Being Ready When an Opportunity Arises: WeMaintain’s Journey with Equify
From its initial funding rounds to Otis’s acquisition of a stake in the company, WeMaintain relied on Equify to structure its ownership. From maintaining a securities transaction ledger synchronized with the capital table, to collaborating with its attorney, implementing an employee stock ownership plan, and conducting audits of fundraising rounds—the platform supported every stage of its growth, right up to its majority acquisition by Otis, which was handled smoothly.
“We’ve used the same tool at every stage, from our first funding round to Otis’s arrival. When a major transaction comes up, we know the foundation is solid and that the information is available.”
About WeMaintain
WeMaintain was founded in 2017 by Jade Francine, Benoît Dupont, and Tristan Foureur, based on the belief that building maintenance could be smarter, more transparent, and more efficient. The company combines AI-based analytics, IoT data, and on-site expertise to provide building owners and managers with real-time visibility, increased operational efficiency, and enhanced reliability of their assets. With a presence in Asia and Europe and more than 350 employees, WeMaintain provides services and solutions for elevators, escalators, automatic doors, and fire safety systems. Its “human + tech” approach sets a new standard for service quality, customer experience, and growth. After several rounds of fundraising, WeMaintain was acquired by Otis in 2026, which now holds a majority stake, and continues to develop its technology independently.
WeMaintain a été fondée en 2017 par Jade Francine, Benoît Dupont et Tristan Foureur, avec la conviction que la maintenance des bâtiments pouvait être plus intelligente, plus transparente et plus efficace. L'entreprise combine des analyses basées sur l'IA, des données issues de l'IoT et une expertise terrain pour offrir aux propriétaires et gestionnaires de bâtiments une visibilité en temps réel, une efficacité opérationnelle accrue et une fiabilité renforcée de leurs actifs. Présente en Asie et en Europe avec plus de 350 employés, WeMaintain fournit des services et des solutions pour les ascenseurs, les escaliers mécaniques, les portes automatiques et les systèmes de sécurité incendie. Son approche « humain + tech » définit une nouvelle norme en matière de qualité de service, d'expérience client et de croissance. Après plusieurs levées de fonds, WeMaintain a fait l'objet d'une acquisition majoritaire par Otis en 2026 et continue de développer sa technologie de façon indépendante.
About Jade
Jade Francine is a co-founder and Chief Growth Officer at WeMaintain, where she oversees sales, marketing, HR, and communications. With a background in law, she began her career as a legal advisor at a law firm in Shanghai, working with European companies establishing a presence in China. She was named Female Tech Founder of the Year by France Invest in 2024 and serves on the board of directors of France Digitale.
Jade Francine est co-fondatrice et Chief Growth Officer de WeMaintain, en charge des ventes, du marketing, des RH et de la communication. Juriste de formation, elle a débuté comme conseillère juridique dans un cabinet à Shanghai, auprès d'entreprises européennes s'implantant en Chine. Elle a été nommée Female Tech Founder of the Year par France Invest en 2024 et siège au conseil d'administration de France Digitale.
A platform shared with her attorney
WeMaintain discovered Equify through its attorney, Jérémie Aflalo, a partner at Parallel Avocats and head of the corporate practice, who specializes in venture capital and tech mergers and acquisitions. From the very first funding rounds, he worked with the team using the platform and personally handled a large portion of the transactions himself, right up to the deal with Otis.
The lawyer and the team all had access to the same, up-to-date information. WeMaintain retained control of its capital, and its lawyer ensured the security of every transaction in real time, without the need to exchange files or deal with conflicting versions.
WeMaintain a découvert Equify grâce à son avocat, Jérémie Aflalo, associé chez Parallel Avocats et responsable de la pratique corporate, spécialiste du venture capital et des fusions-acquisitions tech. Dès les premières levées, il a travaillé dans l'outil aux côtés de l'équipe et a passé lui-même une grande partie des opérations, jusqu'à l'opération avec Otis.
Avocat et équipe partageaient la même information, toujours à jour. WeMaintain gardait la main sur son capital, et son avocat sécurisait chaque opération en temps réel, sans fichiers échangés ni versions concurrentes.
