Agoranov
Paris, France · IncubatorAgoranov 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.