France has a vibrant startup ecosystem, particularly centered in Paris, which is becoming a major European tech hub. As of 2023, France is home to around 20,000 startups. The French government supports innovation through initiatives like La French Tech, which provides funding and resources for startups. In 2022, French startups raised approximately €10 billion in venture capital. These factors collectively highlight France's dynamic and rapidly evolving startup landscape.
Size of the Market
As of 2023, France's startup ecosystem includes around 20,000 startups. In 2022, these startups attracted approximately €10 billion in venture capital funding. This substantial investment underscores the ecosystem's growth potential and robust nature. The market's size and financial backing reflect its capacity to foster innovation and sustain a competitive edge within Europe and beyond.
Key Strengths
France's startup ecosystem is characterized by several key strengths, including strong government support, a high-quality education system, and a strategic location in Europe. The country excels in sectors such as fintech, healthtech, and deep tech. These strengths are bolstered by France's robust industrial base and government support, positioning it as a leader in the European startup scene.
Major Hubs
Paris is the primary hub of France’s startup ecosystem, known for its vibrant tech scene and concentration of startups. The city attracts entrepreneurs and investors from around the world. Major corporations and research institutions in Paris foster a collaborative environment for innovation. The dynamic ecosystem in Paris is instrumental in driving France's economic growth and technological advancements.
Emerging Hubs
In addition to Paris, emerging hubs like Lyon, Marseille, and Toulouse are gaining prominence in France’s startup ecosystem. Lyon is known for its strengths in biotech and digital industries, Marseille for its focus on maritime and logistics tech, and Toulouse for aerospace and advanced manufacturing. These emerging hubs are expanding the reach and diversity of France’s entrepreneurial landscape, offering new opportunities for innovation and growth.
Support Systems
France’s startup ecosystem benefits from a strong network of incubators, accelerators, and co-working spaces that provide essential support and resources for entrepreneurs. Initiatives like Station F and Paris&Co have been pivotal in fostering a supportive environment for startups, providing access to resources, mentorship, and funding. This supportive infrastructure is crucial for nurturing early-stage companies and fostering a collaborative entrepreneurial environment.
Challenges
Despite its strengths, the French startup ecosystem faces challenges such as bureaucratic hurdles and high labor costs. Navigating regulatory frameworks can be time-consuming and complex for startups. Additionally, labor costs in France are relatively high, which can impact the profitability and scalability of new ventures. Addressing these challenges requires strategic efforts and supportive policies to sustain growth and competitiveness.
Opportunities and Future Outlook
France has significant opportunities for growth in sectors like fintech, healthtech, and deep tech. The country's strong focus on sustainability and green technology drives innovation in renewable energy and environmental technologies. France's strategic location and trade agreements provide startups with opportunities for international expansion. With continued investment and innovation, France's startup ecosystem is poised for further growth, contributing significantly to the global innovation landscape.
Resilience and Adaptability
France's startup ecosystem demonstrates remarkable resilience and adaptability. The country's commitment to innovation, coupled with strong government and institutional support, enables startups to navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities. The diverse talent pool and high-quality research institutions attract entrepreneurs and investors alike, ensuring sustained growth and success in the face of global economic shifts and market dynamics.
Case Studies: Successful Funding Rounds with Angel Investors on Angels Partners
Fady Yacoub is a Co-Founder and serves as Managing Partner at HOF Capital. He is also an Angel Investor. Together with Hisham El Haddad, Fady created a Hong Kong-based SPV to invest in the record-setting IPO of Alibaba. The SPV received a stock allocation at a discount with a 3x margin and was successfully exited with a 76% return in two months. Fady worked previously at Digital World Capital, a technology-focused hedge fund, helping the firm to expand its investment portfolio in Asia, including a sizeable investment in Baidu, the world's second largest online search engine. Along with Hisham, Fady also invented the drumm device, an IoT-enhanced wearable that allows for haptic communication, after participating successfully in Switch SuperNap's technology accelerator in Nevada. Earlier in his career, Fady held multiple positions at El Tholathia Corp Egypt (ETC). He led El-Tholathia Corp's (ETC Egypt) industrial development team in deploying a new home appliances factory in Sudan for a $8m initial cost. Through ETC's real estate development arm, he also facilitated the purchase of and subsequently led the development team for ~400,000 m2 on Egypt's North Coast, a project initially valued at ~$60m. Fady holds dual Bachelor's degrees in Business Administration & Psychology from the University of Southern California. He is also an Angel Investor.
