When Marin Huet launched Yampa, he didn’t have a finished product – just conviction, a strong founding team, and three decades of customer support experience embedded in the DNA of the company. Sixty days later, Yampa had its first paying enterprise clients, and an AI agent already live in production.
What drove that momentum wasn’t hype. It was focused on real relationships, real pain points, and building exactly what customers needed, nothing more and nothing less.
The Foundation That Came Before Day One
Before Yampa was even an idea, Marin was deep in the trenches of startup life.
After studying physics in the UK and earning a business degree in France, he joined Bitmotion – a mobile marketing startup that would evolve into the well-known gaming company HOMA Games. That experience introduced him to startup operations from the inside, but it was his four years at Alma, a fintech company, that truly shaped his founder mindset.
“I went from being the 10th employee to 400 people. I saw what it takes to go from nothing to a company with a product that works, that people pay for.”
That journey taught him two things:
- Building a startup isn’t magic. It’s about systems, execution, and learning fast.
- Culture and alignment matter more than people think.
Build the Right Team First
When Marin finally felt ready to build something of his own, he focused on people.
He partnered with Baptiste Saintot, a longtime friend and AI expert, and Patrice Mazoyer, who had spent 30 years in customer support. The trio brought complementary strengths, but they didn’t rush into things.
“It took us quite a long time to make sure we were aligned on goals, on mindset, on how we wanted to work. We didn’t want to build something just for the sake of it.”
Once that trust was in place, momentum came quickly. They formed Yampa in May 2023, and by June, they had landed their first paying client even though the product wasn’t ready.
Launch Before You’re Ready – But Be Honest
Instead of building in a silo, the Yampa team went out early with a clear ask: become a design partner.
“We were transparent. We said, ‘This is what we’re going to build. We think it will help you. Are you okay testing it with us while we develop it?”
The answer was yes three times over.
By the end of June, Yampa had a working AI agent live in production. Two more clients followed in quick succession. And all of them were paying customers, validating not just the idea, but the value.
“We had prototypes, not a production-ready product. But we listened, stayed close to the users, and built what they needed. That made all the difference.”
Who They Serve and Why That Matters
Yampa doesn’t target the mass market. Their AI agents are built specifically for mid-market and enterprise customer support teams and organizations with complex workflows and multiple tools.
“It’s not self-serve. We spend time with each client to understand their systems and build an agent that fits.”
This approach requires more up-front work and longer sales cycles (sometimes up to six months), but it also leads to higher trust and better outcomes.
And that’s where Yampa’s early traction strategy shines.
How Yampa Approached Early Growth
So, how did they get those early clients?
- Personal networks: leveraging connections from previous roles
- Direct outreach: thoughtful, not spammy
- Conferences and light LinkedIn visibility: mostly to boost credibility
“We saw LinkedIn bring in smaller companies, which aren’t our target. So we focused on deeper relationships.”
The goal wasn’t volume. It was fit.
“If it takes six months to close a deal, you need to make sure you always have someone entering the pipeline. We’re building that process steadily.”
The Team Behind the Scenes
As of early 2025, Yampa’s team includes 15 people, divided into focused squads:
- Tech (4 people): led by CTO Baptiste
- Deployment (3 people): working directly with clients to build and train AI agents
- Sales (3 people): focused on enterprise outreach
- Marketing (2 people): laying the foundation for scalable visibility
Marin works closely with the deployment team to stay close to client feedback and product performance.
“These are the people training the agents and making sure they work. It’s where the magic happens.”
Raising to Scale Without Losing Focus
While most founders chase funding from day one, Yampa lets traction do the talking. After their early success, VCs came knocking, and they found the right match in Partech, which led to their €3M seed round in late 2023.
Now, the focus is on scaling responsibly.
“It’s not about growing fast just to grow. It’s about building the best product and finding the right clients”.
Marin’s Advice to Future Founders
When asked what he’d say to someone thinking about launching a startup, Marin put it simply:
“Talk to people who are just one step ahead of you. Not someone who built Facebook 20 years ago. Their advice won’t match the stage you’re at.”
His belief: founders don’t need to have all the answers, but they do need to ask better questions and surround themselves with the right people.
And most importantly?
“It’s not always the right time to strike. But when it is, you’ll know. Just make sure you’re ready.”
Final Thought
Yampa didn’t grow on hype; it grew on thoughtful choices, early trust, and a clear sense of timing. From co-founder alignment to landing their first paying clients in just 60 days, Marin Huet shows that momentum comes when you’re clear on what matters.
For any founder still waiting for the perfect moment, this is your nudge: clarity beats perfection.