French Tech Community Fund: 129 projects funded to develop French start-ups

The Community Fund was launched in 2019 by Mission French Tech, the entity in charge of supporting the growth of French start-ups in France and the world. In 2022-2023, the Community Fund received 3.6 million euros from the French government (from 3 million euros the previous year and 2 million euros in 2019). The French Tech Community Fund supports through subsidies initiatives led by local players on the field, firmly focused on entrepreneurs and their needs to “fully take part in the development of French start-ups, everywhere in France and the world”.  

129 projects selected out of 234 submissions

The Ministry of digital transition highlighted that for the 4^th edition of the competition, 234 projects were submitted and examined, i.e. the highest number of applications registered since its creation. In total, 129 projects were selected (from 48 projects in 2019, 82 in 2020 and 78 last year), and so many projects are an illustration of “the improved support of the French government to the French start-ups ecosystem”.

In detail, out of 129 projects selected, half were launched by the network of French Tech Capitals and Communities, including 24 initiated by French Tech Communities abroad. The dedicated website indicates that the second half of projects is led by such as incubators, associations and communities.

Four priority objectives

This year, to be selected, projects needed to comply with one of the following themes, which were the four priority objectives:

- Expansion & Talents, which aimed at “contributing to the growth of start-ups of the French Tech in France and abroad, including using the lever of recruitment and fundings”;

- Disruptive innovations & industrial start-ups, to boost the development of start-ups in the French Tech ecosystem, in line with the objectives and priorities of the France 2030 plan;

- Ecological transition, to “improve and value the role of the French Tech ecosystem before the challenges of ecological transition”;

- Gender equality and diversity to “foster actions from the French Tech to promote an ecosystem of start-ups with more gender equality and open to all women and men”.

The ministry in charge of Digital transition chose to showcase a selection from the 129 laureate projects which are all marked by their diversity: supporting entities, location, theme, essence of the projects, and more.

The 20+ projects initiated by French Tech Communities worldwide include three major projects at international scale:

- The French Tech Capital Days, an event by the French Tech Community in Miami which will put together French start-ups and investors and foreign talents to boost their development;
- The LFDay, an international event led by the La Ferme Digitale association, which contributes to the international influence of French innovations from AgriFoodTech;

- The France – Canada Women in Innovation Bridge led by the French Tech Community in Toronto designed to foster meetings and experience feedbacks between French and Canadian women entrepreneurs who want to start their business on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

 To know more: 

- Press release from the Ministry of digital transition (in French)

- The website dedicated to the French Tech (with thefull list of the 129 laureates)

 Photo credit:  © La French tech