La French Tech

No. La French Tech is a government mission that provides non-dilutive support — branding, international promotion, and curated introductions to investors. It runs accelerator programs like the Next40/120 and French Tech 2030 but does not maintain a balance sheet or fund for direct investments. The label functions as a quality signal, not a funding mechanism.

Companies qualify based on quantitative metrics: total fundraising (at least €40 million for Next40) or annual revenue exceeding €10 million with double-digit growth. The Mission updates the list annually, and firms can enter or exit based on performance. The French Tech Mission evaluates data from Dealroom and Bpifrance to compile the ranking.

Clara Chappaz has served as Director of the French Tech Mission since 2021. She reports to the Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty. Prior to the role, Chappaz founded Vestiaire Collective co-founder Fanny Moizant's resale startup Lullaby, and worked at Vestiaire Collective itself.

The French Tech label is a broad certification for startups that meet innovation criteria and is awarded to over 3,000 companies. The French Tech Next40/120 is a selective annual index of the 120 highest-performing labeled companies, chosen for hyper-growth potential. The Next40 subset represents the top 40 firms, receiving more personalized government support and international promotion.

The Mission oversees over 100 French Tech Hubs in cities including Tokyo, San Francisco, London, and Berlin. Each hub is run by a volunteer ambassador — typically a French entrepreneur or executive living locally — who organizes events and connects local French startups to the host ecosystem. These hubs are not investment offices but community nodes that amplify the French Tech brand abroad and facilitate soft-landing for French companies.

No. The Mission does not operate as a limited partner in external funds, nor does it facilitate co-investment clubs in the manner of a family office or private equity firm. Its role is institutional matchmaking — at events like VivaTech, it introduces labelled startups to French and international VCs, LPs, and corporate venture arms, without taking transactional economics.

Bpifrance is the French public investment bank that provides direct funding, loans, and equity co-investments to French startups. The French Tech Mission coordinates closely with Bpifrance on ecosystem initiatives but remains operationally separate: Bpifrance deploys capital, while the French Tech Mission handles branding, community, and international promotion. Both fall under the umbrella of French governmental economic development.