Filter the directory by category, geography, or sector to find the right partners.
Founded 2015. Private incubator network in 10+ cities that forms startups from scratch in a 10-month program; provides up to EUR 100K pre-seed and Think Bigger Capital backing. Supported 500+ entrepreneurs. Scope: National.
Founded 2012 by 50 entrepreneurs. Accelerator offering hands-on mentorship and seed investment for tech, impact, and healthtech ventures; founders gain access to experienced entrepreneur partners. Support: equity investment, mentorship, Paris workspace. Scope: National.
Agoranov is a Paris-based incubator that has been a cradle for many of France’s most successful deep-tech startups. Founded in 2000 as a public incubator by a consortium of universities and research institutions, Agoranov focuses on fostering startups in science and technology-intensive sectors – such as life sciences, energy, telecom, and digital – often spinning them out of academic labs. Over its two decades, Agoranov has supported 400+ startups which have raised over €1.5 billion and created 10,000+ jobs. Its roster of alumni is stellar: Doctolib (healthtech unicorn) was incubated at Agoranov in 2013, Alan (insurtech unicorn) in 2016, Criteo (adtech, IPO on NASDAQ) in 2005, Alderan (biotech, acquired by Sanofi), and Ynsect (insect protein, major funding) are just a few examples. Agoranov offers entrepreneurs office space in central Paris and a 6-month renewable incubation program that includes tailored mentorship from industry experts, access to researchers and tech infrastructure, help with grant applications (important in deep-tech), and investor introductions. As a public interest incubator, Agoranov takes no equity – its funding comes from the French government (via organizations like CNRS, INRIA) and the City of Paris, as well as corporate sponsors. This neutral, non-profit stance makes it attractive for academic founders hesitant to jump to the private sector. The incubator also runs sector-specific cohorts, like one for New Space and another for EdTech, aligning with national priorities. Deep tech requires patience, and Agoranov has adapted to support longer gestation – startups can stay up to 24 months and benefit from a large network of alumni who often return as mentors. Agoranov is situated near Paris’s research universities (Université Pierre et Marie Curie, etc.), reinforcing the academia-to-startup pipeline. Some signature practices include weekly progress meetings (“Monday Stand-ups”) and public Demo Days that attract France’s top VC and angel investors. Notably, in the French Tech ecosystem, Agoranov is revered for producing more than 5 unicorns (Criteo, Doctolib, Alan, etc.). Its success underscores the value of steady public support for high-risk, high-reward deep tech ventures, and Agoranov continues to be a cornerstone of Paris’s innovation landscape.
Modern health insurance platform streamlining getting care for European employees.
BlaBlaCar is the world’s leading long-distance carpooling platform, often hailed as France’s flagship startup success. Founded in 2006 by Frédéric Mazzella (along with Francis Nappez and Nicolas Brusson), BlaBlaCar was born from Mazzella’s realization that countless car journeys had empty seats. The platform (named after users’ self-described chattyness level – “Bla”, “BlaBla”, or “BlaBlaBla”) connects drivers with spare seats to passengers traveling the same way, so they can share the ride and costs. Today, BlaBlaCar has a 100 million-member community across 22+ countries, serving over 25 million travelers per quarter pre-pandemic. It operates in most of Europe and parts of Latin America and Asia, having successfully localized carpooling in markets like Germany, Russia, Brazil, and Turkey. The company also branched into bus travel: in 2018, BlaBlaCar acquired Ouibus from SNCF, rebranding it BlaBlaBus, to offer intercity bus routes alongside carpool rides. BlaBlaCar’s business model charges a roughly 10–20% booking fee from passengers in mature markets, though in new markets it often launches free to build liquidity. Known for its strong community culture, BlaBlaCar emphasizes trust – it introduced verified profiles, ratings, and even an optional “Ladies Only” carpool option. The company achieved unicorn status in 2015 when it raised $200 million at a $1.6 billion valuation and later was valued around $2 billion. Despite the pandemic’s impact on travel, BlaBlaCar rebounded by 2022, even reporting profitability. In 2023, it raised €100 million in financing to fuel growth. BlaBlaCar is often cited in case studies (Harvard, etc.) as a pioneer of the sharing economy in Europe, proving that a people-powered platform can transform intercity transport. By bringing cost-effective travel to millions and fostering new friendships on the road, BlaBlaCar has truly brought “ridesharing” into the mainstream – and stands as one of Europe’s few consumer-tech unicorns with global reach.
Founded 2009. One of Europe's largest incubators, hosting 200+ startups annually with multi-stage programs from incubation to acceleration, plus labs and funding access. Ranked a top French startup hub; alumni include fintech scaleups and AI firms. Scope: Regional (Hauts-de-France) with international reach.
Warehouse robotics company whose Skypod system uses fleets of robots to automate order fulfillment.
Launched 1999 by Institut Mines-Telecom. Incubator for tech startups from students and researchers with programs like START@IMT and SCALE'Up; focuses on AI, big data, and VR with early-stage funding options. Scope: Regional (Ile-de-France).
Organizer of the Insurance Innovation conference in Paris.
One-day insurtech and digital finance conference on insurance transformation and security.
High-volume seed investor accelerating founders through the critical first hires and pilots.
