Paris
France
Paris is France’s capital city, cultural center and main hub for startup activity. Home to approximately 2 million residents and with a metropolitan region of more than 12 million people (INSEE, 2025), the city attracts founders from across the world.
Paris offers infrastructure and connectivity that many founders seek, with resources such as STATION F (often billed as the world’s largest startup campus, home to over 1,000 startups) and a dense network of incubators and accelerators, such as the HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute (makeithappenmakeitbig.com), which the Financial Times ranked as Europe’s #4 startup incubator in 2025. National frameworks like La French Tech, a program launched in 2013 to support startups through funding, visas and global visibility, along with growing venture capital flows, has fueled startup growth. Many of the country’s 28 unicorns trace their roots back to Paris or its wider ecosystem, including Doctolib (healthtech), Qonto (fintech), Vestiaire Collective (fashion resale), Mistral AI (AI) and Back Market (circular economy). In Dealroom’s Global Tech Ecosystem Index 2025, Paris surpassed London as Europe’s top startup hub for the first time, and it was the only European city to make it into the top five global ecosystems.
Ecosystem structure
Paris&Co, the city’s innovation agency, is crucial in connecting private companies, public institutions and entrepreneurs. Founded by the City of Paris and the regional Chamber of Commerce, it now runs numerous sector-focused incubators and pilot zones in partnership with over 100 corporate and public partners. In 2024, the agency supported over 400 new projects via incubation, experimentation and social innovation programs, and within just six months, startups in its incubators raised over €600 million (~$707 million) in funding.
This municipally backed infrastructure is complemented by national support: France’s government has cultivated a pro-startup environment through initiatives like the La French Tech program and French Tech Visa, which simplify immigration for tech talent, and R&D incentives such as the Research Tax Credit, which has been boosting R&D spending and patenting activity since 2008.
Academic and corporate institutions are deeply integrated into Paris’s ecosystem. Elite universities and grandes écoles, from École Polytechnique and Université Paris-Saclay to business schools like HEC Paris, anchor the ecosystem with both research and talent. For example, the HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute operates three specialized centers (for incubation, deeptech and social ventures) at STATION F, and through more than 30 programs it has supported nearly 600 startups in 2024 alone. Over the past five years, startups linked to HEC’s community have raised €16.4 billion (~$18.3 billion) and contributed to the creation of 16 unicorns. Major corporations also bolster the ecosystem by running their own accelerators and innovation labs in Paris, such as Google, Microsoft and LVMH, providing startups with mentorship, enterprise partnerships and investor access. STATION F itself, a 51,000 m² (~12 acre) campus opened in 2017, has become an emblem of Paris’s startup ecosystem, hosting more than 30 incubator programs.
An ecosystem promoting diversity
By early 2025, Paris was home to more than 25,000 startups active in emerging sectors, a concentration that collectively accounts for more than 1 million jobs in the region. This massive talent pool is highly educated and increasingly international. Many Paris-based founders and team members are multilingual, and the city attracts entrepreneurs from across Europe, North America, Africa and Asia. Roughly one-third of the startups at STATION F are led by international teams, reflecting Paris’s appeal to global talent, and programs like French Tech Tremplin and STATION F’s Fighters Program support entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds in launching their ventures. The result is a diverse community of first-time founders, experienced tech alumni and corporate innovators.
Events and networking
Paris’s startup community is supported by a full calendar of events, meetups and tech festivals focused on knowledge-sharing and networking. Every summer, the city hosts Viva Technology (VivaTech), one of Europe’s largest innovation forums. In 2024, this event attracted 165,000 visitors and 13,500 startups from around the globe. The Paris ecosystem also includes specialized gatherings: FinTech R: Evolution for fintech founders, regulators and investors; Deep Tech Days / Hello Tomorrow for deeptech startups and research-driven ventures; and France Digitale Day (FDDay) for France’s broader tech community. Initiatives like the LVMH Innovation Award (presented at VivaTech) and the Female Founder Challenge spotlight high-potential startups in fashion, luxury and inclusive entrepreneurship.
Coworking spaces and innovation hubs are ubiquitous, and popular spots like Le Swave (a fintech incubator at La Défense), Agoranov (a deeptech incubator) and dozens of WeWork and local coworking cafés provide homes for young companies.
Green Paris
Sustainability is a cornerstone of Paris’s modern development strategy, and this ethos deeply penetrates its startup ecosystem. The city aims to be carbon-neutral by 2050 and, as the host of the landmark Paris Agreement in 2015, it carries a global reputation for climate action. Local policies continue to encourage green innovation, and urban plans emphasize renewable energy, low-carbon transportation and green infrastructure, creating opportunities for startups to pilot solutions in these areas. Paris often serves as a living lab for sustainable tech. Since 2022, the city’s innovation agency (Paris&Co) has run Metropolitan “Innovation Districts,” Europe’s largest urban experimentation program, to test eco-friendly prototypes in real conditions. Through these open-air labs, dozens of green solutions are trialed in different districts, from solar-powered street furniture and smart mobility monitors to cargo-bike logistics for city employees. By 2026, 10 districts will host more than 75 such prototypes aimed at improving urban sustainability and mobility, all developed in collaboration with public officials, citizens, and entrepreneurs.
The city also hosts marquee events that reinforce its sustainability leadership on the global stage. Every year, Paris welcomes ChangeNOW, one of the world’s largest gatherings for sustainable solutions and social innovation. In 2024, ChangeNOW drew more than 35,000 attendees (including over 1,200 investors) from 130 countries, all convening to champion climate and sustainability projects.
Facts and Figures
More than €3.8 billion (~$4.2 billion) was invested in Paris startups in 2024 alone, with over one-third of that going into AI ventures (France Digitale, 2025).
Paris has approximately 25 startups per 100,000 people (StartupBlink, 2025).
Between 2017 and 2024, the combined enterprise value of Paris startups increased 5.3 times, compared with 4.2 times for London (Dealroom, 2025).
Paris is home to 39% of the R&D workforce and 29% of scientists and engineers in France (Choose Paris Region, 2025).
Startups
Cellectis is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing CAR-T cancer therapies (treatments where immune cells are engineered to attack cancer). Using its TALEN® gene-editing technology to precisely modify cells and PulseAgile to insert these changes efficiently, Cellectis provides life-saving therapies for cancers.
Genomines uses enhanced plants and synthetic biology to recover nickel and other metals sustainably, with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality. It extracts resources from mine tailings and metal-rich soils while remediating land, offering a faster, cleaner alternative to traditional mining.
Stoik provides a cyber risk-management solution combining cybersecurity software and insurance coverage. The platform enables businesses to both reduce exposure and transfer financial risk while empowering insurance brokers to guide clients effectively, supporting with prevention, monitoring and incident response.
TIAMAT develops sodium-ion batteries, offering a high-power, fast-charging alternative to lithium-ion technology. The batteries reduce supply chain risks related to lithium and nickel usage and are designed for mobility and industrial energy storage, adding a longer lifespan and more safety.
enspired is a battery optimizer that maximizes revenues, efficiency and lifespan of grid-scale and renewable energy facilities like solar farms or wind turbines. Using data-driven cross-market strategies, it increases profitability, extends battery life and supports renewable integration across multiple markets and countries.
Biomemory developed the DNA DRIVE, a DNA-based data storage appliance for data centers. It offers ultra-high-density storage while being energy efficient, low carbon and durable. Made from bio-sourced components, it stores data at ambient temperature with no ongoing energy consumption.
Karmen is a fintech that simplifies business financing for SMEs and microbusinesses. It offers fast, flexible, fully online loans and factoring solutions. Companies receive funding within 48 hours without guarantees or hidden fees to support their growth, cash flow and operational needs.
