In this edition:

🧠 How Tilt Energy Uses AI to Cut Power Costs and Emissions by Optimizing Grid Flexibility

🧠 Altertable Wants to Reinvent the 'Broken' Data Stack With AI

Chris O'Brien + Helen O'Reilly-Durand

Headlines

🗞️ Paris-based AI and robotics startup Genesis Robotics has secured $85 million in funding just six months after its inception, according to Sifted. The round, comprising both equity and debt, was co-led by U.S. investors Khosla Ventures and Eclipse Capital, known for backing companies like OpenAI and DoorDash. Founded by former Mistral AI researcher Theophile Gervet and Carnegie Mellon PhD graduate Zhou Xian, Genesis Robotics is developing a platform that generates synthetic data to train AI models for robotics applications. Their technology simulates realistic 3D environments where objects move and interact, enabling robots to learn tasks more efficiently. | Sifted

🗞️ Asterion Ventures launched F3 Inception, a new early-stage investment vehicle focused on deeptech and generative AI startups addressing complex environmental and societal challenges. This marks Asterion's third fund and its first exclusively dedicated to pre-seed and seed rounds, aiming to support 10 to 12 startups over the next year with investments ranging from €500,000 to €2.5 million. The initiative aligns with Asterion's goal of managing over €100 million in assets by 2027, reinforcing its commitment to long-term, impact-driven innovation. F3 Inception will be supported by a supervisory board of seasoned entrepreneurs, including Alix de Sagazan (AB Tasty) and Agnès Bazin (Doctolib), who will provide strategic guidance and mentorship to the portfolio companies. | Maddyness

🗞️ Mike Benchimol has stepped down as Chief Operating Officer of Paris-based AI startup H Company, just two weeks after the appointment of new CEO Gautier Cloix, a former Palantir executive. Benchimol, who joined the company 10 months ago following the departure of three co-founders, announced his decision on LinkedIn, citing an "intense and hectic year" and expressing interest in exploring opportunities in AI and fintech. H Company, which launched with a $220 million seed round in 2024, has experienced significant leadership turnover, including the recent replacement of CEO Charles Kantor during VivaTech. The company continues to develop AI agents, with Laurent Sifre, a former DeepMind researcher, as the sole remaining operational co-founder. | Sifted, Maddyness, LinkedIn

🗞️ French authorities have arrested five individuals suspected of operating BreachForums, a notorious online marketplace for stolen data. Among them is 25-year-old British national Kai West, known online as "IntelBroker," who was apprehended in February; the U.S. is seeking his extradition on charges including conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and wire fraud, with potential sentences totaling up to 50 years. The other four suspects, arrested in June, are believed to have used aliases such as "ShinyHunters," "Hollow," "Noct," and "Depressed," and are accused of facilitating data breaches affecting entities like SFR, France Travail, and the French Football Federation. These coordinated arrests mark a significant crackdown on cybercrime networks linked to BreachForums, which had previously been disrupted by law enforcement but continued operations under new leadership. | Reuters, The Record

🗞️ The French Ministry of Justice received a report titled "L'intelligence artificielle au sein de la Justice," laying out a roadmap for integrating artificial intelligence into the nation's judicial system. The report by Haffide Boulakras, directeur adjoint de l'École nationale de la magistrature (ENM), presents 33 proposals aimed at deploying AI tools to improve efficiency, transparency, and decision-making within both civil and criminal proceedings. It emphasizes the need for a human-centered approach, where AI serves as a support tool rather than a substitute for judicial reasoning, and highlights crucial safeguards such as transparency, fairness, and respect for fundamental rights. A key recommendation includes the creation of a dedicated public infrastructure for judicial AI, with centralized governance and ethics oversight. The report also calls for fostering partnerships with academic and tech stakeholders to develop reliable, explainable AI systems tailored to judicial needs. As part of the next steps, the Ministry plans to evaluate these proposals and prioritize pilot projects, signaling a cautious but proactive stance on AI adoption in the justice sector. | Ministère de la Justice