Launched 2014 by Credit Agricole. National accelerator network with 30+ villages across France offering coworking, mentorship, and business connections with CA's banking network. Sector-agnostic (fintech, agritech, etc.). Scope: National.
Home insurance startup focusing on prevention, fast claims, and digital-first service.
Open and commercial large language models built in Europe for developers and enterprises.
Founded in 2011 (originating from Le Camping), NUMA accelerates digital startups and runs open innovation programs for corporates. Support: 3–6 month acceleration with mentorship, community events, and investor demo days. Scope: International.
NUMA is a storied name in the Paris startup scene – both an accelerator and an innovation hub that traces its origins to one of Europe’s first startup programs. Established in 2011, NUMA evolved from the famed “Le Camping” accelerator (run out of a historic building on Rue du Caire). As an accelerator, NUMA ran 3- to 6-month cohorts for digital startups, providing mentorship, community events, coworking space, and investor demo days. It was particularly influential in France’s early startup boom – alumni include successes like Dataiku (AI platform) and Algolia (search-as-a-service), which both passed through NUMA’s programs. Over time, NUMA expanded its scope beyond acceleration into corporate innovation. It launched NUMA Consulting to help large companies implement startup methodologies, and also opened international outposts (NUMA Bengaluru in India and NUMA New York were launched around 2015–2016). In Paris, NUMA’s space became an “innovation hub” – a vibrant campus hosting events, hackathons, and innovation programs for corporates and the community. NUMA was notable for being a public-private effort initially, supported by the City of Paris and corporates, which helped ignite the French ecosystem a decade ago. By the late 2010s, NUMA transitioned its accelerator model – focusing more on themed open-innovation programs (e.g. for smart cities or AI) rather than general batches. It also partnered with the European Commission on projects to spur startup-corporate collaborations. Though NUMA (the accelerator) concluded its last batch in late 2019, the brand still persists as a hub and network of innovation spaces. The legacy of NUMA is significant: it helped institutionalize French startup support and proved the value of mentorship-driven acceleration in Europe. In ecosystem terms, NUMA stands as a pioneer whose model of combining startup acceleration with corporate and community innovation has been emulated widely.
Established 1996. Paris economic development agency running 20+ thematic incubators (sports, foodtech, smart cities, etc.) with coaching, offices, and corporate partners; supports hundreds of startups annually and hosts ecosystem events. Scope: Regional (Paris).
Paris and Berlin-based fund investing from venture seed through growth internationally.
Accounting and financial management platform that unifies bookkeeping, invoicing, and payments for SMEs.
Business planning platform offering collaborative budgeting, forecasting, and scenario modeling.
AI research company aiming to build autonomous code-generating systems for future software development.
Opened in 2017, Station F is a large startup campus and incubator in a converted rail depot hosting 1,000+ startups through themed programs and events. Scope: National & international. Support: co-working, on-site accelerators, investor and partner network.
Station F is an iconic startup campus and incubator in Paris, often described as the world’s largest startup facility under one roof. Opened in June 2017 in a sprawling 34,000 m² renovated railway depot (the historic Halle Freyssinet), Station F was the brainchild of French telecom magnate Xavier Niel, who invested €250 million into its creation. Station F houses over 1,000 startups at any given time, spread across 30+ themed incubation programs run by corporates, universities, and venture funds. These programs range from Facebook’s Startup Garage (focused on data innovation) to HEC’s Incubator, Zendesk’s Accelerator, and Niel’s own Founders Program for early-stage companies. Startups at Station F benefit from unparalleled infrastructure: 24/7 coworking space, meeting rooms, an on-site makerspace (for hardware prototyping), a massive cafeteria (run by Big Mamma), and even a dedicated investor zone where VCs hold office hours. The campus also features La Felicità, a public food market that doubles as an event space for community gatherings and tech conferences. As an ecosystem hub, Station F offers a rich support system – mentorship from successful entrepreneurs, free cloud credits from partners, and a resident French Tech Visa office to fast-track international founders’ immigration. The impact of Station F on French tech has been huge: it broke down silos by co-locating diverse players and attracted foreign entrepreneurs to Paris (through initiatives like its Fighters Program for underprivileged founders). By 2023, Station F alumni include Doctolib (e-health unicorn), Agricool (urban farming startup), and Shippeo (supply chain platform). The campus has also hosted President Macron’s tech summits and global delegations, becoming a symbol of France’s startup renaissance. During COVID-19, Station F pivoted to online events but is now back to full capacity. With a new residential co-living extension (Flatmates) nearby, Station F aims to not just incubate startups but nurture a 24/7 entrepreneurial lifestyle. In summary, Station F stands as a monumental bet on innovation – a physical “mega-incubator” that has firmly placed Paris on the global startup map.
Employee experience platform blending benefits, rewards, and wallet tools for hybrid teams.
Organizer of VivaTech, Paris's flagship innovation and startup conference connecting founders, corporates, and investors.
Annual innovation and startup event organized by Viva Technology. Next edition: Jun 11-14, 2025 in Paris.
Founded 2001. Multi-sector accelerator helping early-stage tech startups reach first customers and EUR 1M ARR within 3 years. KPI-driven programs, zero-equity loans, and coaching; portfolio has 50+ exits. Scope: Regional (Ile-de-France).