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Startup funding news 💸

Rounds of €15M+:

• Veesion, the French startup specializing in AI-powered shoplifting detection, has secured €38 million in a Series B funding round led by White Star Capital, Red River West, and Bpifrance, with an additional €15 million in non-dilutive financing, bringing the total to €53 million. The company plans to use the funds to accelerate its international expansion, particularly targeting the U.S. market, where it already serves 500 out of its 5,000 global retail clients.

• SeqOne, a Montpellier-based medtech specializing in AI-driven genomic analysis, has raised €20 million in a funding round led by Supernova Invest, with participation from existing investors Elaia, Omnes, and Merieux Equity Partners. This capital will support SeqOne's international expansion, particularly into the US market, and fund strategic acquisitions to strengthen its position in the clinical genomics sector.

Rounds €5M to €15M:

• Cybersecurity startup Memority has raised €13 million in a Series A funding round led by Tikehau Capital, aiming to expand its Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) platform across Europe. Having gained independence from Accenture in 2023, Memority offers a SaaS solution with modules like My-Identity, My-Access, and My-Keys, serving clients such as Valeo, Téréga, and Stellantis, and is hosted on both AWS and the sovereign cloud S3NS.

• Edtech startup Didask has secured €10 million in funding to enhance its AI-powered e-learning platform, which leverages cognitive science to help non-experts create effective training modules. The investment, led by AVP and Citizen Capital with participation from MAIF Impact, JuneX, and Takara Capital, will support the development of a new "knowledge assistant" for informal, on-the-job learning and drive the company's international expansion.

• Medtech startup Hemerion Therapeutics has raised €6.5 million to advance its innovative glioblastoma treatment, which combines a photosensitizing drug with a laser-based device to target residual cancer cells post-surgery. The funding, sourced from institutional investors, public funds, and over 260 citizen investors, will support pivotal clinical trials aiming for market approval in Europe and the U.S. by 2030.

• Tilt Energy, the greentech startup specializing in AI-driven electricity demand management, has secured €5 million in seed funding led by Daphni, with participation from Founders Future and Alliance for Impact. The company aims to enhance its product-market fit, double its team size, and expand its B2B and B2B2C solutions across Western Europe, helping clients monetize energy flexibility during consumption peaks.

Rounds €1M to €5M:

• Tamtam, a startup developing AI agents to assist sales teams with complex B2B deals, has raised €3 million in seed funding led by Varsity, with participation from Kima Ventures and notable business angels including Frédéric Kingue Johnson (Contentsquare) and Romain Niccoli (Pigment). The company plans to use the funds to expand its product and AI teams, aiming to automate up to 45% of sales tasks and allow representatives to spend more time engaging with clients.

• Medtech startup Ensweet has raised €3 million to scale its hybrid tele-rehabilitation platform, aiming to support 60,000 cardiac patients annually within five years. By offering a home-based care model that combines mobile apps, connected equipment, and medical supervision, Ensweet addresses the gap in post-cardiac event rehabilitation, with clinical trials indicating improved patient outcomes and increased return-to-work rates.

• Noota has secured €3 million in funding to expand its AI-powered meeting assistant platform, which offers real-time transcription, intelligent summaries, and actionable insights for recruitment, sales, and team collaboration. The investment, led by Blast Club with participation from Sharpstone and Bpifrance, will support Noota's international growth and technological advancements.

• Pyxiscience has raised €2 million to expand its AI-powered platform that automates grading, starting with math assignments. The funding will support the edtech’s growth in both France and the U.S., as it aims to ease teachers' workloads and personalize learning at scale.

M&A transactions 🎊

Photoroom has made its first acquisition by purchasing Lyon-based Generate Banners, a company specializing in automated ad visuals. This strategic move aims to enhance Photoroom's capabilities in creating programmatic, brand-compliant advertising content across various platforms, aligning with its recent partnership with OpenAI and its expansion into virtual try-ons and product staging.

AssoConnect, a leading digital management platform for non-profits, has been acquired by European digital services provider team.blue. This strategic move aims to accelerate the digital transformation of the non-profit sector across Europe, leveraging AssoConnect's expertise and team.blue's extensive reach.

Hublo has expanded its HR management platform by acquiring Permuteo and Staffea, two SaaS solutions specializing in internal mobility and healthcare recruitment. These acquisitions aim to enhance Hublo's capabilities in addressing staffing challenges within healthcare institutions, particularly in managing absenteeism and optimizing workforce deployment.

