Institutional Content: City of Boulogne-Billancourt — BBI Municipal Magazine, Business/Environment Section · April 6, 2023 · BBI Interview
The municipal magazine of Boulogne-Billancourt (BBI) features an interview with Thibault Lamarque, founder of Castalie a longtime resident of Boulogne-Billancourt. In the interview, he discusses the concept behind his microfiltered water company, its local roots, its status as a social enterprise, and his personal commitments. This profile highlights the local dimension of an environmentally focused entrepreneurial success story.
Key takeaways
- Founded a little over ten years before the interview by Thibault Lamarque, a native of Boulogne, Castalie nearly 3,000 customers with its water coolers—which use microfiltered tap water—as of early 2023.
- In Boulogne-Billancourt, Castalie several restaurants in the city, including La Machine à Coudes, La Table de Cybèle, Fanande, Mother, Chez Max et Nico, Italian Kitchen, Canaille, and Bonnotte, as well as local businesses of all sizes.
- Castalie three markets (restaurants, hotels, and businesses) and counted among its clients more than 60% of the CAC 40 companies, including Kering and LVMH.
- The company had its machines manufactured in France and Italy, with the filtration component produced by a local ESAT, and held ESUS (Entreprise solidaire d’utilité sociale) certification, a government accreditation that regulates investments, dividends, and wage differentials.
- Thibault Lamarque demonstrated a personal commitment that extended beyond the company: in 2018, he co-authored an op-ed with sailors François Gabart and Marie Tabarly opposing small plastic bottles; he created the podcast “La Relève”; and he served as a business angel for about ten impact-driven companies.
- According to the Castalie the Numbers” box, the company reported the following figures as of early 2023: 115 employees across two sites, 5,000 water fountains installed, 2022 revenue of 15 million euros, 225 million bottles saved since its founding (half of which in the last 24 months), and the Solar Impulse label from Bertrand Piccard’s foundation.
Source: City of Boulogne-Billancourt, municipal magazine BBI, “Business / Environment” section, April 6, 2023 — BBI interview. Read the original article