My Job Glasses is a professional networking platform that connects students, young professionals and employees with mentors to explore careers, gain insights and share experiences. It also offers companies tools for recruitment, employee retention and career development programs.
Interviews
Programs to know about
All entrepreneurs
This Institute nurtures an entire ecosystem for changemakers seeking to create impact through entrepreneurship and innovation, uniting over 35 programs across its three centers of expertise, guiding founders from ideation to launch, growth and scale.
Early-stage, science and technology ventures
CDL-Paris, part of the global Creative Destruction Lab, runs a structured, objectives-based program over eight months. Founders work with entrepreneurs, scientists and investors to refine goals, validate technology and accelerate growth, with a strong emphasis on AI applications.
Final-year students and recent graduates with early-stage startup ideas
HEC Paris Startup Launchpad is an 11-week accelerator for student-led ventures, combining masterclasses, coaching and mentoring from more than 170 experts. Participants validate business models, test markets and refine pitches, culminating in investor presentations.
Early-stage startups with a product
The HEC Paris Incubateur accelerates startup development through tailored strategies, mentoring and access to a broad network of experts and partners. With a growing community of more than 270 startups, it has helped companies raise €580 million (~$648 million) since 2020.
Funding Opportunities
Goldman Sachs Asset Management backs innovative companies worldwide through fundamental and quantitative equity strategies. It focuses on disruptive technologies, sustainability and emerging markets, using deep research, local insights and advanced data analytics to drive long-term growth and resilience in high-potential ventures.
BCV backs founders with sector-focused expertise and Bain Capital’s global network. Combining deep domain knowledge in fintech, AI, commerce, healthcare, security and industrials with hands-on operational support, BCV partners with startups from inception to IPO, providing flexible, founder-driven guidance.
Kerala VC is a venture builder and founding investor that focuses on one new venture per year. With a proven hiring methodology detailed in its bestselling book La Méthode pour Recruter les Meilleurs, it builds high-performance teams and scale businesses successfully.
Eurazeo partners with companies for growth, offering deep sector expertise, strategic guidance and global market access. Its approach is based on responsible value creation with active operational support, helping businesses scale sustainably, innovate confidently and realize short- and long-term success.
Urban Impact Solutions
The PLUb (Plan Local d’Urbanisme bioclimatique) is the city’s bioclimatic urban-planning framework, integrating climate adaptation, environmental sustainability, social inclusion and the protection of heritage sites. It establishes rules and guidelines for construction, renovation and land use, incorporating local development strategies and implementation plans with a city-wide sustainable planning framework to ensure low-carbon building, biodiversity preservation and improved public spaces. It also provides environmental guidance for new and existing constructions and encourages urban vegetation. Its goal is to create a resilient, climate-adapted and socially mixed Paris, enhancing quality of life and sustainable urban growth.
Time4 empowers founders to transform ideas into socially meaningful and economically successful ventures. The fund was launched by venture capital firm Daphni in partnership with the nonprofits Live for Good and Les Déterminés and the HEC Paris Business School to support underrepresented founders from diverse backgrounds, rural areas and non-traditional paths. It invests up to €1 million (~$1.2 million) as first checks in approximately 100 very early-stage startups, providing sustained guidance and mentorship from partner organizations. The initiative supports a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem, creating a community of investors, corporations and public actors to back these founders.
HOPES, a flagship initiative to accelerate social entrepreneurship in France, was launched in 2025 with support from the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation, a private philanthropic foundation. It aims to provide free entrepreneurship training to 10,000 women and young people aged 18–25 across metropolitan France and overseas territories in the next five years. The program expands the impact of the HEC Paris Social Entrepreneurship Centre and strengthens the HEC Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) Accelerator, scaling mission-driven enterprises. Leveraging HEC’s extensive entrepreneurial ecosystem, it emphasizes practical support, inclusion and measurable social impact, positioning entrepreneurship as a lever for social mobility and economic inclusion.