As France’s AI founders eye the U.S., a new wave of startup soul-searching sweeps the nation. Also: How Interstellar Lab and Barbara Belvisi are reinventing the future of agriculture on Earth and in space; and World Fund makes a big green bet on France. Happy Halloween, y'all! Boo! 🙀🫣
Also in this edition: ImCheck’s €1B biotech exit shakes up the scene, Lemlist snaps up Claap to boost AI sales, France’s startup job engine stalls, and OVHcloud’s founder returns to reclaim the cockpit.
A French Tech Mission report positions startups as nationwide job engines rather than elite subsidy hogs before the budget axe falls. Also: A new new new digital minister; a Nobel win for economist Aghion; RIVRS pivots to Asia + new publishing model; €105M biotech raise leads funding rounds.
France bets big on cybersecurity as global leaders gather in Monaco. Part 1 of our special edition maps the nation’s €1B cyber strategy—spanning government, defense, startups, and AI-driven innovation—while revealing a widening gap between policy promises and on-the-ground protection.
Refugee women break barriers with Sistech, TiHive raises €8M to reinvent quality control, Serena closes €200M AI & energy fund, EF exits Europe for Silicon Valley, Harmattan AI eyes $1B valuation, and Paris solidifies its spot as France’s startup powerhouse.
€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.
At FDday, a fiery Zucman vs. Aghion wealth tax showdown. Plus: Europe’s startup champions face a scale-up reality check, and the latest on Innovafeed, SeaBubbles, and Back Market.
This week: Mistral hits decacorn mode, Kyron.bio takes on glyco chaos to make safer biologics, French Tech faces headwinds, Scintil Photonics scores €50M to scale its laser chips, and Quadrille raises €500M to back bold tech bets.
Government instability shadows France’s rentrée, threatening support for innovation programs. The Startup Nation returned from vacation to gloomy headlines about layoffs, online controversies, and economic uncertainty.
Quantum was in the spotlight at VivaTech 2025, with NVIDIA, Quandela, and cybersecurity leaders shaping the agenda. Also in this issue: Electra gets charged up; Swan flies; Aldebaran gets a Chinese lifeline; and MagREEsource attracts €23M for its magnet recycling tech.
Dougs is shaking up the quiet world of French accounting. Zenchef merges with Spain’s CoverManager. French VC drops 35%, while Eurazeo raises €650M. Bayrou slashes subsidies but eases red tape. Meta faces antitrust heat. Plus: Keenest, Verkor, WAT, Stellaria & more.
VivaTech spotlights climate-resilient cities, Superhuman's Rahul Vohra decodes product-market fit, SXSW bets big on European startups, and French gaming scores a $40M win. Plus: Meta’s billion-euro eyewear play, a medtech breakthrough down under, and turbulence at EuraTechnologies.
French startup funding is down sharply down YoY. But Omnes and Otium are making bigger VC bets. Ÿnsect scrambles to survive.
Director Julie Huguet lays out La French Tech mission's mission in a VivaTech video interview, Skeepers bets on pragmatic SaaS growth with U.S. PE backing, Zama hits unicorn status with encrypted computing, Ledger partners with the Spurs, and new moves in HR tech, semiconductors, and search.
Union activism hits startups, Nabla and Descartes raise big rounds, agri-robotics stumbles, and Nantes bets on healthtech. Plus: VivaTech 2025 brings humanoid robots to life, raising bold questions about AI, work, and the future.
From NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang’s grand AI vision to Mistral AI’s sovereign playbook, and robots roaming the halls, this year’s edition spotlighted France’s global tech ambitions in several next-generation technologies. This Special Edition will dig into the big AI news.
