New French AI Company Radar: February 2025
Exclusively for Paid Subscribers: The latest filings for new AI-related companies in France, plus AI startups selected for incubators and accelerators.
Helen O'Reilly-Durand
Franco-British Communications expert who has worked extensively with founders and investors. She previously advised startups at a prominent European VC and SMEs at France’s Economy Ministry.
Website
France
🤖 La Machine #19: French Energy Grid Gets An AI Glow-Up 🤖
Inside: How Metroscope is optimizing power plants with AI; Mistral AI's Le Chat purrs; and funding news for AI startups Genial, Ochy, Spore, and 73 Strings.
AI Optimizing France’s Nuclear Future: Metroscope Prevents Energy Loss at Scale
CEO Aurélien Schwartz: “We’re at the beginning of a massive industrial transformation. AI is no longer optional—it’s the backbone of a smarter, more resilient energy grid.”
French Tech Wire: Two Insect Startups Get Swatted, While One Keeps Flying High 🐛
In this edition: A look at France's fading insect protein hopes, and whether Innovafeed can resuscitate them. Plus: One last push to avoid government cuts to French tech programs; startups go to school.
🤖 La Machine #18: Mistral AI Shakes Its Moneymaker 🤖
Inside: The AI Summit for Action is over. But we have one final recap. Plus: Mistral AI says it's open for business. Will it be enough to claim a place on the global stage?
French Tech Wire: Bpifrance's €60BN Innovation Money Spigot Slows
In this edition: France's innovation bank Bpifrance reduced investments last year, and could be looking at further reductions in 2025. AI and deeptech remain the exceptions. Also this week: Altaroad CEO Cécile Villette talks about climate resilience.
Building for the Future: How Altaroad is Driving Climate-Resilient Infrastructure
CEO Cécile Villette: “We’re helping the industry become future-proof.”
AI Summit For Action Day 2: US VP Tells Europe Where To Stick Tech Regulations
The two-day summit saw lots of biz announcements, but no consensus on an AI statement. The mood was decidedly more buoyant at the Business Day gathering at Station F.
AI Summit For Action Day 1: Big Investments and a European Wake-up Call
Can a €109bn investment package turbo-charge France's AI ambitions? Can AI diplomats learn to sing from the same gospel hymn?
🤖 La Machine #17: AI Action Summit Makes The Money Rain Down! 🤖
Inside: France is securing massive AI investments, with President Macron announcing €109B in funding. Bpifrance will invest €10B in AI startups. And Mistral AI punched back with its new Le Chat model.
French Tech Wire: Budget Cuts Bite As Startups See Green
In this edition: Le Fourgon CEO Charles Christory explains his mission to reduce single-use plastics; Laurent Van Lerberghe discusses how new VC firm Keles wants to help European Digital Health startups scale. Plus: French tech budget follies.
Le Fourgon’s Big Bet: Reinventing The Milkman To Crush Single-Use Plastics
The company has developed a delivery service offering groceries in reusable glass containers designed to be cleaned and reused dozens of times. But with high infrastructure costs, can the company scale to achieve its impact goals?
🤖 La Machine #16: Special AI Action Summit Edition 🤖
Inside: France Digitale CEO Maya Noël wants to help the Summit get down to business; FD's AI startup mapping makes the case for France as an AI player; meanwhile the DeepSeek freakout continues.
French Tech Wire: Bug Bankruptcies And Veggie Victories
In this edition: Fly Ventures' Marie Brayer talks about funding hard tech; inside Alice & Bob's quest to build a fault-tolerant quantum computer; plus the insect alt protein industry is getting squashed; a court delivers some happy veggie tales to the alt meat industry.
🤖 La Machine #15: Mistral AI Dreams The Impossible IPO Dream 🤖
Also inside: Inside Microsoft's GenAI Studio in Paris; AI regulatory squabbling, funding news and events galore.