Aiming to become a global “startup nation” France is actively engaged in nurturing their local startup ecosystems. This ambition is supported by initiatives like La French Tech and the French Tech Visa, attracting worldwide talent and investors. Additionally, the Parisian Region catalyzes business and innovation, while Station-F stands out as the world’s largest startup campus located in France.
The rise of French unicorns such as BlaBlaCar, Deezer, and Doctolib exemplifies this growth. Boasting to date, around 28 unicorns, including notable names such as Alan, Back Market, Ledger, Lydia, and Qonto. Despite the VC funds drying up all over Europe, French startups have secured €4.26 billion in funding in the first six months of 2023, surpassing the total amount raised in 2018, which stood at €3.62 billion.
As we enter 2024, we dived into this thriving ecosystem to showcase 10 of the most promising startups established in 2023 that are already making notable strides in securing funding and advancing technology, signalling a promising future for the French startup ecosystem.
Ava: This Paris-based startup, branding itself as the AI wingwoman, is transforming communication on preferred messaging applications. Established in 2023, Ava has already successfully secured €5.3 million in funding from notable investors such as OpenAI, signifying strong support for its cutting-edge AI platform.
Comand AI: Dedicated to advancing the defence sector with transformative AI capabilities, this Paris-based startup specialises in delivering next-generation, AI-powered command and control capabilities for defence operations. Founded in 2023, they have secured €3 million, solidifying its position as a leader in shaping the future of defence technologies.
Dust: Founded in 2023, Dust is at the forefront of transforming the way teams operate by offering customisable and secure AI assistants. They provide access to leading AI models, augmented with internal company information, ensuring a competitive edge in leveraging AI effectively. Based in Paris, Dust has raised €5 million marking a significant step in supporting its mission.
Ensol: Paris-based Ensol is an energy equipment platform that caters to private individuals, offering products like solar panels, batteries, recharging points, and heat pumps. Ensol empowers its customers to decarbonize their electricity usage while realising substantial savings. Founded in 2023, they have raised €3 million to accelerate the energy transition in France.
Nūmi: Founded in 2023, Nūmi innovates by recreating breast milk in vitro, offering vital health benefits and nutrients akin to those found in natural breast milk. They aim to provide a natural feeding alternative and advance global nutrition standards. To date, they have raised €3 million to support their mission of enhancing immunity, supporting brain development, and promoting holistic health.
Orakl Oncology: Headquartered in Paris, Orakl Oncology is a biotech startup on a mission to expedite drug discovery in oncology by leveraging deep patient data, aligning tumour models with detailed clinical and omics information to provide essential context for interpreting biological results. Founded in 2023, they have secured €3 million, contributing to the advancement of oncology research.
Pivot: Based in Paris, Pivot aims to revolutionise financial processes by emphasizing seamless integration. Rather than lengthy integration processes, Pivot integrates with existing financial stacks and ERPs. The platform features a user-friendly no-code interface, enabling administrators to configure workflows for purchase orders easily. Founded in 2023, they have raised €5 million simplifying procurement.
Poolside: Paris-based Poolside leverages AI to simplify the process of coding, enabling anyone to build software through a new level of abstraction with AI-guided and human-assisted interactions. Founded in 2023, the company has raised an impressive €125 million to assist developers in constructing software, focusing on creating highly capable AI for software development.
Qevlar AI: Paris-based Qevlar AI is dedicated to transform the operations of Security Operations Center teams.Their mission involves harnessing advanced AI automation to empower SOC teams, eliminating redundant tasks and allowing them to concentrate on essential priorities. Founded in 2023 they have secured €4.5 million to advance its mission and enhance the efficiency of SecOps teams.
ZELIQ: Paris-based Zeliq is an all-in-one sales platform that provides accurate prospect data and automates outreach for efficiency. It integrates various sales tools into one platform, using AI to streamline the entire sales process. The solution is designed to support business developers at every step, from prospecting to contacting clients. Founded in 2023 they have already raised €5 million.
By the way: If you’re a corporate or investor looking for exciting startups in a specific market for a potential investment or acquisition, check out our Startup Sourcing Service!
