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.
"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."
"What's really exciting is seeing the emergence of academic entrepreneurship in France."
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."
"The name reflects what we aim to do: create real financial and market value while leveraging the collective intelligence of investors to inspire meaningful change."
"We are there to make research activities, and to transfer the results of research activities to industry. Our model is lab to fab."
"France has one of the strongest nuclear industries in the world, and now, with government backing, we feel lucky to be in this new era of nuclear innovation."
"This is fundamentally a long-term game. It's all about putting in place the structures and the foundations of the crypto industry so that it can become more mainstream."
Jacques D'Arrigo is Co-Founder of Footbar and President of SporTech FR, a national association representing sports startups and entrepreneurs. Thanks to the Olympics, he said this often overlooked sector is finally getting support from investors and government.
How the Olympic Committee sourced 600 startups and chose 17 to work with the Paris Games -- and what this could mean for France's SportsTech future.
The French SportsTech startup is the official organizer of a connected marathon for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The interactive event will give Kinomap global visibility that it hopes to leverage to pursue its goal of reinventing the way people watch sports.
The co-founder recently testified at the French Senate where he addressed concerns over the nation's competitiveness in AI, problems with fundraising and recruiting in France, and what drives him personally.
On the new Le Mans accelerator: “Long term, we will have succeeded when we have found and helped launch the pioneers who will drive the decarbonization of transport."
"This year feels more optimistic, like the beginning of a new era."
Piquemal on the future of drug discovery: "Quantum computing will be...capable of predicting quickly and with accuracy the chemical processes we are looking at. And if we can predict, we can go faster."
Rivet on the firm's pioneering Sportstech fund: "We believe that the Olympics will serve as a catalyst, encouraging the growth of new and emerging startups, and we're excited to see how it will shape our journey moving forward."
