France startup ecosystem
France has rapidly risen in the European startup rankings, driven by bold government initiatives like La French Tech and the world's largest startup campus, Station F. Paris is a powerhouse for deep tech, AI, and cleantech, supported by a strong scientific research base and increasing private VC investment. A growing pool of serial entrepreneurs is helping the ecosystem mature. The directory currently lists 275 organisations across 28 cities.
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Victor Decrion
Victor Decrion is Managing Partner at Lauxera Capital Partners, a European venture capital firm specializing in cardiovascular disease therapeutics and cardiometabolic drug development. He is a notable life science investor active in the European and Nordic biotech partnering ecosystem. Lauxera Capital is recognized for its focused thesis in cardiovascular innovation, an underserved area in European life science VC.
Vincent Huguet
Co-founder and CEO of Malt, the freelance marketplace connecting companies with independent professionals across Europe. He scaled it into the continent's leading freelancing platform.
Viva Technology
Organizer of VivaTech, Paris's flagship innovation and startup conference connecting founders, corporates, and investors since 2016. One of Europe's largest tech events, VivaTech attracts over 150,000 attendees and 13,000 startups annually, featuring startup challenges, corporate open innovation programs, and high-profile keynotes.
Viva Technology (VivaTech) 2026
Europe's largest startup and technology event at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, marking its 10th anniversary in 2026. Core value for founders is open-innovation deal flow with corporates and investors. Startup Challenge applications typically run on rolling tracks and often close in late March to early April 2026 depending on partner challenge.
Viva Technology (VivaTech) 2027
The 2027 edition of VivaTech, held 16-19 June 2027 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles on Place de la Porte de Versailles. The organisers describe VivaTech as the world's rendezvous for startups and leaders to celebrate innovation, gathering the world's brightest minds, talents and products, and it remains one of Europe's largest technology and startup gatherings.
VivaTech Startup Challenges 2026
Challenge-based corporate innovation tracks connected to VivaTech 2026. Deadlines are rolling and usually close between late March and early April 2026 depending on partner challenge. Selected startups can receive exhibition visibility, pilot opportunities, and enterprise integration support.
VoFact
AI-powered invoicing SaaS for freelancers and tradespeople that generates compliant PDF invoices in under 10 seconds from voice or text messages on WhatsApp, handling French requirements including sequential numbering, VAT and the 2026 e-invoicing mandate.
Wakeo
Wakeo is a Paris-based supply chain visibility company offering an AI-powered platform for shippers, freight forwarders, and carriers. Its products include real-time multimodal shipment tracking with predictive ETAs across sea, air, road, rail and parcel, a Trusted Routes tool for disruption alerts and route risk scoring, intelligent analytics on carrier performance, and a carbon footprint calculator for transport emissions. Customers cited on its site include Air Liquide, Corteva, Clasquin, and Fracht. Wakeo went through the Techstars Paris accelerator program in its first cohort and counts 50 Partners among its backers.
WILCO
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).
World Artificial Intelligence Cannes Festival (WAICF) 2026
Large-scale AI conference at the Palais des Festivals with 10,000+ attendees, 320 speakers, and 220+ exhibitors expected for 2026. Program tracks include AI for Business, AI Governance, and Health AI, making it a high-value venue for founders seeking enterprise pilots and investor visibility.
World Artificial Intelligence Cannes Festival (WAICF) 2027
WAICF 2027 runs 10-11 February at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, now backed by events group Informa. The festival brings together 200+ speakers and roughly 7,500 attendees across Business, Tech and Policy tracks, plus a Start-Up & Investor Stage and WAICF AI Awards. It opens the European AI conference calendar each year.
XAnge
XAnge is a French-German early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2003, with offices in Paris, Berlin, and Munich. Part of the Siparex Group, XAnge manages over EUR 600M and invests EUR 1-10M at seed and Series A in deep tech, impact, and digital transformation. The firm is particularly active along the Franco-German corridor and has backed companies including Lydia, Akeneo, Talend, and Studitemps. XAnge differentiates with a strong focus on sustainability and B2B software, and its bi-national positioning helps portfolio companies expand between France and the DACH region.
Xavier Niel
Xavier Niel is one of Europe's most influential tech billionaires and prolific angel investors. As the founder of Free (Iliad Group), France's disruptive telecom operator, Niel built a fortune that he has systematically reinvested into the startup ecosystem. Through Kima Ventures (listed separately as VC), he backs roughly 100 startups per year, but Niel also makes substantial personal angel investments in strategic companies. He founded Station F, the world's largest startup campus in Paris, and created 42, a tuition-free coding school with campuses worldwide. His personal angel portfolio spans hundreds of companies across fintech, AI, deep tech, and consumer internet, making him arguably the single most important individual supporter of the French tech ecosystem.
Yacine Ghalim
Partner at Heartcore Capital, based in Paris, who joined from Goldman Sachs in 2013. He leads investments in consumer technology and marketplaces across France and Southern Europe.
Zefir
Zefir is a French proptech company operating an AI-powered real-estate marketplace that aims to accelerate residential property transactions for sellers, buyers and agents. Its technology pools listings across competing agents and helps reduce transaction times, and it has launched ZIA, an AI-powered home-search assistant for buyers. Founded in 2020 and based in Paris, Zefir raised a 15 million euro Series B round in September 2025 led by FinTech Collective, bringing total funding to roughly 50 million euro.
