It plans to open shortly another round of financing with new investors

Close to arrive to the end of this year 2015, companies are rushing these last months to try to meet the objectives that were set at the beginning of the year.

It is time to get the final figures, balance sheets, results, etc.; in short, to evaluate the fiscal year. Evaluation that could not be more positive for Ticketbis, a company that buys and sells tickets online. “Things are going well. We will already be around 90 million euros in turnover”. The professional career of Jon Uriarte and Ander Michelena, founders of this ambitious project made reality, is going from strength to strength, under full sail.

Since 2009, when finally, and after many analyses, they began their adventure on Internet, they have experienced many changes due to the growth and the good results obtained day to day. But there are also hard moments that, according to Jon, it is possible to get ahead thanks to the great harmony that exists with his partner and with the human team they have. “I have been very lucky with Ander. It is very easy to work with him, he does not generate conflicts, he is a very good, ideal partner. We have highly trained people with us, who in turn create a great work environment. So we go little by little. We are nobody yet (laughs), we have a lot to do. We work very hard, with great ambition, enthusiasm, etc. There is no other way”, Jon does not hesitate to highlight. A perfect combination that allows them another year to continue growing. They do so in all aspects, in facilities/premises, in staff, etc. There are already more than 350 people working with them, expanding to other countries. “We have almost ensured a presence in all developed countries”, and most importantly, with new challenges ahead.

Institutional confidence

Since the beginning, they have required different rounds of financing to carry out the project. The first was solved thanks to friends and family, and in the second, Seed Capital Bizkaia appeared. “At that time, it was very important for us to have institutional support. We always maintained a very good relationship with the managers of Seed, they knew our project from the beginning and, finally, we counted on them in the second phase. The valuation was tough (laughs), but it is also true that the conditions to recover our shares were good for both sides. There were no doubts then, and today, 4 years later, we have already carried out the disinvestment of Seed Capital Bizkaia”.

Public institutions are promoting different actions to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation. Among them, those offered by Seed Capital Bizkaia are a real alternative to foster projects. “To give support seems good to me, to make things easier, not to hinder business creation. We must create a context that awakens the desire to undertake; and that concerns, ideas, as happened to us, can become reality. Give facilities, that is the slogan. In this sense, the Basque Country is much better than elsewhere”.

New challenge: a better approach to customers

They leave Seed Capital Bizkaia and have new challenges ahead. They will shortly open this financing round with new investors. The objective is clear: to reach the customer more and better, to make Ticketbis known. They try to achieve it through four main lines, according to Ticketbis managers’ words: “with talent that complements the one they already have thanks to the contributions of qualified and experienced staff; with product improvement; by creating an improved platform for both the client and internal work; strengthening the marketing strategy and reaching agreements with promoters”.

Being an entrepreneur is a responsibility

Since his university stage, Jon felt the need to do things, lively, ambitious, always planning new events… so he did not hesitate when the opportunity arose. Destiny brought him to meet Ander, his current partner and co-founder of Ticketbis, at an airport on his way to London and, from there, they worked hard to make their dream come true. “Being an entrepreneur implies a great responsibility. All the weight is on your shoulders. Launching any business is being on a constant roller-coaster. The ideal, and we can be happy in that sense, is to be up for as long as possible and get ahead in bad times. It is the only way that the project runs. In our case, there were all the circumstances to be able to do it, we did not have family responsibilities, some savings; if in these conditions you do not risk, when? If you asked our parents… it seemed crazy to them, but they supported us. You have to take risks but knowing what risks you can take and how far you can go”.