Dealflow France #28: Animaj raises €75m. Nabla raises $70m. Pelico grabs $40m. All eyes on the US expansion.
- Chloé Merlet of Dealflow France <dealflowfrance@substack.com>
- Hidden Recipient <hidden@emailshot.io>
Dealflow France #28: Animaj raises €75m. Nabla raises $70m. Pelico grabs $40m. All eyes on the US expansion.Welcome to the 28th edition of the Dealflow France newsletter: we aim to be the best way to follow the French startup and VC ecosystem.
After the buzz of VivaTech and the action at the Paris Air Show at le Bourget this week, French startups didn’t slow down: this week brought some serious fundraising news, especially from those eyeing growth across the Atlantic. Pelico grabbed $40M to push its AI-powered supply chain software deeper into US factories. Nabla raised a hefty $70M to expand its AI assistant for doctors, shifting focus back to Europe after gaining ground in the States. And Animaj, which secured €75M to grow its AI-powered children’s content empire on platforms like YouTube, Netflix, and Spotify, is now also aiming to conquer the US market. It’s been a big week, and the message is clear: more French startups are building with the US in mind. Welcome to Dealflow France! Startup funding news 💸Rounds of +€15M:
Rounds €5M to €15M:
Rounds €1M to €5M:
M&A transactions 🎊ScrapingBee, the French web scraping startup bootstrapped since 2019, has been acquired by Lithuanian data collection leader Oxylabs for over €10 million in a fully self-funded deal. Known for its lean, remote model and API-first product aimed at developers and SMEs, ScrapingBee will continue to operate independently as Oxylabs expands into the direct-to-consumer market amid growing strategic demand for accessible public data in AI development. Simplébo has acquired Actusite in a self-financed deal, bringing its revenue to €9 million and expanding its reach to 10,000 clients, particularly in regulated professions. This strategic consolidation strengthens Simplébo’s position as a digital partner for small businesses, combining proprietary tech with AI-enhanced services, and sets the stage for building a multi-brand group focused on industry-specific verticals. Hublo, one of France’s leading HR tech providers for the healthcare sector, has welcomed Five Arrows as a strategic investor to support its continued growth and international expansion. With over 5,000 healthcare institutions and one million users, Hublo plans to accelerate product innovation and pursue acquisitions, following recent buys like Permuteo and Staffea, to further digitalize HR management in a fragmented healthcare software market. Citron has acquired iQspot to strengthen its leadership in energy management systems (EMS) for buildings, forming a 150-person entity with €15 million in 2025 revenue. Backed by Eiffel Investment Group, the move expands Citron’s tech capabilities, investor-focused services and European footprint, advancing its goal to simplify energy compliance and accelerate real estate decarbonization. Videlio has acquired Octalino to strengthen its foothold in the education and public service sectors, where digital transformation and operational reliability are increasingly critical. Octalino will retain its operational autonomy, continuing to serve schools, universities and public institutions with tailored audiovisual solutions, now backed by Videlio’s broader resources and strategic support. MBO+ has taken a minority stake in SYXPERIANE, a leading French integrator of ERP, CRM and BI systems, to support its continued growth and upcoming acquisitions. Alongside Ouest Croissance and Sofival, the investment also enables broader employee ownership, with 80 staff members now shareholders, reinforcing SYXPERIANE’s commitment to collaborative expansion and digital transformation excellence. Andera Partners has acquired a majority stake in Jaws Group, a fast-growing French digital marketing and consulting firm, to support its expansion in France and Europe. With 120 employees and projected 2025 revenues of €32 million, Jaws plans to accelerate external growth and integrate synergies across its services, from content creation to SEO/SEM, under the continued leadership of its founding team. Investor & accelerator news 🚀Le Village by CA Paris is launching a new two-year acceleration program specifically for tech founders over 50, aiming to support a first cohort of 10 startups starting in September 2025. Backed by French Tech Grand Paris, the initiative seeks to boost age diversity in startups, where only 2.4% of employees are over 55, by offering tailored mentoring, masterclasses and intergenerational collaboration. Startup news 💡Battri has opened its first electric vehicle battery recycling plant in Saint-Laurent-Blangy, aiming to process up to 100,000 batteries annually and produce "black mass" for future material recovery. Backed by €20 million in funding, including Bpifrance support, the facility will initially handle production waste and used batteries, with a business model focused on reselling recovered materials. A new coalition of five startups including Lucca, Worklife, Contakt, Coup de pousse and Ekip has formed to challenge what they call an oligopoly in France's €10 billion meal voucher market, dominated by Swile and three long-standing players. The group denounces excessive commissions, opaque pricing and anti-competitive practices, and proposes regulatory reforms to open the market via a transparent bank-standard-based model that could redirect €300 million into the local economy. Despite backing from Xavier Niel and Iliad, Qiara, Free’s smart home security partner, has been placed under judicial recovery and is seeking a buyer before a June 30 deadline. Founded in 2020 with ambitions to disrupt the home alarm market, the startup saw strong growth and a major partnership with Free in 2024, but struggled to cover rising costs amid a tough funding climate. Last week, the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget gathered global aerospace leaders alongside a strong contingent of startups and SMEs aiming to gain visibility in the industry. Among them, many young and innovative companies participated under regional banners like Nouvelle-Aquitaine, using the opportunity to showcase their technologies, connect with potential partners, and carve out a space in one of the world’s most competitive sectors. Big company & policy news 💡Starting summer 2026, Netflix subscribers in France will gain access to TF1's live channels and on-demand content from TF1+ directly within the Netflix platform, as part of a landmark partnership between the two media giants. This integration will bring hit shows like Koh Lanta, Demain nous appartient, and major sports events to Netflix, enhancing its offering with top French entertainment while giving TF1 unprecedented reach and new advertising opportunities. |
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