🗞️ At France Music Week, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a €500 million commitment to support the country’s music sector, including €125 million in equity for high-growth firms and €35 million dedicated to innovation. Addressing more than 100 music executives, Macron and Culture Minister Rachida Dati underscored the urgent need to regulate artificial intelligence, warning of the risks generative AI poses to artistic value and copyright integrity. SACEM CEO Cécile Rap-Veber and CNM President Jean-Baptiste Gourdin echoed these concerns, calling for ethical safeguards and fair compensation models to protect human creators from what Gourdin termed “a machine that destroys music’s value.” The summit spotlighted France’s ambition to lead globally in music tech, with calls for a uniquely French cultural and economic model that balances international expansion with protection of local creativity. Macron framed AI as both a challenge and a catalyst for reinvention, urging European cooperation to develop frameworks that uphold artists’ rights amid rapid digital transformation. | Billboard

🗞️ Google is planning to purchase 195 hectares of land in Châteauroux, France, for €58.5 million to establish its first self-built data center campus in the country. The proposed site, located in the Ozans industrial zone, is part of France's "key industrial sites in hand" initiative, which aims to streamline administrative procedures for strategic projects. While the project is still in the preliminary phase, with land studies underway, it signifies a strategic move by Google to expand its cloud infrastructure and data center presence in France. | Data Center Dynamics

🗞️ The Palace of Versailles has introduced an innovative experience, allowing visitors to engage in real-time conversations with 20 of its iconic garden statues and fountains. This initiative, launched in partnership with OpenAI and French startup Ask Mona, utilizes AI-powered chatbots accessible via QR codes placed near the sculptures. Visitors can interact with these statues in French, English, or Spanish, uncovering historical anecdotes and lesser-known details about the artworks. Christophe Leribault, president of the Château de Versailles, emphasized that this project aims to enrich the visitor experience by blending innovation with heritage. | Ask Mona, Techxplore

🗞️ ChatGPT's user base in France has surged dramatically, with over 18 million monthly users in May 2025, marking a more than threefold increase compared to the previous year, according to market research firm Médiamétrie. This growth has propelled ChatGPT to the 34th position among the most visited websites and applications in France, surpassing platforms like Vinted, Shein, and LinkedIn. Conversely, the social network X (formerly Twitter), owned by Elon Musk, has experienced a significant decline in French users, dropping from 19.3 million in May 2024 to 15.5 million in May 2025. This downturn returns X's user numbers to levels seen before Musk's acquisition of the platform in late 2022. The decline is attributed to factors such as reduced content moderation and Musk's controversial political statements, which have led to user dissatisfaction and departures. Additionally, Reddit has seen its French audience double over the past year, reaching 10.4 million monthly users. This increase is linked to Reddit's strategy of using AI to automatically translate its forums into French, enhancing accessibility for non-English-speaking users. | Le Figaro

🗞️ Clara Chappaz, France’s Minister for Artificial Intelligence, teased the launch of a major national initiative called "OSER l'IA" (“Dare to Use AI”). The program aims to help businesses of all sizes and sectors explore and adopt AI technologies. Emphasizing that AI is no longer just for experts or researchers, Chappaz highlighted its transformative impact on how we learn, produce, and consume. The initiative seeks to build a nationwide movement, mobilizing economic, political, and civic networks to ensure every company in France can benefit from AI adoption. The official launch is set for Tuesday. | Twitter

Other Headlines

🗞️ ‘We have to bring data centres to electricity’ | Digital Realty’s Fabrice Coquio talks about locating data centres close to power sources. | FDI Intelligence

ICYMI

🗞️ VSORA: The French AI Chipmaker Taking on NVIDIA with High-Performance, Cost-Efficient AI Hardware | Backed by €40 million in funding, CEO Khaled Maalej believes the company is set to disrupt the AI hardware market with its Jotunn8 chip, leveraging a fabless model and advanced chiplet architecture to slash the cost of deploying large language models and generative AI at scale. | The French Tech Journal

