Sylvestre Blavet
About Sylvestre Blavet
Sylvestre Blavet is based in Paris. He studied at HEI (Hautes Etudes d'Ingenieur), and MarketScreener lists an undergraduate degree from Universite Catholique de Lille in 1994. Earlier in his career he was president of HR and staffing companies including Petrolis, AD'missions and GPC.
He became chairman of the board of Freelance.com, a French online talent platform, on 30 January 2017. He became chairman and CEO on 26 January 2019. He is also chairman of CBV Ingenierie Group, which was Freelance.com's largest shareholder.
Freelance.com's board said that under his presidency turnover grew from €37 million to more than €1 billion. He resigned from all his Freelance.com roles in December 2024. MarketScreener also lists him in a number of other board and chair roles in France and Switzerland, including Helvetic Payroll.
The only angel or early-stage investment we could confirm from public sources is Zeliq, in 2026. Crunchbase lists him as an investor in Zeliq, and he has no other disclosed startup investments in the sources we reviewed. Founders should not assume a broader portfolio.
In September 2026, Zeliq raised a €7 million seed extension led by The Moon Venture. Julien Jean (JJCapinvest) and Sylvestre Blavet took part, and Zeliq's announcement names him with Freelance.com. Existing investors Ora Global and Cleo Ventures also participated.
Zeliq is a Paris-based sales prospecting platform that is building an AI sales agent called Zelia. According to Tech Funding News, its user base grew from 2,000 to 20,000 and its revenue tripled before the round closed. Its total funding since 2023 is €21 million.
Blavet has not published an investment thesis, preferred stage or check size that we could find, and the size of his Zeliq cheque is not disclosed. His one confirmed deal is a seed-stage investment in a European B2B AI software company. His operating background is in staffing, freelance talent platforms and professional services.
- Zeliq: Paris-based AI sales prospecting platform and agent (Zelia). He took part in its €7M seed extension in September 2026.
- tech.eu/2026/09/22/zeliq-raises-eur7m-to-build-an-agentic-revenue-work
- techfundingnews.com/zeliq-7m-seed-extension-ai-sales-agent-zelia
- zeliq.com/blog/future-of-sales-human-led-agent-executed
- crunchbase.com/organization/zeliq/financial_details
- crunchbase.com/person/sylvestre-blavet
- linkedin.com/in/sylvestre-blavet-421684136
- marketscreener.com/insider/SYLVESTRE-BLAVET-A25JPH
- staffingindustry.com/news/global-daily-news/freelancecom-ceo-and-chair
Investing activity
Sylvestre Blavet appears in 1 AI deal tracked by the Lounge deals desk. The rounds are mostly Seed, with a median round size of $8M. The most recent is Zeliq (Seed, €7M, Sep 2026).
Sylvestre Blavet most often invests alongside Moon Venture, Ora Global, Cleo Ventures and Julien Jean, and the companies they back on Lounge are mostly in AI.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about Sylvestre Blavet
Does Sylvestre Blavet invest in AI startups?
He took part in Zeliq's €7M seed extension in September 2026. Zeliq builds an AI sales agent. We found no other disclosed AI investments.
What is Sylvestre Blavet's check size?
It is not public. Neither Zeliq's announcement nor press coverage discloses individual investor amounts.
What stage does Sylvestre Blavet invest in?
His one confirmed investment is a seed extension, in Zeliq. He has not published a stage preference.
Who is Sylvestre Blavet?
He is a Paris-based executive who was chairman of Freelance.com from 2017 and its CEO from 2019 until he resigned in December 2024. He is also chairman of CBV Ingenierie.
Which investors invested alongside Sylvestre Blavet in Zeliq?
The Moon Venture led the round. Julien Jean (JJCapinvest), Ora Global and Cleo Ventures also participated, along with business angels and family offices.
Is Sylvestre Blavet an angel investor?
Yes. Sylvestre Blavet invests personally as an angel.
What AI companies has Sylvestre Blavet invested in?
Sylvestre Blavet's AI investments include Zeliq. The 1 round on Lounge are listed on this page with amounts, dates and co-investors.
What stage does Sylvestre Blavet invest at?
In the rounds tracked on Lounge, Sylvestre Blavet has invested at Seed, with a median round of $8M.
Who does Sylvestre Blavet co-invest with?
Sylvestre Blavet's most frequent co-investors on Lounge are Moon Venture (1 deal), Ora Global (1 deal), Cleo Ventures (1 deal) and Julien Jean (1 deal).
How can founders reach Sylvestre Blavet?
Founders on Lounge can see Sylvestre Blavet's contact details in AI Investor Contacts (paid plans), check for a warm introduction through members who worked with them under Warm Paths, and add Sylvestre Blavet to their Investor Pipeline to track the conversation.