Hard talks corporate interest in startups: "We're lagging behind foreign countries and we need to catch up. I think the major groups are becoming aware of this, but we need to catch up with countries like China or the United States, and that's undeniable."
Noël: "The period of plentiful cash might be over for the moment, but the recent major AI, climate, energy, and mobility-focused rounds we are seeing tell us there are more inspiring success stories to come."
The non-profit has become an influential player in the movement to bring greater inclusion to a French tech ecosystem lacking diversity.
"If we can tackle 15 of the most pressing challenges that the world is currently facing and build champions capable of solving these issues on a global level within the next 4-6 years then that will be my ultimate dream come true."
The GenAI startup made big news when it decided to move its HQ to Paris. While the company has been in stealth mode, the co-founders recently explained their vision for transforming the way software is created.
Mehr: "I think what differentiates France is how dynamic the ecosystem is here...you can see the will to work together on this and to be successful together."
"The whole idea from the very beginning was to build a bridge between corporates and startups," Gombart said.
"Techstars Sustainability Paris invests in founders addressing some of the most significant challenges of our time, such as water, energy, or waste management."
"In France, there are still a number of pain points around when employees become real shareholders."
"VC is, by definition, a long-term game so right now there is no need to panic."
France ranks 3rd in Europe for unicorns, but these big startups are playing a key role in accelerating the ecosystem by producing the next generation of entrepreneurs.
The French government wants to boost IPOs. Those plans could help companies across Europe.
During a 16-minute response to a question about AI, the French president outlined the nation's strategy and the stakes.
Caption is a platform that facilitates secondary sales of shares in startups. In this week's interview, the CEO shares his thoughts about the evolution of startup investing.
Since 2018, the program has invested in 60 French startups valued at more than $500 million.
The business planning SaaS platform has continued to raise money even as VCs pull back elsewhere.
