CEA Investissement
CEA Investissement was created in 1999 as CEA Valorisation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CEA, to support its policy of creating businesses. In 2008, it became CEA Investissement with the objective of taking direct stakes in companies leveraging CEA technologies, targeting patent valorization and investments in start-ups. Their specific aims include investing during the start-up creation phase (taking founder shares) based on innovations linked to CEA research, supporting the scientific and commercial development of young companies originating from the CEA's spin-off policy or connected through research contracts, benefiting from financial returns in case of success, and maintaining control, even indirectly, over technologies originating from CEA laboratories. Beyond participating in creation, CEA Investissement has developed an investment activity in the best projects in its portfolio, supporting the initial rounds of many companies. In 2013, with the implementation of new state support mechanisms for start-up seed funding (Fonds National d’Amorçage), CEA Investissement initiated the raising of its first seed fund, ATI (Amorçage Technologique Investissement). CEA Investissement is the primary subscriber to this fund, alongside Bpifrance and several industrial partners, providing CEA-related start-ups with enhanced support opportunities in their initial development phases. In partnership with Amundi (Groupe Crédit Agricole), and leveraging its investment team's expertise, CEA Investissement created Supernova Invest in 2017, an AMF-approved management company. This was done to develop its fund-of-funds activity and expand its intervention capabilities towards deeptech start-ups originating from the CEA or the best French laboratories, at all development stages. CEA Investissement invests in the Supernova 2 (75 M€), Supernova Innovation 3 (74 M€) seed funds, and the Supernova Ambition Industrie growth fund which closed in 2023 at 204 M€. Through these "fund of funds" interventions, CEA Investissement has the capacity to support start-ups valorizing CEA technologies, from their creation to growth capital, including seed and private equity stages. Since 1999, CEA Investissement has financed and supported around a hundred start-ups, following the CEA's innovation policy across life sciences, energy, microelectronics, materials, and industrial equipment.
Wind
Wind is a conviction-led VC firm based in Europe that focuses on backing deeptech companies addressing challenges related to sustainable change and European sovereignty. The firm aims to support entrepreneurs with sharp business instincts, bold ideas, and deep purpose, helping them reimagine various aspects of life, from how we eat and move to how we live, by creating more balanced and sustainable systems. They also focus on technologies that foster European strategic independence through investments in AI, cybersecurity, space, and defense. Wind aims to partner with founders relentlessly, providing advice and support, daring to innovate and investing in areas others might avoid, and propel positive change through their investments. Wind aims to provide substantial support for startups, leading to stellar returns for investors. They emphasize their commitment to advising and supporting founders through all stages, good or bad. The firm actively seeks game-changing innovators and seeks new ways to support them, investing boldly in areas others might avoid. The firm prioritizes investing in technologies that are impactful and contribute positively to society and the planet. Wind demonstrates a strong belief in the potential of deeptech to drive both economic growth and positive societal impact, investing in founders who are working to shape a better future. They actively seek out and support visionaries with the potential to transform industries and create strategic independence for Europe.
Axc
Axeleo Capital is a multi-strategy tech investment platform focused on empowering founders for the long run, backing Europe's next leaders in the green and digital transformation. They offer Seed to Series B investments combined with hands-on support across key industries. They leverage a powerful ecosystem of 150+ entrepreneurs, operators, and mentors who have built category leaders across Europe and the US. They invest with a founder-first approach, providing strategic and operational support. This includes go-to-market strategy, leadership guidance, partnership development, and product management assistance. They focus on building resilient and responsible companies by integrating ESG at the core of their investment model. Axeleo Capital's investment strategy is based on a blend of capital, operational support, and sector expertise. With a combination of their VC experience and startup acceleration background, they created their own acceleration framework. It takes early-stage startups to the next level. Their teams help founders reshape their value propositions and go-to-markets. They also assist them in recruiting talents to turn their organizations into Serie A-ready startups. The firm actively integrates ESG factors into investment decisions and provides hands-on support to help all portfolio companies develop tailored sustainability strategies. Their ESG methodology includes sourcing startups through an exclusion policy and conducting ESG (and impact, when relevant) due diligence and scoring to assess their sustainability maturity.
Daphni
Daphni doesn't chase hype but focuses on real shifts across scientific, societal, and environmental landscapes. They invest in technologies that regenerate, include, empower, and scale across various sectors, including climate, deeptech, retail, and inclusion. Their core belief centers on talent being ubiquitous and access needing to be equally available, targeting innovators from various backgrounds, from rural areas to deeptech labs. They aim to meet founders where they are and help them reach their goals. Sustainability and impact are at the heart of their strategy, reflecting a long-standing commitment to ESG (Environment, Sustainability, Governance). As a B Corp certified company, their actions are guided by clear values and measurable objectives. This commitment is ingrained in their investment decisions and permeates their ecosystem, from portfolio companies to investors. Daphni employs different strategies with its active funds. The generalist fund focuses on disruptions with a positive social and environmental impact, with a strong science angle in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and life sciences. There's also a digital retail fund, supported by Carrefour, focuses on innovations in the retail space including e-commerce, future of grocery, data, financial services, robotics procurement, and impact. The Time4 fund is a project to support entrepreneurs with unique and underrepresented backgrounds, targeting all industries.
Technofounders
Technofounders is a Startup Studio focused on investing in technology to build impactful ventures, specifically in the DeepTech ecosystem. They aim to multiply the impact of scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs by funding and orienting technological innovation towards practical solutions that address major global challenges. Their strategy involves identifying disruptive technologies, primarily stemming from research institutions, and structuring investment vehicles to fund and develop innovative projects into successful industrial companies. They have a comprehensive team-based approach, ensuring startups have access to the right expertise at the right time, from pre-seed to exit, including Venture Partners for initial evaluation and interim CEO roles, Operating Partners for operational and strategic support, and Managing Partners for strategic guidance and board participation. Technofounders aims to drive positive impact through deeptech innovation across various sectors. Their investment approach is stage-specific. In the feasibility phase, Venture Partners assess technologies and commercialization paths. During the pre-seed phase, Venture Partners act as interim CEOs, building initial products and teams. Seed acceleration involves Operating Partners providing operational support and Support Services handling administrative tasks. Finally, in the growth phase, Managing Partners offer strategic guidance through board participation, focusing on strategic priorities, funding strategies, and exit planning. Technofounders emphasizes collaboration with academic institutions and industry partners to transform research projects into viable businesses. They actively engage with major research institutions in France, such as CEA and CNRS, to identify and commercialize innovative technologies. Their team structure is designed to provide comprehensive support throughout the startup lifecycle, from initial technology assessment to successful market entry and growth. They prioritize investments with the potential to address pressing societal challenges and create sustainable solutions.