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Imagination Machine
Imagination Machine was founded by Rob Spiro and Emmanuelle Brizay as a venture studio based in Nantes, France.
Imagination Machine
Imagination Machine was founded by Rob Spiro and Emmanuelle Brizay as a venture studio based in Nantes, France. Spiro previously co-founded Aardvark, a social search startup acquired by Google in 2010, and worked as a product manager at Google following the acquisition. The studio applies an operator-led approach, focusing on ideating, validating, and launching new technology companies with resident founders. The firm concentrates on early-stage company creation, targeting enterprise software and AI/ML opportunities. Unlike a traditional venture fund, Imagination Machine does not primarily invest in external startups — it originates its own concepts and recruits founders to build them. The studio model provides shared operational resources, initial capital, and strategic guidance. Portfolio companies are built in-house, with the Nantes studio serving as the operational hub. Partner Émilie Abel, former executive director of HEC Entrepreneurs, strengthens the firm's ties to France's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Imagination Machine maintains a relationship with Vera Capital, the family office of Ahmet Ozokur, as a co-investor in the studio. The firm also holds a commercial property at 4 Rue Voltaire in Nantes. Rob Spiro relocated from the San Francisco Bay Area to establish the studio in France, signaling a bet on European tech talent. The firm participates in regional networks including French Tech Nantes and Mouvement Impact France. The studio model is the firm's structural differentiator: Imagination Machine is a startup factory, not an investment firm. This architecture aligns its team's incentives with company outcomes from day zero, combining operator DNA with patient capital. The Nantes location marks a deliberate choice to operate outside the traditional Paris-London-Berlin venture corridor, accessing technical talent at lower cost in an emerging ecosystem.
General information
Firm type
Multi Family Office
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Europe
Country
France
City
Nantes
Corporate office
Nantes, France
Principals
Rob Spiro
Founder
Emmanuelle Brizay
Co-founder
Émilie Abel
Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
How does Imagination Machine differ from a traditional venture capital firm?
Imagination Machine is a venture studio, not a venture capital fund. It originates and builds new technology companies internally rather than investing in existing startups. The firm conceives business ideas, validates them, recruits founders, and provides shared operational infrastructure — acting as a company-creation platform with capital, talent, and services under one roof.
Who founded Imagination Machine and what is their background?
Rob Spiro and Emmanuelle Brizay founded Imagination Machine. Spiro previously co-founded Aardvark, a social search engine acquired by Google in 2010 for a reported $50 million, and later worked as a product manager at Google. Partner Émilie Abel joined from HEC Entrepreneurs, where she served as executive director, adding deep academic entrepreneurship network access.
Does Imagination Machine invest in external startups or only build internally?
The firm's primary model is internal: it incubates and launches its own startups. While the studio may occasionally participate in external rounds, its operational core is originating companies from scratch using the studio model — a structure that creates companies rather than selecting them.
Which sectors does Imagination Machine target?
The firm targets enterprise software and AI/ML opportunities, reflecting founder Rob Spiro's background in consumer internet and search technology. The studio model allows Imagination Machine to be opportunistic within these domains, building ventures that leverage technical talent from the Nantes and broader French ecosystem.
Why is Imagination Machine based in Nantes rather than Paris?
The studio's Nantes location is a deliberate choice to operate outside France's dominant Paris venture corridor. Nantes offers lower operational costs, access to engineering talent, and an emerging startup ecosystem through networks like French Tech Nantes. The firm benefits from regional talent without competing directly for attention and deals in the saturated Paris market.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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