Spotlight Interview: ChangeNOW CEO Santiago Lefebvre Wants You To Believe Again
ChangeNOW 2025, the "world expo of solutions for the planet," is in full swing this week. Ahead of the Paris opening, I spoke with Lefebvre about how a bold idea born at COP21 became a global gathering, and why, in a divided world, hope and action still matter.
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Spotlight Video Interview: Director Julie Huguet on La French Tech Mission
"What we want to do is help entrepreneurs have the best ecosystem to create, to scale, and to go abroad."
Spotlight Interview: Keles' Laurent Van Lerberghe On Digital Health Investing
"The region between the UK, France, and Benelux is becoming something like a new Palo Alto. Everything is reachable within two and a half hours, creating a concentrated ecosystem of talent, capital, and market opportunities."
Spotlight Interview: Fly Ventures' Marie Brayer
"What's really exciting is seeing the emergence of academic entrepreneurship in France."
A Fight for Fairness: Maud Sarda on building a more ethical economy with Label Emmaüs
Sarda: "This isn’t just about the survival of a business; it’s about justice and survival as a whole. We’re fighting for a fairer world where second-hand goods are valued and everyone has access to high-quality, sustainable options."
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French Tech Funding Wire September 26: Waat, Nxtfood, Goodvest & More!
Between September 22 and September 26, a total of 23 companies raised €€271.8M, including: Lithium de France, StemInov, Groupe Akacia, Futurail, Juisci, Vocca, Rippletide, Igonogo, Kikleo, Abby, Sonomind, Chat3D, Elmut, Gigi, Seaturns, 2501.ai, PikkoPay, Enakl, and All In Box.
🇫🇷 French Tech Wire: One Man's Trash Is Another's Tech Sovereignty
€500M+ flows to European AI/deeptech funds as sovereignty takes center stage. Phenix saves 75M meals from food waste, MagREEsource recycles rare earth magnets to cut China dependence, Waat raises €100M for EV charging expansion across Europe.
Phenix and the Fight Against Food Waste: Scaling Passion into Impact
From leftover baguettes to unsold biscuits, Phenix is proving food waste can fuel growth. With 75M meals saved in 2024 and 16,000 stores onboard, CEO Simon Baldeyrou is scaling passion (and plenty of croissants) into Europe’s fight for zero waste.
Europe’s Secret Sovereignty Weapon Against China: Recycled Magnets From MagREEsource
From old e-scooters to wind turbines, a Grenoble-based startup is recycling rare earth magnets to cut Europe’s 98% dependence on China. With tech born in the lab and backed by millions in funding, MagREEsource is turning waste into Europe’s path to sovereignty and sustainability.