“Everyone needed to be working with the same information: our lawyer, our teams, and our investors. Jérémie recommended Equify to us, and we worked together on it every step of the way.”
An employee stock ownership plan available from the very first years
WeMaintain has grown from three founders to more than 350 employees spread across Europe and Asia. With multiple countries, new teams, and ongoing hiring, it could have become difficult to keep track of everything.
WeMaintain, however, chose to open up ownership to shareholders, primarily employees who joined the company during its first five years of operation. Tracking allocations, vesting conditions, and changes in ownership remained straightforward for the team, regardless of the number of beneficiaries.
Each beneficiary could log in to their account to view their holdings, understand their rights, and track their securities—all without having to contact the team. Employee stock ownership has remained a key driver of transparency and buy-in, even on a large scale.
WeMaintain est passée de trois fondateurs à plus de 350 collaborateurs, répartis entre l'Europe et l'Asie. Plusieurs pays, de nouvelles équipes, des recrutements en continu : le capital aurait pu devenir difficile à suivre.
WeMaintain a pourtant choisi d'ouvrir l'actionnariat, principalement aux salariés ayant rejoint l'entreprise au cours de ses cinq premières années d'existence. Le suivi des attributions, des conditions d'acquisition et des mouvements est resté simple pour l'équipe, quel que soit le nombre de bénéficiaires.
Chaque bénéficiaire pouvait consulter dans son espace ce qu'il détenait, comprendre ses droits et suivre ses titres, sans solliciter l'équipe. L'actionnariat salarié est resté un levier de transparence et d'adhésion, y compris à grande échelle.
“We opened up ownership to our first employees, and everyone was able to understand what they owned without having to ask us. Growth didn’t change anything for us—it stayed simple.”
A synchronized ledger and cap table
WeMaintain used Equify as its official registry for securities transactions. This registry was synchronized with the cap table: every recorded transaction was reflected in it, and the two remained aligned. As a result, the company remained in compliance, with a reliable and up-to-date view of its capital at all times.
WeMaintain a utilisé Equify comme registre légal des mouvements de titres. Ce registre était synchronisé avec la cap table : chaque opération enregistrée s'y reflétait, et les deux restaient alignés. L'entreprise était ainsi en règle, avec une vision fiable et à jour de son capital à tout moment.
"Equify quickly became our go-to source for everything related to our capital. The registry and the cap table were synchronized: we knew the information was up to date and that we could rely on it."
Stress-free audits, all the way through to the exit with Otis
With each funding round, WeMaintain had to comply with its new investors’ due diligence requirements. Transaction history, supporting documents, and an up-to-date cap table were readily available, without having to piece the information together for each round. “With each funding round, investors ask very specific questions about our capital structure. We had the answers and the documents ready, without having to dig through ten different files,” explains Jade Francine, co-founder of WeMaintain.
This preparation proved crucial during the exit. WeMaintain was preparing for its Series C round when several market signals led the team to consider an industry-led transaction. It culminated in a majority acquisition by Otis. With reliable records, an up-to-date cap table, and centralized documents, the company was able to meet the auditors’ requests without having to reconstruct its history, and both the team and its attorney remained focused on the negotiations.
À chaque levée, WeMaintain devait répondre aux due diligences de ses nouveaux investisseurs. L'historique des mouvements, les pièces justificatives et une cap table à date étaient disponibles rapidement, sans reconstituer l'information à chaque tour. « À chaque levée, les investisseurs posent des questions très précises sur notre capital. On avait la réponse et le document, sans aller les chercher dans dix dossiers. » explique Jade Francine, co-fondatrice de WeMaintain.
Cette préparation a compté lors de l'exit. WeMaintain préparait sa Série C quand plusieurs signaux de marché ont amené l'équipe à envisager une opération industrielle. Elle s'est conclue par une acquisition majoritaire par Otis. Registre fiable, cap table à jour, documents centralisés : l'entreprise a pu répondre aux demandes des auditeurs sans reconstituer son historique, et l'équipe comme son avocat sont restés concentrés sur la négociation.
“We were preparing for our Series C round when the market sent us some signals. When the deal with Otis came up, we already had all the information available and organized: there was no need to start from scratch to piece together our history.”