Shaun Abrahamson
Investing in PropTech • Hardware (& Manufact...
Los Angeles - California, U.S.A. - Germany - Europe: Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Romania, Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece, Portugal, Sweden, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Slovakia, Norway, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Icela
Previous Investments
• CrowdTwist:
$20000
• Hades:
$1900000 (Seed Round)
• Radiator Labs:
$2400000 (Seed Round)
• Radiator Labs:
$300000 (Pre Seed Round)
• Radiator Labs:
$220000 (Pre Seed Round)
• Arbor:
$2600000 (Seed Round)
• ChargeLab:
$15000000 (Series A)
• ChargeLab:
$4000000 (Seed)
• ChargeLab:
$1000000 (Pre Seed)
• Covetool:
$30000000 (Series B)
• Covetool:
$800000 (Seed)
• Electric Visionary Aircrafts:
(Convertible Note)
• Electric Visionary Aircrafts:
(Seed)
• HAAS Alert:
$5000000 (Seed)
• HAAS Alert:
$1000000 (Seed)
• Partsimony:
$2000000 (Seed)
• Oonee:
(Pre Seed)
• Pallon (fka Hades):
$2000000 (Seed)
• Aquagenuity:
(Pre Seed)
• FIRMUS:
(Pre Seed)
• FIRMUS:
(Convertible Note)
• Metalmark Innovations:
(Pre Seed)
• CoInspect:
$150000 (Seed)
• CoInspect:
$2000000 (Seed)
• Hubbster:
(Seed)
• Evolve Energy:
(Pre Seed)
• Kift:
(Convertible Note)
• Food for All:
$700000 (Seed)
• Flair:
$810000 (Seed)
• Flair:
$300000 (Convertible Note)
• Flair:
$230000 (Convertible Note)
• Flair:
$330000 (Seed)
• Flair:
$130000 (Convertible Note)
• GreenQ:
(Convertible Note)
• Thrilling:
(Angel)
• RoadBotics by Michelin:
$4000000 (Seed)
• RoadBotics by Michelin:
(Seed)
• Coord:
$5000000 (Series A)
• Blueprint Power:
$4000000 (Series A)
• Miles:
$4000000 (Seed)
• Rentlogic:
$2000000 (Seed)
• Rentlogic:
(Series Unknown)
• Campsyte:
$100000 (Seed)
• VERSATILE:
$1000000 (Seed)
• Bowery Farming:
$8000000 (Seed)
• Citymart:
$750000 (Seed)
• Citymart:
(Seed)
• Kelvin:
$2000000 (Seed)
• Kelvin:
$300000 (Pre Seed)
• Kelvin:
$220000 (Pre Seed)
• BlocPower:
$200000 (Pre Seed)
• BlocPower:
$600000 (Pre Seed)
• Rachio:
$7000000 (Series A)
• Rachio:
$500000 (Convertible Note)
• Rachio:
$700000 (Convertible Note)
• Future Motion:
(Series A)
• Architizer:
(Series A)
• Architizer:
(Convertible Note)
• Mark43:
$11000000 (Series A)
• LogCheck:
(Seed)
• Valet Anywhere (VA):
$1000000 (Seed)
• Valet Anywhere (VA):
(Convertible Note)
• Revivn:
(Seed)
• BRCK:
$1000000 (Seed)
• BikeSpike:
(Convertible Note)
• Skycatch:
$3000000 (Convertible Note)
• Dash:
$1000000 (Seed)
• KIWI:
(Convertible Note)
Shaun Abrahamson
Los Angeles - California, U.S.A. - Germany - Europe: Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Romania, Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece, Portugal, Sweden, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Slovakia, Norway, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Icela
Investing In
PropTech • Hardware (& Manufacturing) • Energy • CleanTech • A.I. (& Big Data) • Robotics • Real Estate (& Construction) • DeepTech • Mobility • Woman Focused
Description
Most Interested In
We're interested in teams re-imagining cities in 3 areas - GHG reduction, climate adaptation and solving problems associated with high density (like traffic or public safety).
Cities are complex, so founders continue inspire and amaze us by identifying new systemic issues and solutions. If you're re-imagining city life, we'd love to hear from you.
Not Interested In
We don't invest in edtech or healthtech. Certainly not a vote on whether we want to see these categories succeed, we just think they need additional focus/skills which we don't have. That said public health is a growing area of interesting.
Shaun Abrahamson is a Founder and serves as Managing Partner at Urban Us. Shaun is a Member of the Investment Committee, and he leads investment selection and communications with portfolio companies, members of the Network, and limited partners in Fund II. Before founding Fund I, Shaun was an active angel investor, investing in more than 20 firms between 2007 and 2013 in his personal capacity. Early-stage investing and advising is informed by his experiences building MediaSentry (acquired by SafeNet in 2005), Starmedia Network (acquired by France Telecom) and Oculus Technologies (MIT CADLab spin-out). In 1999, he was an early employee at govWorks, one of the earliest startups focused on serving local government. govWorks was ahead of the market and failed during the dot-com bust, becoming the subject of the documentary Startup.com in 2001. Shaun has written for organizations such as The Economist Intelligence Unit, The Huffington Post, and CNNMoney. Crowdstorm, published by Wiley, was his first book and is a guide to working with large online crowds to find and evaluate ideas. The book is based on Shaun's experience working with Starbucks, Omnicom Group, $300 House, and Life Edited. Shaun has an MSc from MIT; an MBA from the Berlin School of Creative Leadership; and a BSc from the University of Cape Town. He is also an Angel Investor.
Romain Vidal
Investing in Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) &b...
Paris, France
Previous Investments
• Deolan:
(late stage)
• CapHorn Invest:
(early stage)
• Legapass:
$1000000 (Pre Seed)
• POTLOC:
$27000000 (Series B)
• POTLOC:
$16000000 (Series A)
• POTLOC:
$2000000 (Seed)
• SimpliField, a Field Agent company:
$11000000 (Series A)
• SimpliField, a Field Agent company:
$4000000 (Seed)
We are a first stage venture partner, driven on bringing our community network effect power to support global ambition.
Most Interested In
LeFonds, Catalyst for Startups to scale-up global ambition
We invest in supporting growth and scale at the pivotal internationalization moment
A unique positioning filling a combined network & operation gap when going global
Cross-border experience to support portfolio companies
We are a first stage venture partner focused on investing in French-speaking founders who create solutions or products that sustainably satisfy identified & actionable market needs.
Not Interested In
People only seeking financing are not interested in benefiting from the power of a business community.
Joseph Sartre
Investing in Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) &b...
San Francisco Bay Are..., U.S.A. - France
Previous Investments
• Cargo:
$22000000 (Series A)
• Cargo:
$6000000 (Seed)
• Cargo:
$1000000 (Seed)
Joseph Sartre
San Francisco Bay Area - New York, U.S.A. - France
I led investments in companies such as Cargo, Selfmade, Oto.ai and Fordays. Fascinated about the intersection of Technology and Commerce, I spend my time looking at technology infrastructure of the retail and commerce spaces as well as new models and marketplaces all enabling better consuming.
Mr. Yigal Jacoby is a Co-Founder and serves as Chairman of Allot Communications and also serves as its Board Member. He also serves as an Advisor at theDOCK and as Chairman at Manto AI. He serves as Chairman at DriveU.auto. He serves as Board Member at Nimble Beauty.
Sacha Doliner is a Co-Founder and serves as Chief Executive Officer at Axiatel. Doliner is a board member of 360Learning.
Pete Flint
Investing in Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) &b...
