The startup ecosystem in France is growing rapidly, but still has a long way to go. Angel investors have played an important role in the development of start-up companies for many years. In recent years, the number of angel investor groups has also increased significantly. In this article, we have compiled a list of some of these angel investor groups that are active in France today:
1. Smartangels.com
Smartangels.fr is a French network that was created in 2013 and has since made more than 50 investments, totaling 8 million euros and contributing to more than 20 companies. The company currently has offices in London, San Francisco and New York.
2. Fineness
Finkey is a French angel investor. It is a non-profit organization based in Paris and has been investing in small and medium-sized enterprises since 2007. Its investment approach is to support entrepreneurs who wish to create value for the global economy by developing their models or commercial products.
3. Id4 Ventures
ID4 Ventures is a venture capital fund that invests in early-stage startups and SMEs. He is based in Paris, France, and has invested in over 100 startups since his founding. Some ID4 companies have invested in include:
- Startups from La Maison des
- The echoes
- The good corner
4. Generis Capital Partners
Generis Capital Partners is a start-up venture capital firm based in Paris, France. The company is focused on seed and Series A investments in technology companies.
Generis Capital Partners was founded in 1999 by Pascal Savy, a former investment banker at Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse First Boston.
The company has offices across Europe and North America – including London, Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam and New York – as well as having invested in several companies outside of France, such as Zendesk, which is based in San Francisco but received funding funding from Generis Capital Partners when it raised million in 2010 for its Series D funding round at approximately 0 million pre-valuation (the value actual startup).
5. Capital Azulis
Azulis Capital is a French venture capital fund that invests in early-stage technology companies. It was founded in 2008 by Christophe Maire and Jean-Baptiste Rudelle, two former investment bankers at Rothschild & Cie Banque who had known each other since their days at Hec Paris. Both were looking for new challenges after working on Alcatel’s merger with Lucent Technologies Inc., which was finalized in 2006.
In addition to its headquarters in Paris, Azulis Capital has invested across France and opened its offices in London (2014) and San Francisco (2018). Their portfolio includes more than 50 startups across multiple industries, including healthcare, IT and software development, food delivery services, and renewable energy products.
6. Pleiad Adventure
Pleiade Venture is a French venture capital fund focused on the digital economy. It was founded in 2018 by Nicolas Noguier, who is also managing partner of the fund.
The company has invested in several companies such as Algolia and Blablacar, among others.
Conclusion
France is home to many angel investors ready and ready to invest in your startup. However, they are not always right for you. It’s important that you find an investor that you can work well with and who understands your goals so that they are happy to invest in your business.