Paris, France · Innovation HubNUMA 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.
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Paris, France · Innovation HubStation 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.
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