Many startup founders want a spot in a business incubator.
This term, which wasn't even in our vocabulary a few years ago, has become essential for explaining the main support systems for businesses, especially start-ups in France.
They offer key advantages to the projects they decide to take under their wing, in several forms: hosting the company on their premises, advice, help with finding funding, developing strategic growth policies, implementing and monitoring the project for several years.
SeDomicilier offers you its list of the best business incubators in France. Follow the guide!
In 2018, France has more than 80 business incubators, half of which are located in the Paris region.
Numa's reputation speaks for itself.
This incubator has been around for over 15 years and is known for the intensity of its support program, even though it only lasts for three months.
Numa provides a comprehensive training package designed for startup founders to tackle all the challenges involved in launching their project: refining the business model, creating a business plan, conducting market research, securing funding, getting management advice, communication, creating and adapting strategic policies, etc.
Numa particularly emphasizes the importance of fundraising and offers to support companies in obtaining it from solid and reputable financial partners.
Located in the heart of the capital, Numa presents a result attesting to its effectiveness: 85% of the start-ups created are still in business.
Day One is a young incubator, founded in 2012, but its performance speaks for itself: more than 20 million euros have already been raised across some forty supported projects.
It benefits from the support of renowned experts in business consulting, such as Gilles Babinet, named France's "digital champion" by the European Commission.
He's in charge of promoting the benefits of a digital company in France and is an expert on issues related to artificial intelligence and digital transformation.
Marc Simoncini, the famous founder of the dating network Meetic, is helping the team by bringing his experience to young entrepreneurs. He is also the founder of the investment fund Jaïna, with which Day One has a partnership to facilitate the granting of financing.
Other funds like Partech or Extendam have a special relationship with Day One.
TheFamily is, strictly speaking, an investment company offering incubator services.
The support it offers to young start-ups is based on three major pillars.
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Gaining 'unfair advantages', meaning one or more elements that allow the company to create a unique offering, and likely to succeed in the market. The goal is to highlight what the competition doesn't have, and would find difficult to acquire even if they wanted to. This also involves negotiating free services from companies like Amazon, Facebook, or PayPal.
- Get some advice to build the most solid project possible.
- Financing, a key element for launching a project
In return for the services provided, TheFamily takes 3% of the capital of each of the companies it supports.
Paris & Co is a network of about twenty incubators located throughout France.
Thanks to its size, it has already supported more than 500 start-ups since it was created, making it one of the most dynamic incubators!
Each incubator has its own unique focus, dedicated to companies in a specific sector: tourism, digital revolution, artificial intelligence, etc.
Based on a logic of sharing and transmission of skills, it has the unique feature of organizing regular meetings between experienced entrepreneurs and young startupers through its Open Innovation Club.
BIC Montpellier is an incubator that supports local entrepreneurship, meaning only companies created in Occitanie.
It stands out from its competitors by offering exceptionally long-term support: between three and five years of support are offered to selected projects.
It focuses on a specific number of targeted business sectors: health, information and communication technologies, biotechnologies, and cutting-edge technologies in the tertiary sector.
Having been around for over 25 years, nearly 90% of the businesses created are still active in the long run.
There's no shortage of incubators in France, so much so that we've recently been cited as one of the most dynamic countries for startup growth on a global scale.
Business magnate Xavier Niel launched "Station F" in early 2017, a 34,000 square meter startup campus right in the heart of Paris.
Its goal is to host a complete entrepreneurial ecosystem made up of entrepreneurs, partner companies, investors, experts, and advisors.
The creation of this space further reinforces France's attractiveness and economic dynamism for entrepreneurs.
Written by our expert Paul LASBARRERES-CANDAU
July 17, 2018
