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Startup funding news 💸

Rounds of €30M+:

• 73 Strings raises $55M to automate alternative asset valuation with AI. The round was led by Goldman Sachs Alternatives, with Blackstone, Golub Capital, Hamilton Lane, and Broadhaven Ventures. Funds will boost tech and global expansion.

Rounds €10M to €30M:

• EG 427 raises €27M to develop genetic medicines for chronic neurological diseases. The Series B was co-led by Andera Partners and Bpifrance, with SCI Ventures participating. