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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Paris, France
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Hospitality (& Events) • Autonomous vehicles (& Cars) • Future Of Work • Food & Beverage • Impact • Insurance (& InsurTech) • DeepTech
Founder at BlaBlaCar
Founder at BlaBlaCar - Co-President Entrepreneur at France Digitale
Frederic Mazzella is a Cu-Founder and serves as President and Executive Chairman at BlaBlaCar. He is a Board Member of Olio. Since pioneering the idea in 2004, he continues to lead BlaBlaCar's vision of creating a global people-powered network with a trusted community of drivers and passengers. He focuses on the excellence of the product, establishing trust within the ridesharing community and drives the overall communication of the brand. With a data-driven mindset and a believer in the power of laughing to learn, he is also a strong advocate of sustainable development, entrepreneurship, transforming the global marketplace and building trust in online communities. Prior to founding BlaBlaCar, He held the role of scientific researcher at NASA (USA) and NTT (Japan). He holds an MBA in Business and Entrepreneurship from INSEAD, a Masters in Computer Science from Stanford and a Masters in Physics from Ecole Normale Superieure. He is also an Angel Investor. He also serves as Board Member at SIDE Capital. He also serves as Co-President of the Board at France Digitale.
Quebec - Toronto Ontario - New York City, France
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • PropTech • IT (& TMT) • Hospitality (& Events) • Media • Businesses Solutions • FinTech (& Financials services) • Retail (& E-Commerce) • Sales (& Marketing) • Entertainment (& Sports) • IoT (& Wearables) • A.I. (& Big Data) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Web Security (& Privacy) • Gaming (& eSports) • Analytics • Cloud Services (& Infrastructure) • Developer tools • Future Of Work • Food & Beverage • Human Resources • Insurance (& InsurTech) • Logistics (& Distribution) • Medical Devices (& Hospital Services) • Payments • Robotics • Real Estate (& Construction) • Healthcare (& Wellness) • Investment Management • Mobile • Mobility • Online Social • Consumer • Woman Focused
White Star Capital is a venture capital firm specializing in seed and Series A investments. The firm is primarily focused on investing in technology-driven businesses with a focus on the mobile, big data, gaming, social media and SaaS sectors. It was founded in 2007 and has offices in London, New York and Montreal.
New York, U.S.A. - Global: U.S.A., Australia, Canada, Germany, U.K., Israel, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, Iceland
Hospitality (& Events) • AgroTech • FinTech (& Financials services) • Energy • Retail (& E-Commerce) • A.I. (& Big Data) • Advertising
Co-founder / Managing Partner at HOF Capital
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.
Paris, France - U.S.A. - U.K.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • PropTech • Hospitality (& Events) • Education • FinTech (& Financials services) • CleanTech • A.I. (& Big Data) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • GovTech • Impact • Real Estate (& Construction) • Healthcare (& Wellness) • Consumer • Woman Focused
Entrepreneur & Angel Investor • 🚨Hiring CTOs
Investor - Limited Partner at Super Capital VC
London - Barcelona, Spain - U.K. - France
PropTech • Hospitality (& Events) • FinTech (& Financials services) • CleanTech • A.I. (& Big Data) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Web Security (& Privacy) • Insurance (& InsurTech) • Payments • Real Estate (& Construction) • Mobility
Most Interested In
Fintech, Proptech, Insutech, Traveltech, Mobility, AI, Blockchain.
Not Interested In
Marketplaces, pure B2C, Biotech
London - Moscow, U.S.A. - U.K. - Germany - Global: U.S.A., Australia, Canada, Germany, U.K., Israel, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, Iceland
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Hospitality (& Events) • AgroTech • Businesses Solutions • Sales (& Marketing) • Advertising • Future Of Work • Human Resources • Online Social
Most Interested In
Impulse is a global VC firm with strong expertise in enterprise solutions and AdTech. We provide investments to deep tech companies to scale business and entering new markets. In addition to investments, Impulse gives access to unique expertise; Partners are successful entrepreneurs - founders of leading global SEO marketing marketplace.
Irvine California - Newport Beach California - Geneva Switzerland - London - New York City (NY) - Valley California - Western Europe - - Tehran Iran - Southern California California - Paris (France), U.S.A.
Hospitality (& Events) • Education • Sales (& Marketing) • Gaming (& eSports) • Advertising • Cloud Services (& Infrastructure) • Impact • Messaging • Payments
Dr. Amir Banifatemi serves as Managing Director at K5 Ventures. Dr. Banifatemi serves as an Advisor at Compass and serves as Board Member at Aura Labs. He also serves as Board Member and Advisor at Fusion Brakes. He is a successful entrepreneur whose work experience includes more than 14 years of advising startups. His focus has always been identifying and developing future and emerging technologies that can impact society with special emphasis on predictive business intelligence, knowledge sharing & education, and real-time technologies. Amir likes to work with startups on their product strategy, pricing, business model, go-to-market, and fund raising. Amir is currently a member and President of the Tech Coast Angels Orange County and actively involved with venture funds and angel investors to help continuous and sustained funding of startups. He is also an Angel Investor.
, U.S.A. - Portugal - 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, Icel
Hospitality (& Events)
Product Leader | Executive MBA
London - Zurich Switzerland - Paris France - Barcelona Spain - Berlin Germany - Hong Kong - Mumbai India - Singapore - Amsterdam Netherlands - Dubai United Arab Emirates - Stockholm Sweden - Oslo Norway - Yerevan Armenia - Moscow Russia, U.S.A.
Other • Hospitality (& Events) • Education • BioTech • Businesses Solutions • FinTech (& Financials services) • Energy • Retail (& E-Commerce) • CleanTech • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Cannabis • Gaming (& eSports) • Food & Beverage • Real Estate (& Construction) • Healthcare (& Wellness)
CEO @rapture-industries
London, U.K. - France
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • PropTech • Hospitality (& Events) • Businesses Solutions • FinTech (& Financials services) • Future Of Work • Real Estate (& Construction) • Music • Mobility • Consumer • Woman Focused
Partner at Stride.VC. Ex-Spotahome COO, Uber GM + EMEA Director of Ops
Rice U. grad, Strategy Consultant at McKinsey & Company, advises on business strategy.
Zurich, Switzerland - 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,
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • IT (& TMT) • Hospitality (& Events) • Education • Businesses Solutions • Retail (& E-Commerce) • A.I. (& Big Data) • Analytics • SaaS • Healthcare (& Wellness) • Mobile • Consumer • Productivity
Niklas stberg is a Cu-Founder and serves as Board Member and Chief Executive Officer at Delivery Hero. Prior to this, he served as Chairman and Partner at OnlinePizza Norden. He also co-founded the company. He has been involved in the start-up scene since the late 90's after spending several years in consulting and banking. Following five years as a management consultant at Oliver Wyman, he co-founded Pizza.nu (later OnlinePizza. se) where he served as a full-time chairman. He was responsible for building up the clear market leaders in online food ordering companies in Poland, Finland and Austria. Niklas holds a Master of Industrial Engineering & Management from Royal Institute of Technology Stockholm & ETH Zurich.