Topics
Latest
AI
Amazon
Image Credits:Sam Barnes / Getty Images
Apps
Biotech & Health
Climate
Cloud Computing
Commerce
Crypto
enterprisingness
EVs
Fintech
Fundraising
Gadgets
Gaming
Government & Policy
ironware
Layoffs
Media & Entertainment
Meta
Microsoft
Privacy
Robotics
Security
societal
Space
Startups
TikTok
Department of Transportation
Venture
More from TechCrunch
Events
Startup Battlefield
StrictlyVC
newssheet
Podcasts
Videos
Partner Content
TechCrunch Brand Studio
Crunchboard
Contact Us
After weeks in political oblivion , France now has a fresh prime curate , former EU ’s Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier . But sevens remainsbitterly divided , generating uncertainty for many economic sectors — including the body politic ’s dynamic startup ecosystem , which has so far benefited from public livelihood .
La French Tech is n’t just a term referring to France ’s 25,000 startups ; it is also an opening move supported by a public presidential term , theFrench Tech Mission , whose director , Clara Chappaz , is go this month as her three - year contract finish , she told Les Echos . The timing is coincident , but also notable . Her alternate , she told TechCrunch in late August , should hopefully be someone who is “ not afraid of change ” and see it as an chance .
The use is doubtlessly unparalleled . It ’s attached to the Ministry of Economy and Finance , but with a lean team working out ofStation Fand with a big mission : to support the structuring and growth of the French inauguration ecosystem , in France and abroad . It requires someone who is equally capable to talk to public officials , politician , prominent companies and diarist .
It is now too late to hold , but seeing how it has been described as a “ aspiration caper , ” there should be enough campaigner on the ranks ; Chappaz , who wo n’t be part of the panel , tell when we let the cat out of the bag in August that she was take several calls a day from prospective candidates . She likely tell apart them passably much the same as she tell apart TechCrunch andher LinkedIn followers : That France is “ incredibly prosperous ” to have its French Tech Mission and that her experience at its helm was “ particular . ”
But what happen in the past times is n’t indicatory of the future tense , and whoever win Chappaz will operate in a scenario that ’s very different from when she took mission in 2021 . That ’s because La French Tech itself has changed during those years , pushing young precedency for the French Tech Mission .
Chappaz experienced her fair portion of alteration over the last three years , too , and not only because there were three dissimilar secretaries of province for digital affairs over that same period ; that ’s unwashed in a lot of public administrations . The main change had to do with technical school itself , and with the macro context : 2024 is quite different from 2021 .
Just like elsewhere , French startups run through the ebbs and flows of the pandemic and the fundraising hype that result , only tocome back to eartha few calendar month later on . Geopolitical agitation observe , and alongside came the realisation that countries needed industrial champions to rely on .
Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
For the French Tech Mission , which celebrated its tenth day of remembrance in 2023 , this think aligning with the strategic France 2030 agenda . There cameFrench Tech 2030 , with less focus on unicorn and more on deep technical school spinouts and economical impact . Not that it was responsible for the former : President Emmanuel Macron was the one who set out“25 Gallic unicorns”as a finish to progress to by 2025 . ( After reaching that milestone in 2022 , he conk on to call for 100 unicorn by 2030 . )
That France now has graduated table - ups like BlaBlaCar and Doctolib is no small feat , and telling the world certainly did favors to its double . But10 long time after the “ unicorn ” moniker was coined , global technical school has moved on . It was clock time for France to know that its startups have change , too , with the rising slope ofcompanies like Mistral AI and Pasqal(and the fall of others , likeLuko . )
The France Digitale association , which represents startups and investor from the Gallic digital ecosystem , has been well placed to find this evolution among its members since its initiation in 2012 . “ There are [ now ] startup in all sectors , in manufacturing , in healthcare , which are also sphere that I conceive are strategical priorities for the competitiveness of France and for the sovereignty of France and Europe , ” its CEO Maya Noël told TechCrunch .
In line with this phylogenesis , Nöel said it might be interesting for Chappaz ’s replacement to come from one of these strategical sectors , but that ’s no jab at her background ( Chappaz bring together from Vestiaire Collective , a used fashion marketplace ) or at her predecessors . From our conversation with Noël , it transpire that the two body structure are “ fairly aligned ” and have been in “ ceaseless dialogue . ”
Several initiatives adopted under Chappaz ’s leading reflect what the sector has been lobbying for . One instance is“Je Choisis La French Tech , ” an initiative that saw more than 500 company and 80 institutional instrumentalist practice to helping double the number of public contracts and purchases from startup . “ We have been demand for this for 10 years , ” Noël said .
If anything , France Digitale wished things could go faster — for instance , on the raging topic of outlet ( or shortage thereof ) . Someone with firsthand cognition of scale of measurement - ups and international expansion could add time value at its helm , but a new theatre director with a public service scope might be able to pull drawing string on the administration side if La French Tech were to lack governmental support , Noël said .
La French Tech Mission has arguments that could play well with different English of the political support : that startups are like a shot and indirectly responsible for1.1 million jobsand for help reindustrialize France . Many people also committed to theParity Pactpromoted by Chappaz and her squad to foster sex equivalence in the technical school industry . Her heir will have to play these cards well , and we wish them “ bonne hazard . ” That also go for Chappaz , too , who is expecting her 2d nipper and enjoin she has n’t settle yet what she will do next , but that it ’ll have to do with tech invention .
This article has been even up to update the phone number of companies that consecrate to“Je choisis la French Tech . ”
