From EU-Startups, January 13:
The mix of international talent and governmental entrepreneurship initiatives seems to pay off and France’s startup scene is on the rise. Venture capital investments in French startups kept on growing even despite the ongoing pandemic. In September 2019 president Emmanuel Macron announced a €5 billion public-private investment fund, aimed at helping young companies to scale up. When the pandemic forced many businesses to a halt in March 2020, the French government ramped up support, earmarking €7 billion of the €100 billion stimulus package to the digital economy. Of these, €3.7 billion are getting injected into reinforcing startup financing.
In the beginning of this year, we took a close look at the French startup ecosystem to introduced you to 10 exceptionally promising French startups that were founded between 2018 and 2020. Here they are:
Outsight: Founded in 2019, Outsight develops an innovative sensor combined with a 3D Semantic Camera that brings ‘Full Situation Awareness’ to smart machines. Their sensor combines software and hardware to create sensor innovations such as remote material identification with comprehensive real-time 3D data processing. This technology provides an unprecedented and cost-efficient ability for systems to perceive, understand and ultimately interact with their surroundings in real time. Outsight’s 3D Semantic Cameras are providing new solutions for smarter cities and automotive safety. So far, the Paris-based startup secured about €18 million in VC funding.
Typology is a radical new skincare brand, founded in 2019 in Paris by Ning Li, who previously co-founded and led Made.com. For too long, the world of skincare had been defined by exaggerated promises and suspect chemicals. After gathering a team of health and skincare experts, Ning set out to challenge the industry. The Typology team went back to the basics and took an autonomous approach. The startups built an online-only, direct to customer model, which means Typology is selling premium products with the highest quality ingredients at a great price. Until today, the French startup has raised about €8.2 million in seed funding.
Iziwork: Founded in 2018, this Paris-based HR startup offers a digital alternative to temporary employment agencies. Their worker-centric temporary staffing marketplace improves the way workers access and experience temporary work. Using artificial intelligence and an e-commerce recommendation system, the platform matches temporary workers with the mission provided by clients, in just a few clicks. The result is that 95% of positions are filled in less than 4 hours. The fast-growing French startup already secured about €22.3 million in funding from investors like Cathay Innovation and Global Founders Capital....
....MUCH MORE
In the event equity markets should experience, say, a 25% drawdown, the retail investing crowd may be more in need of "Marseille-based Volta Medical raises €23 million to treat cardiac arrhythmias" than a radical new skincare brand but to each his own.
