Javier Camara and Rafael Garcia
Bees
When the world closed in March 2020 and people were stuck at home for months, many began to rethink their lives and their jobs and look for opportunities to build their own businesses.
At the same time, a new social network was launched, especially targeting people who wanted to take control of their careers for the first time. In just two years, beBee has seen more than 15 million freelancer and entrepreneurial job seekers sign up worldwide, many of whom have never been on a work-related social network before. With more than 1.5 million of these users based in the UK, a number is expected to reach 4 million by the end of 2023.
Headquartered in Madrid, Spain, BeBee was co-founded by CEO Javier Camara and CMO Rafael Garcia. During the lockdown, the pair envisioned creating a social network that would combine a range of professional opportunities that address both supply and demand; Freelancers, local service providers, professionals and entrepreneurs as well as job seekers who need a specific service.
The epidemic has become a catalyst for the emergence of a new generation of entrepreneurs, eager to make up for lost time and realize their long-held ambition to be their own boss. Users of the network range from a variety of professions and industries, from technology and design to medicine and law.
“They could be a job seeker, take a more proactive approach to securing a job at a company of their choice, or recent graduates who are actually saying: ‘This is me, this is what I can give you. Now tell me what you can offer me’. The camera says: “Or they have recently retired but now many people have to earn some extra money to help them with the cost of living. Is making. “
The network was launched in 2020, using its background in technology to focus on camera products and technology, and digital marketing professional Garcia oversees marketing and sales.
The business also had the support of Juan Image, a successful online entrepreneur who pioneered the first webmail in Spanish, Mixmail, and was a major investor in beBee. “We have 100% support from him,” said Kamara “We also had the help of many angel investors and in total, we received an initial investment of € 3 million.”
Kamara said what sets BBK apart from other job portals and career platforms is that it focuses on candidates rather than companies and jobs. Many of those who have registered are not present on LinkedIn.
“Anyone who provides a service, you can create an authentic profile of your own that goes beyond the CV; An authentic representation of who you are, your skills and your interests, ”he said. “You can blog and connect with other users, and at the same time highlight exactly what you can bring to any role where your skills and personality traits are in high demand while building business relationships.”
The company now has a team of 30 people and is available in more than 50 countries, with the largest number of registered professionals in the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Spain, Japan, France, Canada and Germany. The number of users worldwide is expected to reach 30 million by the end of 2023, and Camera says the goal is now to become a global ‘go-to’ reference site for professionals.
“It’s not a corporate site, but a true social network for a new generation of freelancers and entrepreneurial job-seekers who are taking ownership of their personal brand on a scale never seen before,” he said. “But we also know that real success comes through humility and hard work, so our primary goal is to make BB an incredible experience for all users.” At the moment, we’re on the wave of great resignations, especially in the United States and the United Kingdom, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. “