Find your path to Steve
144 people in our graph share verified history with Steve — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
About
Steve Anavi is the engineer who became an entrepreneur — EPFL, which gave him its alumni award in 2025, built a whole lecture around the idea. He co-founded Qonto in 2016 with Alexandre Prot, a school friend he had reconnected with at a birthday party a decade later, after the two had already built and sold the connected e-cigarette company Smokio; the banking friction they hit running Smokio became the company. As president he has helped grow Qonto to more than 600,000 business customers across eight European markets and around 1,700 employees, profitable since 2023, on €622 million raised — including the €486 million round that valued it at $5 billion in January 2022. He holds a master's in microengineering from EPFL and an INSEAD MBA, studied at the University of Tokyo, and worked in consulting at Deloitte and operations at Groupon before founding anything.
Beyond investing
- Education
- Took a master's in microengineering at EPFL and an MBA at INSEAD, and studied at the University of Tokyo.
- Awards
- Received EPFL's Alumni Award in 2025 and is a Chevalier de l'Ordre national du Mérite.
Mentioned above: the INSEAD mafia → · the EPFL mafia →
From published sources — common ground for a warm intro.
Co-founder & President at Qonto
Intro paths
In turn, Steve can intro founders to Qonto's investors below.
Qonto's investors · 13
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Co-founders at Qonto
Experience
- QontoCo-Founder & Presidentcurrent2016 — presentParis Area, France
- Smokio (acquired)Co-Founder & President2013 — 2015Paris Area, France
- GrouponDirector of International Operations - Goods & e-Commerce2012 — 2013
- GrouponDirector of Operations, France - Goods & e-Commerce2012 — 2013France
- Deloitte ConsultingSenior Consutant2007 — 2010Paris Area, France
Skills & more
+4 more
Mobile ApplicationsManagementStrategic PartnershipsSoftware Product ManagementLanguages English · French · Japanese · Spanish
From Steve's professional profile.
Podcasts & interviews
featuring Steve AnaviLean Summit 2026 - Steve Anavi, co-fondateur et président de Qonto
InstitutLeanFrance
4YFN24: Reconciling Performance with Sustainability with Steve Anavi, Qonto
4YFN
#16 How to Avoid the “Big Company Disease” When Growing? - (Qonto) Steve Anavi | Slush 2022
Slush
PODCAST 264 - Start up - scaler sans se perdre - Steve Anavi Qonto
Outils du Manager
The secrets to create bank brand love by Steve Anavi, cofounder at Qonto
Startupfood
Talk avec Steve Anavi, Co-Founder & President de Qonto
Le Wagon
Network3
Investors connected to Steve in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Steve Anavi?
- Steve Anavi is the engineer who became an entrepreneur — EPFL, which gave him its alumni award in 2025, built a whole lecture around the idea. He co-founded Qonto in 2016 with Alexandre Prot, a school friend he had reconnected with at a birthday party a decade later, after the two had already built and sold the connected e-cigarette company Smokio; the banking friction they hit running Smokio became the company. As president he has helped grow Qonto to more than 600,000 business customers across eight European markets and around 1,700 employees, profitable since 2023, on €622 million raised — including the €486 million round that valued it at $5 billion in January 2022. He holds a master's in microengineering from EPFL and an INSEAD MBA, studied at the University of Tokyo, and worked in consulting at Deloitte and operations at Groupon before founding anything.
- Where does Steve Anavi work?
- Steve Anavi is Co-founder & President of Qonto.
- What check size does Steve Anavi write?
- Steve Anavi typically writes checks of $5K – $50K.
- What companies did Steve Anavi found?
- Steve Anavi founded Qonto.
- Where did Steve Anavi go to school?
- Steve Anavi studied at INSEAD (MBA, Business); EPFL (Master of Science (MSc), Microtechnical Engineering); The University of Tokyo (Master Thesis, Image processing).
- What awards has Steve Anavi received?
- Received EPFL's Alumni Award in 2025 and is a Chevalier de l'Ordre national du Mérite.
- What podcasts and interviews feature Steve Anavi?
- Tracked appearances include "Lean Summit 2026 - Steve Anavi, co-fondateur et président de Qonto", "4YFN24: Reconciling Performance with Sustainability with Steve Anavi, Qonto", "#16 How to Avoid the “Big Company Disease” When Growing? - (Qonto) Steve Anavi | Slush 2022", and 3 more.
Founder mafias
INSEAD mafia269
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
+ 262 more
EPFL mafia115
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
+ 108 more
The University of Tokyo mafia56
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
+ 49 more
Same school
Also attended INSEAD1,153
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+ 1,147 more
Also attended EPFL188
+ 182 more
Also attended The University of Tokyo197
+ 191 more
Shared employers
Also worked at Qonto20
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+ 14 more
Also worked at Smokio (acquired)1
Also worked at Groupon136
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+ 130 more
Also worked at Deloitte Consulting2,000
+ 1,994 more