Archive for September 2013
Do what you say: the art of following through.
Ok, I’ll admit it: ever since I naturalized to French citizenship I’ve become somewhat more critical of my adopted country. I don’t view this as betrayal; on the contrary, I’ve developed an affinity for France so strong that it pains me to witness habits that in my opinion are destructive to the future of this […]
French government launches €3 Billion late stage fund for mid-sized companies
The French government’s capital risk investment arm BPI France announced this week the creation of a 3 Billion euro fund, ETI 2020, which will invest between 300-500 Million euros per year between now and 2017 in Entreprise de Taille Intermediaire(ETI – “mid-sized companies”), defined in France as companies with more than 249 employees and less than […]
At the nexus of fashion and digital, FLOW Paris kicks-off its 3rd edition on September 23rd
Fittingly taking place on the eve of Fashion Week, Ykone’s FLOW Paris Conference will welcome top speakers and participants from around the globe on September 23rd to discuss social media and the luxury industry. The only digital conference bringing together innovators in the luxury industry and those who are shaping the social media of the future, FLOW Paris […]
Lyon’s biggest startup conference Blend hosts France’s hottest Tech entrepreneurs
France’s tech community will descend en masse to Lyon on October 1st and 2nd for La Cuisine du Web’s and PRES Université de Lyon’s signature tech conference, Blend Mix. This year’s edition is jammed packed with 80 speakers who will animate various roundtables, workshops and talks, a great startup competition which we wrote about last week, […]
Startup42 becomes the first French member of the Global Accelerator Network, started by Techstars
Paris-based accelerator Startup42 announced this week that it has joined the Global Accelerator Network, a private network of accelerators run by TechStars, an American accelerator with presence in several cities in the US as well as London. To date, the network spans 6 continents, 63 cities & includes 50 accelerators, and all accelerators are held […]
On the back of a successful first fund, Serena Capital announces a second €100 Million fund
Serena Capital has announced this week that it has closed its second fund at 100 Million €, which is plans to invest in 15-18 companies with investment ranges between €4-8 Million. Having recently invested with its first fund in Sequans Communications, which IPO-ed on the NYSE in 2011, as well as in industry leaders like […]
Vivendi’s SFR spinoff & company restructure announcement fails to inspire shareholders.
In the past weeks the European Telco industry hasn’t been short of big news. After Vodafone Group Plc. agreed to sell its U.S. wireless business, and Microsoft Corp acquired Nokia’s Devices and Services division, the long-expected overhaul of Vivendi’s structure has taken a further step towards a more competitive group. Vivendi will divest in SFR […]
The Haunted House: Overcoming the Fear Factor of Running a Startup
This guest post is part 2 of “The Amusement Park” blog series written by Mark Fabian Henkel (@mrkhnkl) Co-founder and CEO of Paymill, a young startup that offers the fastest and easiest way to integrate credit and debit card payments in websites and mobile applications. Surviving a thrilling ride on a rollercoaster is one thing, […]
Breaking: Talent management solution TalentSoft raises €15 Million from Highland Capital Partners
French startup Talentsoft will announce this week a €15 Million round of funding from Highland Capital Partners, according to l’Opinion’s Hugo Sedouramane (Update: article here in French). Founded in 2007, the talent management solution has already raised €4 Million from Seventure Partners, Alto Invest & others, and opened an office earlier this year in Benelux. Talentsoft already […]
Mixpanel CEO Suhail Doshi to give a fireside chat and open office hours in Paris on Sept. 21st
If you’re working in mobile or aspire to build mobile products (which should be just about everybody), then Mixpanel‘s mobile analytics platform is something that should be on your radar by now. With major players like Airbnb, Khan Academy, match.com, Jawbone, and thousands more using the platform, Mixpanel certainly ranks among the leaders in the […]