Chris O'Brien
Invoxia’s Triby becomes first non-Amazon product to include Alexa
Paris-based Invoxia announced today that Triby, its family communication device, is now available with Amazon’s Alexa voice-activated service. Until now, Amazon’s Echo has been the primary voice-activated device that consumers could purchase that offered Alexa functionality. The device has proven to be a surprising hit for Amazon and has won positive critical reviews. Using simple […]
Orange acquires Groupama to launch mobile bank in bid to become major fintech player
Orange announced today it has acquired a majority of Groupama and will use the service to launch a new mobile banking service. The former Groupama, a financial services and insurance company, will be re-named “Orange Bank” in 2017 and will be a pure mobile banking play. Orange acquired 65 percent of Groupama after months of exclusive […]
How Marc Rougier’s long entrepreneurial road to Silicon Valley led back to Paris
Toulouse native Marc Rougier sent a lightning bolt through the French Tech ecosystem last November when he announced he was leaving Silicon Valley to become a venture capitalist in Paris. Over the course of a couple of decades, Rougier had carved out an impressive record as one of France’s most successful serial entrepreneurs. Now, after spending […]
Lendix acquires rival lending platform Finsquare to grab bigger share of crowdfunding market
Paris-based Lendix announced today that it has snapped up cross-town lending platform rival Finsquare. The deal is a small signal of a maturing Fintech scene in France. Both services allow small and medium businesses to use crowdfunding to borrow money for projects. In a press release, Lendix executives said the two companies offer complimentary services, as Finsquare […]
Axelle Tessandier on her six years in Silicon Valley and her return to France
The decision to leave France in 2009 was as obvious for Axelle Tessandier as was the decision to return last year. In both cases, the founder of the Axl Agency, felt the desire to be part of something new and exciting. And in both cases, there was something in her gut telling her to just go. […]
Amid weak economy, France’s digital minister tries to make case that La French Tech is working
France is about one year away from its next national elections, and the prospects for the current Socialist government are looking grim. President François Hollande remains deeply unpopular, with an approval rating of 17 percent in March. If he decides to run for another term, he faces tough odds against potential foes. And he will […]
Vente-privee acquisition march accelerates with purchase of Spain’s Privalia
Vente-privee took another step toward expanding its European reach today when it announced the acquisition of Spanish e-commerce site Privalia. While the acquisition price for Barcelona-based Privalia was not disclosed, the news was confirmed in a blog post by Index Ventures. Privalia is popular in Spain and Italy, but it had also recently expanded to Brazil and Mexico. […]
5 lessons from Intercom about product development for French entrepreneurs
Paul Adams, vice president of product at Intercom When your company is red-hot, like Intercom, there are probably lots of things it can teach entrepreneurs. Intercom recently announced it had raised another $50 million in venture capital, bringing its total to $112 million. The company is trying to reinvent the way businesses communicate with their customers. […]
Sigfox deal with Microsoft latest sign of IOT startup’s torrid pace of global expansion in 2016
No one can accuse Sigfox of thinking small. Since the Toulouse-based company announced its then-record €100 Million round of venture financing in February 2015, the company has been pressing hard to made good on its plans for global expansion. It’s move to enter the U.S. market last year was one of its biggest gambles. But […]
Citymapper calls out RATP for blocking real-time data; agency says system needs upgrade (Updated)
This story was updated with comments throughout from RATP at 19h20 CET. Citymapper has launched an online petition drive to rally users to its side as it finds itself fighting a decision by Paris’ public transportation agency over access to real-time bus data. [UPDATE] A spokesmen for Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens said in an interview […]