Legaltech group Septeo has acquired UpSignOn, a Montpellier-based developer of a user-friendly, sovereign password manager, through its cybersecurity subsidiary RG System. This strategic move aims to enhance RG System's integrated cybersecurity offerings by incorporating secure password management, aligning with their commitment to data protection and digital sovereignty.

Investor & accelerator news 🚀

OVNI Ventures I has officially hit its €50 million hard cap, marking a major milestone on the firm’s second anniversary as it continues its mission to support Europe’s most visionary founders. With over 200 LPs backing the fund and a portfolio including startups like Axeptio, Resolve Stroke, and Tranched, OVNI also welcomes seasoned entrepreneur-investor Marie Outtier as General Partner.

Grenoble is set to launch a quantum startup incubator on its scientific peninsula by 2028, featuring a 3,000 m² cleanroom to support the industrialization of deep-tech ventures in quantum computing, microelectronics, and photonics. This initiative, part of France's €1.8 billion national quantum strategy, aims to strengthen Grenoble's position as a leading quantum hub alongside Paris and Saclay, fostering collaboration among research institutions, startups, and industry leaders.

Startup news 💡

Quantum computing startup Quobly has secured €21 million in funding (€15 million from Bpifrance under the France 2030 plan and €6 million from its own capital) to industrialize its silicon-based quantum chip featuring 100 physical qubits, with a target launch in 2027. Partnering with STMicroelectronics, Quobly aims to adapt its FD-SOI 28nm fabrication process for scalable quantum chip production, aspiring to reach one million physical qubits by 2031.

Christophe Pasquier and Pierre Renaudin, founders of Slite, have launched "Super" a platform that turns internal company data into AI agents. Integrated with tools like Slack, Notion, and Google Drive, Super enables employees to automate repetitive tasks, such as report generation and form filling, while maintaining user access permissions.

Qubit Pharmaceuticals and Sorbonne Université have unveiled a physics and chemistry-focused AI assistant, likened to a "ChatGPT" for scientific research, designed to aid in molecular modeling and drug discovery. This innovative tool leverages advanced quantum algorithms to simulate molecular properties with unprecedented efficiency, significantly reducing the computational resources required and accelerating the development of new pharmaceuticals.

Jool is opening its capital after raising €1 million to accelerate the adoption of shared electric vehicles across France. Its app-based service offers keyless access, home delivery, and smart route planning, aiming to make EVs as convenient and accessible as traditional cars.

Big company & policy news 💡

At the 2025 Choose France summit, major tech firms announced significant investments in France: Revolut plans to invest over €1 billion over three years, creating 200 jobs and establishing its Western European headquarters in Paris; Snapchat inaugurated its Paris AR Studio, collaborating with cultural institutions like the Louvre; and Netflix is expanding in Marseille, partnering with the Cinémathèque Française and investing €250 million annually in French productions.

Alexandre Fretti, former co-CEO of Malt and ex-director at Webhelp France, has been appointed CEO of Orisha (formerly DL Software), a European business software publisher. He succeeds Jacques Ollivier, who led the company since 2018. Orisha, active in sectors such as retail, real estate, healthcare, construction, and agrifood, has undergone significant external growth, completing 19 acquisitions since 2021 under the guidance of TA Associates and Francisco Partners. The company aims to achieve €500 million in revenue by 2028.

Interesting reads 💡

Voodoo, the French mobile gaming unicorn, reported robust growth in 2024 with €623 million in revenue (a 20% increase from the previous year) and an EBITDA of €135 million, up 34%, marking its second consecutive year of profitability. The company achieved nearly 950 million downloads, positioning it as the fifth-largest mobile game publisher globally, trailing only Google, Meta, Tencent, and ByteDance. Additionally, the company is revitalizing the social app BeReal, which it acquired in 2024 for €500 million, aiming to breathe new life into the platform after implementing cost-cutting measures and layoffs.

Julien Brouwer and Jérémie Yéni, partners at Yards, a law firm specializing in tech fundraising and acquisitions, highlight the revised BSPCE regime introduced in the 2025 Finance Act. The new rules differentiate between “exercise gains” and “disposal gains,” introducing potentially higher taxation when shares are sold after exercise, though the impact remains limited for most employees who sell immediately.

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