La French Tech mission has announced the 120 French startups it considers the most promising. They will benefit from streamlined services to help them scale up.
The third class of the Next40/French Tech 120 program has been unveiled this morning, designating the startups that the French government believes have all the ingredients to be successful international scaleups.
The program was launched 3 years ago to provide special assistance to select companies, from navigating bureaucracy to international promotion and hiring.
Speaking at a press conference, Digital Minister Cedric O said that the top 40 companies on the list (which form the Next40) raised more than €49.6 million each in 2021, compared to €22 million in 2020. The new entrants on this list are:
360 Learning
Aledia
Alma
Ankorstore
Descartes Underwriting
DNA Script
I@D Infinity
Lifen
Loft Orbital Tech
Lumapps
Lydia
Swile
Spendesk
Sorare
The criteria for the list include the amount of money raised and revenue growth.
Here is a reply of the press conference and a Q&A with journalists:
The State of the French Tech Ecosystem 2024 report from Alexandre Dewez of 20VC finds an ecosystem that appears stable on the surface but is undergoing some important transformations underneath.
French startups raised $3.5 billion in the first six months. That's on par with the last six months of 2024. But it's down sharply from $4.4 billion raised in the first half of 2024.
Altertable emerges from stealth to build an AI-native data stack; Tilt Energy wants to use AI to bring 'flexibility' to the grid. Plus, Genesis Robotics raises $85M, Asterion backs deeptech AI, H Company COO exits, France targets AI in justice and music, and Google eyes a French data hub.
The startup wants to transform how France manages electricity demand with AI-powered software that enables flexible energy use to avoid costly infrastructure upgrades. Tilt recently raised a €5M seed round led by Daphni to accelerate its development.
