In this Start Mode episode, Mat Vaxelaire talks with Théo Rouer, CEO and co‑founder of Elba (HX21) — a startup reinventing cybersecurity for the era of collaborative tools.
From selling at street markets at 14, to running a cybersecurity training agency, to pivoting into a bold SaaS product, Théo shares a rare founder journey: pragmatic, commercial, and impact‑driven.
In this episode:
How to move from services to SaaS without crashing
Why an early “commercial superpower” makes all the difference
How regulation and Covid shaped the cyber opportunity
The role of a strong cofounder duo and the timing to hire a CTO
Why Hexa was key to giving Elba early credibility
The future of security: shadow IT, shadow AI, and co‑pilot tools
🔥 A dense, hands‑on episode for founders building ambitious products in complex spaces.
