Trista Bridges
‘Web-to-Store’ startup Pubeco raises 1.25 million euros from ISAI
Pubeco, who specialize in helping retailers digitalize all those annoying paper ads and catalogs they send potential customers, has just announced that they raised 1.25 million euros from French VC ISAI (Blablacar, Commerce Guys, Shopmium, & more). Since its founding in 2008 by Romain Sarels and Yannick Lalleau, Orchies-based (in Northern France) Pubeco has grown steadily to reach a solid […]
As France welcomes MIDEM, its music industry still faces big challenges
This past Saturday saw the kick-off of MIDEM, one of the world’s biggest and best conferences and tradeshows focusing on the music industry. This year’s edition, which will be running through tomorrow,has had a particularly strong emphasis on digital. It’s evident that digital still continues to be both a blessing and curse for the sector, which is still […]
Ericsson to acquire Devoteam’s French Telecoms & Media operation
Ericsson has announced that they will be acquiring the French Telecom and Media operations of IT and comunications consultancy leader Devoteam for an undisclosed amount. Devoteam’s Telecom qnd Media operation currently accounts for approximately 7% of Devoteam’s revenues. Through the acquistion, Ericsson will gain some 400 new IT professionals, “service capabilities” from the newly acquired group, as well […]
France has a love-hate relationship with its digital devices
There’s always a vigorous debate about whether digital devices and technology in general are a net-positive or net-negative for society. Obviously at the Rude Baguette, we fall firmly in the net-positive camp, however, it’s worth taking a look at the concerns of the other camp. In particular, France’s psychology community, which has grown more concerned […]
3 Myths Busted about European vs. US Venture Capital success
The British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA) just published a report dispelling many of the stereotypes and myths about the performance of Europe’s VCs. The conventional wisdom has been that Europe’s risk-adverse nature and difficult IPO environment has constrained the potential and success of Europe’s venture and startup communities. As the report points out, we […]
Tech Sector growth is outpacing all other sectors in France
Syntec Numérique, one France’s leading professional organization representing the tech sector, just published a report offering some interesting and encouraging findings on the state of France’s tech sector. Not surprisingly, the sector has been major driver of economic and job growth in France over the last decade, outpacing many other sectors. Here are some of the […]
Government announces new members of the influential Conseil National du Numérique
Created under Nicolas Sarkozy, the CNN (Conseil National du Numérique, roughly the National Digital Council), was initially conceived as a body that would give advice and recommendations favoring the development of the internet sector in France. Seeing this initial remit as too limited in scope, the new government decided to broaden the mission of the […]
French universities to offer 20% of courses online…in 5 years
Around the world, university-level online courses have become a standard part of higher education. What began in the States in the for-profit education space through online universities such as University of Phoenix and Walden Universities, has now expanded to the top universities in the world. Many top and second-level US universities started migrating several of […]
In-store smartphone activity growing rapidly in France
We’ve reported various times about the revolutionary impact that smartphones have had on France (here and here). comScore, has just published some research demonstrating that smartphones are now a key part of French consumers’ retail experience. Most interestingly for retailers, it appears that when they’re in a physical retail store, consumers use smartphones to help […]
Not surprisingly, the “French cloud” concept not taking off just yet
The ‘French Cloud’, aka Andromede then Numergy and Cloudwatt, is a concept that has a long way to go until it proves itself. Kurt Salmon, recently conducted a study examing how attractive Numergy’s and Cloudwatt’s offer is perceived by the French market. As mentioned previously, each of the newly created companies have centered their strategy […]