London , San Francisc..., U.S.A. - U.K. - Brazil - France - Mexico
Previous Investments
• DoorDash:
$700000000 (Later stage VC)
• Warmly:
$2100000 (Seed Round)
• Lynks:
$120000 (Seed Round)
• Stride Travel:
(Seed Round)
• Parting Pro:
$120000 (Pre Seed Round)
• WaveOne:
$2500000 (Seed Round)
• Chatalytic:
(Seed Round)
• Radius Agent:
$13000000 (Series B)
• Radius Agent:
$13000000 (Series A)
• Gizmo:
$4000000 (Seed)
• Shop Circle:
$120000000 (Series A)
• Shop Circle:
$65000000 (Series A)
• Akooda:
$11000000 (Seed)
• Let’s Do This:
$60000000 (Series B)
• Let’s Do This:
$15000000 (Series A)
• Let’s Do This:
$5000000 (Seed)
• Clubbi:
$12000000 (Series A)
• Tailorbird:
(Seed)
• SESO:
$25000000 (Series A)
• SESO:
$5000000 (Seed)
• Lev:
$70000000 (Series B)
• Lev:
$10000000 (Seed)
• Tomo:
$40000000 (Series A)
• Tomo:
$30000000 (Seed)
• Tomo:
$40000000 (Seed)
• Latitud:
$12000000 (Seed)
• Melonn:
$20000000 (Series A)
• Melonn:
$2000000 (Pre Seed)
• Melonn:
$2000000 (Pre Seed)
• Mammoth Biosciences:
$150000000 (Series D)
• Mammoth Biosciences:
$45000000 (Series C)
• Mammoth Biosciences:
$23000000 (Series A)
• Mammoth Biosciences:
$120000 (Pre Seed)
• Onsi:
$8000000 (Series A)
• Spike:
$23000000 (Series A)
• Spike:
$5000000 (Seed)
• Spike:
$120000 (Seed)
• Frontier:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Dongnae:
$4000000 (Seed)
• Overmoon:
(Seed)
• Instashowing:
$2000000 (Seed)
• Instashowing:
(Seed)
• Edgybees:
$10000000 (Series A)
• Edgybees:
$6000000 (Seed)
• Edgybees:
(Pre Seed)
• La Haus:
$35000000 (Series B)
• La Haus:
$10000000 (Series A)
• La Haus:
$5000000 (Seed)
• La Haus:
$530000 (Convertible Note)
• La Haus:
$1000000 (Pre Seed)
• Jupiter:
$2000000 (Seed)
• Jupiter:
$100000 (Pre Seed)
• Crews by Core:
$11000000 (Seed)
• Incredible Health:
$15000000 (Series A)
• Let's Do This:
$5000000 (Seed Round)
• Constru:
$2500000 (Seed)
• Travelstride:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Travelstride:
(Pre Seed)
• Firefly:
$30000000 (Series A)
• Firefly:
$22000000 (Seed Round)
• Wheelwell:
$3000000 (Series Unknown)
• Wheelwell:
$120000 (Pre Seed)
• Zengaming:
(Seed)
• Zengaming:
(Pre Seed)
• Setter:
$10000000 (Series A)
• Ribbon:
$230000000 (Series A)
• Court Buddy:
$6000000 (Series A)
• MOV.AI:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Peek:
$23000000 (Series B)
• Peek:
$10000000 (Series A)
• JetInsight:
(Series A)
• JetInsight:
(Pre Seed)
• Volley:
$1000000 (Seed)
• Volley:
(Pre Seed)
• Grabr:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Duco Experts:
$120000 (Pre Seed)
• MatrixDS:
$120000 (Pre Seed)
• Finvoice:
(Pre Seed)
• Filmhub:
$450000 (Pre Seed)
• TigerEx:
$120000 (Seed)
• Wemark:
$1000000 (Seed)
• Nobex Technologies:
$120000 (Pre Seed)
• Octopus Now:
$120000 (Pre Seed)
• Fleximatter:
$120000 (Pre Seed)
• Truvic Consulting Pvt. Ltd.:
$120000 (Seed)
• Alto Life:
$120000 (Seed)
• Sounds:
$120000 (Pre Seed)
• RideOn:
$120000 (Pre Seed)
• IvyMark:
(Seed)
• IvyMark:
$3000000 (Seed)
• GoldenKey:
$2000000 (Series Unknown)
• Unlimited Reality:
$400000 (Pre Seed)
• Hippo Insurance:
$14000000 (Series A)
• Materialist:
$120000 (Pre Seed)
• Frisbee:
$120000 (Pre Seed)
• BrightCrowd:
(Seed)
• Stella:
$10000000 (Seed)
• Joy:
(Seed)
• Splacer:
