Hot seed deals 🔥: Augment, Qevlar AI, Stockoss, Finishers
What: Augment, an edtech that has created an alternative to the traditional MBA program with digital technology and business leaders.
Why: To democratize access to business education.
Funding: €6 million (the biggest ever seed edtech round)
Who: Co-Founders Ariel Renous & Roy Wellner
Investors: RTP global, Kima Ventures, Bpifrance, Financière St James, Motier Ventures, Origins as well as Business Angels such as Thibaud Elzière (eFounders) & Roxanne Varza (StationF).
What's Next: The edtech will use the money to double the length of the program from 30 to 60 hours, broaden the content catalog, and focus on enhancing the community aspects of the MBA.
What: Qevlar AI, a cybersecurity startup using proprietary AI to detect cyber attacks
Why: To help businesses overcome smarter cyber threats.
Funding: €4.5 million
Who: Co-Founders Ahmed Achchak and Hamza Sayah
Investors: EQT Ventures & Business Angels Olivier Pomel (Datadog), Mehdi Ghissassi (Google DeepMind), Florian Douetteau (Dataiku), Edouard Viot (GitGuardian) and Tarik Dadi (Qantev).
What's Next: The startup will use the funds to engage in a recruitment drive and further develop its generative AI cybersecurity solution.
What: Stockoss, an e-logistics startup.
Why: To streamline and enhance supply chain management for companies while enabling independent logistics service providers to make better use of existing warehouse space.
Funding: €4 million
Who: Co-Founders, Laurent Bonnet & Franck Nussbaumer
Investors: VC Pi Labs, Global Brain, 50Partners, Hartwood, Kima Ventures.
What's Next: The startup plans to expand into the UK, Germany, and Spain and increase the size of its team.
What: Finishers, a marketplace for outdoor sports events in France.
Why: To enable outdoors sports enthusiasts (running, trail, cycling, triathlon, etc.) to find and access their next race more easily.
Funding: €3.3 million
Who: Co-Founders Benoît Grassigny, Hugo Charrier & Arnaud Didry
Investors: 20 Business Angels including Blast.Club's Anthony Bourbon, Mathieu Blanchard, Stéphane Diagana & Thierry Omeyer
What's Next: The new cash will go towards accelerating growth in 3 key areas axes: product development (for organizers and runners), the integration of new outdoor disciplines (triathlon, cycling, swimming, etc.), and international expansion.
What: Callyope, remote patient monitoring for patients with psychiatric disorders.
Why: To improve the quality of care by shortening the time to find the right treatment, adjust treatment as needed, and prevent relapses thereby avoiding (re) hospitalization.
Funding: €2.2 million
Who: Co-Founders Martin Denais, Xuan-Nga Cao & Rachid Riad
Investors: 360 Capital, Bpifrance, No Label Ventures & Business Angels Thomas Clozel (Owkin) & Adrien Montfort (Sorare)
What's Next: The new money will be used to finance the startup's scientific research and finalize the development of its solution.
What: Spart, a sports and well-being app for company employees.
Why: To improve quality of life at work.
Funding: €1.4 million
Who: Founder Jean-Bernard Falco
Investors: Finorpa & various Business Angels
What's Next: The startup will use the new cash to expand in the domestic market before deploying its solution in Europe (UK, Germany, and Spain) and then the US.
What: Naaia, a software for the governance and management of AI systems.
Why: To allow companies to effectively manage their AI systems in accordance with regulatory, transparency, and ethical requirements while addressing challenges related to the protection of intellectual property for their digital assets.
Funding: €1.3 million
Who: Co-Founders Nathalie Beslay, Côme Sauzay, Olivia Rime & Benjamin May
Investors: Business Angels
What's Next: The funding will allow the startup to accelerate its development at a strategic moment, anticipating a regulatory revolution in Europe and internationally (China, US).
What: Wobee, an HR SaaS solution for employee management at key stages.
Why: To allow companies to simplify every stage of employees' work lives: from onboarding to offboarding.
Funding: €600,000
Who: Co-Founders Romain Monget, Geoffrey Chapuis & Teddy Valente
Investors: JPA Invest & various Business Angels
What's Next: The startup aims to accelerate its development by strengthening its sales, marketing, and tech teams and working on new features. Wobee is simultaneously launching an innovation program dedicated to the employee experience to predict issues related to workplace disengagement through AI.