Jacques D'Arrigo is Co-Founder of Footbar and President of SporTech FR, a national association representing sports startups and entrepreneurs. Thanks to the Olympics, he said this often overlooked sector is finally getting support from investors and government.
"We have one goal, which is to build the biggest brand in the world of sports. To do that, five years from here, we want to have the biggest community in the world of sports."
The Olympic Games have put France's SportsTech ecosystem on center stage. Entrepreneurs are tackling challenges ranging from health to fan experience to performance optimization.
French Soccer/football star Blaise Matuidi and Ilan Abehassera (NYC-based CEO of Dots) spoke with me on stage at VivaTech in 2023 about the intersection of sports stars, influencers, and investing.
Also inside: Wind Co-Founder Xavier Gury takes us inside the 25-year partnership that led to this new early-stage Deep Tech fund.
A 25-year partnership that started as entrepreneurs has evolved into a new early-stage Deep Tech fund which has raised its first €90M toward a €130M goal.
Welcome to the first edition of our French AI newsletter. Each month, we'll tell you what you need to know about an ecosystem that is emerging as a global AI hub.
Omi has infused GenAI into its SaaS platform which allows clients to render 3D photos and videos. With the new round of funding, the startup is targeting the U.S. market.
16 French AI companies raised a VC round in June: Gireve, Descartes & Mauss, Kelvin, Deema, Morfo, Tengo, Veeton, Webyn.ai, Finovox, Quantiq Medical, Seelab, and Tetmet.
The temp recruiting platform spent €40m over 15 months to develop its Gojob Aglaé virtual assistant. CEO Pascal Lorne said the unexpected development pain has paid off with massive productivity gains
Also inside: the Great French Tech Election Freak out; and Mistral AI CEO Arthur Mensch is optimistic about France's AI ecosystem, but says the nation faces big disadvantages due to hiring rules and financing.
While BeReal's fall from grace is now complete, the deal represents another milestone in the turnaround of Voodoo. The gaming company defied predictions of its demise and is now rumored to be on a path to an IPO. Resurrecting BeReal might be its biggest challenge yet.
The co-founder recently testified at the French Senate where he addressed concerns over the nation's competitiveness in AI, problems with fundraising and recruiting in France, and what drives him personally.
Also inside: Super Capital Co-Founder Corentin Orsini explains how a deal newsletter grew into a network of 1,000 investors and a portfolio of 180 startups.
The Y Combinator alum raised a €3 million Seed Round to build out its HR and payroll platform for French SMBs. The big challenge: Proving a product that targets France can scale into a giant.
Sparked by a newsletter from a former tech journalist, Super Capital has grown into a network of 1,000 investors with 180 companies in its portfolio.