🗞️ Figma's CPO On Navigating The GenAI Revolution: 'It's A Very Dynamic Landscape.' | Chief Product Officer Yuhki Yamashita discusses how the design company abandoned its traditional planning process to build AI-powered products as it adapts to the rapid evolution of GenAI capabilities. | The French Tech Journal

🗞️ Alan Goes All-In on AI | Six months after announcing a Series F funding round of €173 million at a €4 billion valuation, the French insurtech is accelerating its embrace of AI to transform its operations and products. | The French Tech Journal

🧠 How Tilt Energy Uses AI to Cut Power Costs and Emissions by Optimizing Grid Flexibility

Tilt Energy is taking on one of the energy sector's biggest challenges: managing electricity demand in a smarter, more sustainable way by developing software to help control consumption across France.

This system enables individuals and companies to use electricity more efficiently as a benefit for both cost and the environment. Tilt's software informs community members when they should reduce electricity use. Due to the pressure French electricity faces from overconsumption, the company hopes this new software will lower costs, cut emissions, and avoid the need for new infrastructure. 

“Our goal is simple: to make a 100% electric, decarbonized, resilient, and affordable system possible,” said Tilt Co-Founder and CEO Romain Serres.

🧠 Altertable Wants to Reinvent the 'Broken' Data Stack With AI

The modern data stack is supposed to make companies smarter. Instead, it's making them poorer and slower.

That's the blunt assessment from Sylvain Utard, CEO and co-founder of Altertable, the Paris-based startup that just emerged from stealth with a €2.5 million seed round led by 20VC. The company is building an AI-native data platform designed to replace what Utard calls the "broken modern data stack" that has become an expensive patchwork of tools, pipelines, and glue code.

"We didn't want to patch the broken data stack," Utard said. "We wanted to start fresh."

AI Funding News

📇 Company: Zama
🔍 Description: Enables web2 and web3 developers to use Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) across the blockchain and AI without having to learn cryptography.
💻 Website: zama.ai
📍 HQ City: Paris
🧗 Round: Series B
💰 Amount Raised: €51.82M
🏦 Investors: Pantera Capital, Blockchange Ventures
👨💼👩💼 Founders: Rand Hindi, Pascal Paillier
🗞️ News: Tech.eu

📇 Company: Policloud
🔍 Description: Affordable, high-performance GPU cloud computing for AI startups with a focus on data sovereignty and sustainability.
💻 Website: http://policloud.com/
📍 HQ City: Cannes
🧗 Round: Seed
💰 Amount Raised: €7.5m
🏦 Investors: Global Ventures, Inria Participations, OneRagTime, Mi8, BA
👨💼👩💼 Founders: David Gurle
🗞️ News: Finsmes

📇 Company: Wilgo
🔍 Description: Using AI to empower the next generation with the tools, mindset, and motivation to learn, grow, and thrive.
💻 Website: wilgo.ai
📍 HQ City: Paris
🧗 Round: Early VC
💰 Amount Raised: €6M
🏦 Investors: Kima Ventures, Sequoia, Daphni, Founders Future, Simon Dawlat, Amaury Sepulchre, Thibaud Hug de Larauze, Epsilon Venture Partners, Nathalie Balla, Better Angle
👨💼👩💼 Founders: Louis Balladur
🗞️ News: Maddyness

📇 Company: GeodAlsics
🔍 Description: Develop Clinical Decision Support Systems in all medical fields based on Responsible Artificial Intelligence.
💻 Website: http://geodaisics.com/
📍 HQ City: La Tronche
🧗 Round: Series A
💰 Amount Raised: €5m (including €0.2m debt)
🏦 Investors: Vidi Capital, Les Biologistes Indépendants, Business Angels
👨💼👩💼 Founders: Arnaud ATTYÉ, Félix RENARD, Arnaud JEAN, Pierre HEUDEL
🗞️ News: Lyonbiopole

