. Since there are only a few of. The majority says "bang a few million, and in a few years, a few million," because that's part of the game : inflating the valuation. That does not suit us. We are looking for someone who wants to sit in for 10 years. "

So Carpenter is also in itself. "In a downturn, I have thought about what I would do if I would stop Springest. Then I would start again, again look for smart people. But I was there when twenty of sitting. Then I thought: I want to do this just another 10 years. Why leave? "

The ambitions rich even beyond what was hitherto achieved. "We want the ' Amazon or learning to be'. That level we aspire. So far you've internationally in each national market a winner who is already 10 or 15 years. But none of those national winners have real international success. The winner takes all and we think eventually be the largest with the best product in each market. "

"Management  in the old form will fade"

Springest has begun to set up an office in Berlin. "There are now three people and there are 5, 6, 7 in the coming months. We have chosen to start local headquarters. This is not easy, but as we now see it necessary for the trust of local partners: they can go anywhere. The phone consulting department is part, along with the major business platforms, it is most growing. People you can call, chat or email where you can say, I want to learn something in this or that way, help me. And then we are going to help those people. "

Springest works from the Holacracy principle, a system of self that helps to make continuous experimentation to achieve a better organization. "We started as one of the first with Holacracy, but there are now more than 1,000 companies worldwide who do. That is larger than a few startups. I really think that management in the old form will fade, let's give it 50 years. Anyone can do it differently, it is a matter of unlearning bad habits and slowly going to win this. "

On the roadmap of next year a number of clear requirements. Visitors to the platform to get to know better, using machine learning more and add more images to the current platform, in addition to good 'combs' educational YouTube videos: "I definitely see as our mission. It's just something of When and how , for indexing across YouTube, we are still busy. "

But also perhaps the most important: be the number one in Germany. "I really think we can be number one in Germany for two years. We have a good plan for "Nuclear:. Companies recruit as clients and add more leather products. So even more than now cater to the individual needs of people.

"Learning is very personal. It is a fragmented region that more and more fragments. We also see the number of learning products : which fragments still further, because there are more and more media. This means that it is not easy for one party to pack everything. Even the big boys in America have not found a winning model. "

Springest does everything. A large German company as the client is an important step. But it does not stop there. After Germany provoked England 'and Scandinavia or so. "