#FoundersFridays: Meet Karoll Ramamonjisoa

#FoundersFridays is a StartupAmsterdam interview series: for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs. Each hero answers questions on their entrepreneurial journey, their learnings, milestones and bottlenecks, as well as on Amsterdam and the Dutch startup scene. It’s a platform for entrepreneurs to speak their minds freely and pass on their learnings to anyone who’s thinking about founding a startup as well.

This month we spoke with Karoll Ramamonjisoa, founder of Parentally - a digital platform dedicated to helping new and future parents find the extra care and support they may need to feel well prepared and confident at every stage of their parenthood journey, from pregnancy to birth, postpartum, and their first years of parenthood.

How did your career journey lead you to found Parentally?

I began my professional career working in the travel and tourism industry, specialising in Marketing and Event management for various companies ranging from tourism boards to airlines, trade fairs, and tour operators. My job enabled me to travel extensively and to settle in New York for three years, where I started a whole new journey: that of becoming a mom.

As a French expat, having a baby in an adopted country proved to be quite challenging. Not only was I underprepared for childbirth, which resulted in a traumatic first experience, but I also felt quite isolated as I didn't have family and friends around who could help me. Additionally, during that time, my husband was not allowed any paternity leave, so I spent my first few months of motherhood finding my way on my own.

We soon relocated to the Netherlands, and when I found out I was expecting our second child, I began searching for ways to better prepare myself - not only to overcome my fear of childbirth, but also to avoid feeling lonely again after giving birth. Discovering practices like hypnobirthing, acupuncture, and building a support network made a huge difference in our lives.

This is how Parentally came to life: out of a desire to make it easier for parents to find the support they need, whatever it may be, so they can embark on parenthood with confidence and serenity, just like we did.

Parentally is a marketplace that allows parents to search and connect with perinatal and parenting practitioners – professionals who can complement traditional healthcare to cater to the distinct needs of today’s parents. Through our platform, parents can readily access childbirth instructors, doulas, child sleep coaches, postpartum care providers, lactation consultants, family coaches, and many more experts, who can help them online and in person. We also offer parents and parents-to-be access to supportive communities of peer parents, and the informational support they need to feel empowered and get the best start.

I’d say that working for 12+ years in various roles within different types of companies, both large and small, was a great way to prepare for the launch of my own. However, it is primarily my personal experience as a parent that drove the creation and mission of Parentally.

Where is Parentally now? What were the biggest wins and biggest learning moments?

Our biggest recent win: we are making money! After months of experimenting and testing, we have finally started generating revenue in the form of yearly subscription fees from professionals who want to list their services on our platform. It’s a huge milestone and validation to see so many professionals believe in Parentally and support our mission. We currently have 50+ practitioners enlisted and counting.

We’ve also just concluded a major phase of user research that enabled us to collect the insights we needed to move forward. It’s been an enlightening experience that challenged some of our earlier beliefs and enabled us to fine-tune our proposition. We’d already done some research when starting the company but realised there were some aspects we had slightly overlooked. As an entrepreneur, I believe that it can be quite easy to fall in love with your idea and get stuck in your own assumptions. But it’s important to listen and stay connected to your users, to make sure you are still on the right track to build the right product.

Finally, I was thrilled that Parentally got selected to join Social Tides GROW track, an accelerator program powered by INCO and funded by Google.org. The program aims to support social entrepreneurs by providing training, mentorship, networking opportunities, and financial support. It is helping us lay the right foundations to grow our company while staying aligned with our values and our desire to make the right social impact.

What makes Amsterdam a great city and a great ecosystem for a startup founder?

I think it's no secret that Amsterdam has one of the greatest startup ecosystems. Not coming from the tech/ startup world, I was initially apprehensive about entering this ecosystem. However, connecting with StartupAmsterdam opened a door to many opportunities and made me feel truly supported - I’m so thankful for that! Recently, I also joined Equals, which has proven to be a fantastic way to meet fellow founders and gain resources and connections to help deal with challenges specifically faced by female entrepreneurs. Additionally, I participated in a great program by FEM-START, which provided me with the support I needed to prepare for fundraising.

There are also countless events organised each month where you can meet other entrepreneurs and stakeholders, make meaningful connections, or learn new skills. I'm still exploring and discovering new initiatives every day, but I must say, it's definitely an exciting world to be a part of.

What is your most important ask for Parentally for the next 6 months to a year?

We’ve bootstrapped so far, so making sure we have sufficient funds to fuel our development has always been a priority. The next step for Parentally will be fundraising: within the next year, we will be raising €400K to support our growth and our ambitions to expand locally and in new markets. Additionally, I am looking for a CTO to join our venture and help bring our digital platform to the next level: do not hesitate to reach out at karoll@parentally.nl, if you’d like to learn more about the position.

What is your advice to fellow solo-founders?

As a solo founder, you are starting a company on your own, but this doesn't mean it has to be a lonely journey. My advice would be to ensure you are building a strong support network for yourself and actively seeking connections and help from others. This can be achieved by looking for a mentor, advisors, and support from fellow entrepreneurs, especially if you are not able to hire yet.

There’s a learning curve when launching a new company, especially if you're a first-time founder. Connecting with others who've been in your shoes before and who may have faced the same struggles can help you come up with solutions faster and save time. I’ve also found it extremely valuable to have trusted people I could bounce ideas off of and who could offer new perspectives. Lastly, a good support network can provide a layer of accountability, not only by ensuring you are pursuing the goals you have set for yourself, but also by encouraging you and celebrating milestones with you.

I am a strong believer in the power of communities and have come to realise that the startup community is a very supportive one. Of course, not everything you'll hear will always be relevant to you, so take all advice with a pinch of salt and stay true to yourself and your vision. But do seek support, join a program, network with other entrepreneurs, and/ or find a mentor. I’m confident all of this will help you tremendously, regardless of where you are in your entrepreneurial journey.

If you’re an Amsterdam-based founder working on an innovative solution that solves an urban or social challenge, and you’d like to share your story with our audience, email Alexandra at a.belicova@amsterdam.nl.