📇 Company: Waypoint AI
🔍 Description: Developer of AI-powered customer support automation, offering autonomous AI support engineers for complex technical queries.
💻 Website: https://www.waypoint-ai.com/
📍 HQ City: San Francisco/Lille
🧗 Round: Pre-Seed
💰 Amount Raised: $3.1M
🏦 Investors: 42CAP, SkyDeck VC, Dreamcraft Ventures
👨💼👩💼 Founders: Tomas Polivka, Steve Boogar, and Liam Boogar-Azoulay
🗞️ News: Morningstar

📇 Company: Altertable
🔍 Description: AI-driven data copilot platform that automates data queries, insights, and anomaly detection
💻 Website: altertable.ai
📍 HQ City: Paris
🧗 Round: Early VC
💰 Amount Raised: €2.5M
🏦 Investors: Kima Ventures, Nicolas Dessaigne, Romain Niccoli, The Twenty Minute VC, Nicolas Julia, Drysdale Ventures
👨💼👩💼 Founders: Kevin Granger, Sylvain Utard, Yannick Utard
🗞️ News: Maddyness

📇 Company: Hydroclimat
🔍 Description: French expertise in climate data engineering for a resilient future in the face of climate change, at the crossroads between digital hydroclimatology, artificial intelligence, and climate big data.
💻 Website: https://hydroclimat.com/fr/
📍 HQ City: Aubagne
🧗 Round: Seed
💰 Amount Raised: €2m (including €0.1m subsidies)
🏦 Investors: Starquest, Région Sud Investissement
👨💼👩💼 Founders: Adrien Lambert, Magali Troin
🗞️ News: LinkedIn

🗣️ Announcements 🗣️

🗣️ Coral Protocol Announces World’s Largest AI Hackathon at RAISE Summit in Paris | Coral Protocol has announced the world’s largest AI hackathon for artificial intelligence developers with $150,000 in prizes. Culminating at RAISE Summit in Paris on July 8-9, “Raise Your Hack” will unite solo devs and teams creating innovative solutions that leverage AI. | Details

🗣️ Google Startup Perks program | We're excited to launch our new Startup Perks program, offering exclusive benefits and discounts from 20+ leading AI and tech companies within the Google Cloud ecosystem. | More information

🗣️ The Government has launched a call for “Digital transition of culture and the appropriation of artificial intelligence” projects. | As part of the France 2030 initiative, the goal is to support the digital transformation of the cultural and creative industries. This initiative aims to help cultural actors adopt AI while ensuring ethical use and copyright protection. The program encourages collaboration between cultural organizations and tech companies to develop innovative solutions, from data-sharing tools to secure content management. It seeks to enhance the competitiveness of French creative industries and promote a responsible, Europe-focused AI ecosystem. | More information

Events

📆 Paris AI Club | July 2 | The AI scene in San Francisco is electrifying. We bring this energy to Paris. The Paris AI Club organizes a monthly aperitif, bringing together the best AI talents in Paris. | Request to join

📆 RAISE YOUR HACK| July 4-9 | This is your chance to push boundaries, solve real-world challenges, and create impact at the official hackathon of the RAISE Summit 2025 at one of Paris's most iconic venues: Le Carrousel du Louvre. | Sign Up

📆 AMD AI SPRINT: HACKATHON & WORKSHOP SERIES | July 5 | Join the world’s leading AI engineers, researchers, and enthusiasts in the heart of Paris for a 2-day intensive hackathon and workshop, focused on optimizing LLM inference performance using AMD’s powerful MI300X GPUs. Whether you're a systems engineer, an ML researcher, or an AI enthusiast. | Request to join

📆 YC x PARIS | July 7 | Y Combinator is coming to Paris this summer! Ahead of the RAISE Summit, you’ll hear stories and practical advice from founders and YC partners. | Apply to join

📆 RAISE Summit 2025 | July 8-9, 2025 | RAISE Summit is the premier event for professionals seeking to disrupt, build, and connect in the AI landscape. This summit is the ultimate destination to validate AI strategies through real-world use cases, define a winning AI playbook, and find the right partners to deliver cutting-edge solutions. | Register

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