$7000000 (Series A)
• Cavalry:
$200000 (Pre Seed)
• The Hotels Network:
$100000 (Convertible Note)
• The Hotels Network:
$50000 (Seed)
• Hackerbay:
$220000 (Pre Seed)
• Synereo:
$120000 (Seed)
• Plenty:
$2000000 (Seed)
• Leade.rs:
(Pre Seed)
• Yodas.com:
$2000000 (Seed)
• Yodas.com:
(Pre Seed)
• Cricket Health:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Cricket Health:
$950000 (Convertible Note)
• Cricket Health:
$120000 (Pre Seed)
• Blueberry:
(Pre Seed)
• Blueberry:
$380000 (Pre Seed)
• Crowdcast:
(Pre Seed)
• Crowdcast:
(Pre Seed)
• Atrium:
(Seed)
• Styra:
(Seed)
• RobinHealth:
$120000 (Seed)
• Spinach:
$120000 (Pre Seed)
• Outdoorsy:
$120000 (Pre Seed)
• Modify Watches:
$120000 (Pre Seed)
• SAY Wearables:
$120000 (Seed)
• Merlin:
$120000 (Pre Seed)
• Storyhunter:
$120000 (Seed)
• Finrise:
$120000 (Pre Seed)
• kwik:
$120000 (Seed)
• Marketman:
$120000 (Pre Seed)
• Genome Compiler:
$6000000 (Seed)
• LiquidSpace:
$120000 (Pre Seed)
• AnyRoad:
(Pre Seed)
• OpenAgent.com.au:
$930000 (Seed)
• Saltside Technologies:
$25000000 (Series A)
• Amino:
(Seed)
• Viv:
(Series A)
Pete Flint
London - San Francisco Bay Area - New York - City - Sao Paulo - California, U.S.A. - U.K. - Brazil - France - Mexico
Investing In
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • PropTech • Businesses Solutions • FinTech (& Financials services) • A.I. (& Big Data) • Developer tools • Future Of Work • Insurance (& InsurTech) • Payments • Real Estate (& Construction) • Woman Focused
Description
Most Interested In
Passionate about next generation marketplaces & technically minded founders that have strong intuition about markets & customers. AI and crazy ideas.
Not Interested In
Well if it doesn't have or aspire to have a network effect, then probably not a fit... Very very selective when looking at opportunities that are not based in the Bay Area - we can be more helpful when teams are near us.
Pete Flint serves as Managing Partner at NFX. The co-founder of Trulia, Pete is a serial entrepreneur who built one of today's most successful marketplaces. As CEO, Pete led the company from inception to one of the largest and fastest growing real estate websites in the U.S. with more than 50 million monthly unique users and a merger with Zillow in 2015 that valued Trulia at $3.5 billion. Prior to starting Trulia, Pete was part of the founding team of lastminute.com, a leading European online travel site that was acquired in 2005 by Travelocity / Sabre Holdings for over $1 billion. These experiences gave Pete a rarely acquired understanding of what it takes to scale a company from a great idea to a $1 billion+ exit, all from a founder's perspective.
Christian Jorge
Investing in Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) &b...
Paris, France
Previous Investments
• Groover:
(early stage)
• Merci Alternative:
(early stage)
• Mind - L'application de méditation pour vivre mieux:
• Murfy:
(early stage)
• Arianee:
(early stage)
• NUMA Paris:
(mid stage)
• The Galion Project:
(early stage)
• TrainMe:
(early stage)
• Vestiaire Collective:
(late stage)
• www.shade-beauty.com:
• RL AGENCY:
(early stage)
• RÉSEAU LOCAL - Webagency division:
• IDEO Concept - Classic & Digital Communication Agency:
+535
