Edito
Welcome to Seed Scout which takes you inside France’s early-stage startup scene. In this week's edition:
- Seed Of The Week: Escape is an API security platform that raised €3.6 million. Fresh from a stint at Y Combinator, Co-founder Tristan Kalos breaks down the tech and business plan.
- Investor Spotlight: Roundtable is a combo startup AND investor, er, investment platform. CEO Evan Testa explains how the platform wants to make early-stage investing more accessible.
- Sector Deep Dive: French Agricultural robotic startups have raised almost €100m, and are poised to play an important role in transforming this vital part of France's economy.
- Hot Seed Deals: Recyc'Elit, Osiris, Semana, Fentech, and more!
Chris O'Brien & Helen O'Reilly-Durand
The French Tech Journal
Constant Contact has been quietly revolutionizing the email marketing and CRM industry by incorporating AI automation into its platform, making it easier for customers to create and send highly targeted and effective campaigns.
Seed Of The Week: Escape
APIs have been one of the biggest trends over the past decade in reshaping the way the web works. Developers have embraced them with a vengeance, making them fundamental to the way applications are built and how they interoperate.
But they're also a security nightmare. To address this, Antoine Carossio and Tristan Kalos built Escape, an AI-driven API security platform that raised a €3.6 million Seed Round. Fresh from a stint at Y Combinator, Kalos breaks down the tech and business plan.
Investor Spotlight:
Roundtable CEO Evan Testa
Roundtable is a social platform that wants to democratize startup investing. The company, a product of a collaboration with Hexa (eFounders) startup studio, launched with a bang earlier this year after raising a €3 million Seed Round via its platform from more than 100 Business Angels. Now it's accelerating its features to include investment communities and soon, the ability for Business Angels to create their own funds.
"We had this idea for Roundtable because wealth is moving from public markets to private markets," said Co-Founder and CEO Evan Testa. "We want to enable everybody to finance the next big thing in the private markets."
Sector Deep Dive: The Rise Of Agbots
As the French government pours money into modernizing its agricultural sector, France’s farmers are turning to cutting-edge robots to help them meet the challenges of rising food demand against a backdrop of climate change and tightening regulations.
These autonomous robots, or “Agbots,” are promising to revolutionize a vast range of farming tasks from crop sowing to animal care, offering a glimpse into a more efficient and sustainable future. Is France on the cusp of an agricultural revolution where tradition meets technology? Check out our sector deep dive to find out.
Hot Seed Deals
What: Recyc'Elit, a selective polyester and plastic recycling solution with a low carbon footprint.
Why: To recycle all types of polyester-based textiles and various PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) plastic waste (colored, opaque, etc.) that is usually difficult to recycle.
Funding: €3.2 million
Who: Founder brothers Karim Medimagh & Raouf Medimagh
Investors: Demeter, Banque des Territoires, Crédit Agricole Création, and various Business Angels
What's Next: The new money will be used to launch the industrialization of the selective recycling solution.
What: Osiris, a robot irrigator for potatoes and vegetables.
Why: To assist farmers in optimizing irrigation, fertilization, and crop protection.
Funding: €2.1 million
Who: Co- founders Henri Desesquelles, Rodolphe Cockenpot & Léon Guyard
Investors: Finovam Gestion, Nord France Amorçage, BACS-Innov, Gufra Somme & various Business Angels
What's Next: Osiris will use the new money to industrialize the production of its robot, Oscar, hire new employees and set up distribution networks to deploy its solution throughout France and Europe.
What: Semana, a connected workspace management platform simplifying flex working.
Why: To strengthen the connection and collaboration within hybrid organizations.
Funding: €1.5 million
Who: Co- founders Albert Reynaud & Nicolas Cosme
Investors: Faraday VP, SuperCapital, Onegreen and several Business Angels including Guillaume Sarkozy & Jean-Luc Barbier
What's Next: The startup will use the new cash to continue its expansion into the French market.
What: Fentech, producer of AI-based sales forecast automation software, Clairvoyant.
Why: To provide retail business teams with the most reliable forecasts possible to allow them to better manage their inventory and facilitate decision-making processes.
Funding: €1.2 million
Who: Co-founder brothers Fayçal Djerrab, Mohamed Djerrab & Moussab Djerrab
Investors: Elaia, Bpifrance and various Business Angels
What's Next: The new money will be used for R&D and to scale commercial efforts to help retailers face their daily challenges.
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