Inside daphni's collaboration with Aywen and Marc Simoncini to build an AI startup in public
Why daphni Partnered with YouTuber Aywen to Build an AI Startup in Public
Can you build an AI startup in just eight days?
That was the challenge behind Build in Public, an original YouTube series bringing together French entrepreneur Marc Simoncini, founder of Meetic, and tech creator Aywen (Nicolas Mazurier). Supported by daphni, the project followed the pair as they created a real AI-native company from scratch, documenting every step of the entrepreneurial journey.
More than a content collaboration, the project reflected something we strongly believe at daphni: entrepreneurship is best understood by building.
A different way to tell the story of entrepreneurship
At daphni, we've always believed venture capital should do more than invest. It should help make entrepreneurship more accessible, transparent and inspiring.
When we met Aywen, whose videos explore technology through experimentation and coding, we immediately recognised a shared mindset: curiosity, speed, and a willingness to learn by doing.
The idea quickly emerged: what if we filmed the creation of a startup from day one, with no script, no shortcuts and a strict deadline?
The result was an eight-day experiment where Marc Simoncini and Aywen validated an idea, built a product, launched an AI-native business and shared the realities of company building with hundreds of thousands of viewers.
Building in public
Throughout the series, viewers follow the complete startup creation process, including:
- identifying a problem worth solving
- validating the opportunity
- building an AI-powered product
- making product decisions
- launching a real company
- aiming for profitability from day one
The company created during the challenge, Thelma, was not a fictional exercise. It was launched as a real product that viewers could immediately test.
Rather than presenting entrepreneurship as a polished success story, the series highlights the experimentation, rapid iteration and decision-making that define building an early-stage startup.
Why this matters to daphni
For the past decade, daphni has backed founders who challenge convention and build technologies with global ambition.
The collaboration with Aywen reflects the same philosophy. As AI transforms how companies are created, venture capital must also evolve by exploring new ideas, testing new formats and engaging with the next generation of entrepreneurs where they already are.
This project also illustrates our belief that venture capital can be a media company as well as an investment firm: sharing knowledge, opening up entrepreneurship and making innovation more accessible to everyone.
Watch the series
The first episode of Build in Public is now available on Aywen's YouTube channel, where you can follow the creation of Thelma from idea to launch.
