NewTech Friday: Sweetie – Managing expenses for divorced couples

In this interview with Marie Garaud, the Founder of French fintech Sweetie, we delve into the inspiration behind the creation of Sweetie and its mission to revolutionize family financial management. Discover how Sweetie aims to alleviate tensions and foster fairness in daily expenses, while preparing for an exciting launch and international expansion in the coming years.

What led to the creation of Sweetie?

Sweetie was created in response to the evolving family dynamics in France. With statistics showing that one in two marriages ends in divorce post-Covid (compared to one in three before), and that approximately one third of traditional families were seeking a better solution for daily financial management, there was a growing need for a practical solution. Additionally, more than 10 million potential customers existed in the French market. According to a Sweetie study from 2022, 49% of respondents were willing to pay an extra €7 per month for a service that could alleviate tensions and address issues of financial fairness within their families.

The idea for Sweetie began when I became a single mother three years ago. I realized that there was no perfectly suitable solution available to manage the financial complexities of family life. In a world where almost every need can be addressed with a digital application or software, I questioned whether I was the only one struggling or if there was indeed a gap in the market. After conducting thorough market research, and with the support of BGE Parif and the Entrepreneur Leader program of the IDF Region, I joined the BGE incubator to develop my project further. Eventually, Sweetie was launched with the assistance of the Escalator incubator, propelling the startup forward.