# ISAI ISAI is a Private Equity based in Paris, France. ## Overview - **Organization type:** Private Equity - **Headquarters:** Paris, France - **Region:** Middle East - **Address:** Paris, France - **Founded:** 2009 - **Assets under management:** Undisclosed - **Website:** www.isai.vc - **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/isai-gestion ## Regulatory record - **Reports private funds:** No ## About ISAI launched in 2009 when four co-founders—Jean-David Chamboredon, Pierre Martini, Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux, and Ouriel Ohayon—formalized a thesis that operator-led capital would outperform in French tech. The firm's name, meaning 'I' in Hebrew, signaled a conviction that concentrated backing of exceptional founders mattered more than portfolio volume. From its Paris headquarters, the group built a General Partner structure explicitly funded by over 400 tech entrepreneurs who serve as both limited partners and active network nodes. The firm runs four distinct fund strategies spanning the full company lifecycle. The ISAI Venture series targets pre-seed to Series A rounds across enterprise software, fintech, and digital health, typically deploying €100,000 to €5 million first checks. ISAI Growth handles expansion-stage equity investments, while ISAI Cap Venture operates as a corporate venture arm partnering with large French industrials to back adjacent startups. A dedicated private credit vehicle, ISAI Debt, provides venture debt to European tech companies—confirmed portfolio positions include BlaBlaCar, Evaneos, and Ledger. The group's geographic footprint concentrates on France and continental Europe, with a New York office supporting portfolio companies entering the US market. ISAI does not publicly disclose aggregate assets under management. The firm's 430-plus entrepreneur-backers constitute one of Europe's densest operator networks, functioning as an outsourced advisory layer for portfolio companies on product, regulation, and international scaling. In September 2023, ISAI announced the first close of ISAI Venture IV, targeting €200 million for early-stage French tech investments, with commitments from Bpifrance and the European Investment Fund (per the firm, September 2023). The New York presence, opened to bridge European portfolio companies into US customers and follow-on capital, distinguishes ISAI from Paris peers that rely exclusively on local networks. ISAI's structural differentiator is the depth of its entrepreneur LP base. More than 430 current and former tech operators—founders who built companies like Criteo, BlaBlaCar, and Veepee—commit personal capital to ISAI funds and regularly participate in deal evaluation and company support. This converts limited-partner relationships into proprietary sourcing and an advisory bench that the investment team activates for commercial introductions and US market entry. No other French venture platform operates at this scale of embedded-operator co-investment. ## Sectors - FinTech - Mobility & Transportation - EdTech - HRTech - Marketing & Sales - Media & Entertainment - Digital Health - Cybersecurity - Enterprise Software - ESG ## Offices - New York, NY, United States ## People - Jean-David Chamboredon — Co-Founder & CEO - Pierre Martini — Co-Founder & Managing Partner - Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux — Co-Founder & Chairman - Ouriel Ohayon — Co-Founder & Managing Partner ## Questions ### Who runs investment decisions at ISAI? Jean-David Chamboredon serves as CEO and leads overall firm strategy alongside co-founders Pierre Martini, Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux, and Ouriel Ohayon, all Managing Partners. The investment team operates a partnership committee structure with sector leads for fintech, enterprise software, and digital health. The 430-plus entrepreneur LPs contribute to deal sourcing and diligence but final investment decisions rest with the General Partner team. ### How does ISAI source proprietary deal flow? ISAI's primary sourcing advantage comes from its 430-plus entrepreneur limited partners, who refer founders within their networks and often co-invest. The firm also leverages corporate venture mandates through ISAI Cap Venture, which embeds ISAI inside large French industrial companies' innovation scouting. Its New York office provides early visibility into US startups seeking European expansion partners. ### Does ISAI participate in fund commitments or only direct deals? ISAI deploys capital exclusively through direct investments into operating companies. The firm does not operate as a fund-of-funds or make commitments to external GPs. Its four fund families—Venture, Growth, Cap Venture, and Debt—all invest directly into company equity or structured debt instruments. ### What investment stages does ISAI typically target? ISAI covers the full spectrum from pre-seed to late-stage growth. The Venture fund series writes first checks of €100,000 to €5 million at pre-seed through Series A. ISAI Growth participates in Series B and later rounds with tickets up to €70 million. ISAI Debt provides venture debt facilities across stages, with a focus on asset-light European tech companies. ### Which sectors does ISAI explicitly avoid? ISAI does not invest in biotech, hard-tech manufacturing, or deep-science startups requiring lab-based R&D. The firm avoids real estate, infrastructure, and traditional industrial businesses. Within tech, ISAI maintains active sector tags for fintech, mobility, edtech, digital health, enterprise software, cybersecurity, HR tech, marketing tech, and media. ### What is ISAI's known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs? ISAI regularly co-invests alongside other European and US venture firms in shared portfolio companies. The firm's entrepreneur LP network creates a distinct form of co-investment where individual operators invest personal capital alongside the fund. For institutional rounds, ISAI participates in syndicates with firms like Index Ventures, Accel, and Partech across French tech deals. ## Related profiles - [Irving Place Capital](https://altss.com/profile/irving-place-capital) - [ISALT](https://altss.com/profile/isalt) --- Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/isai Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology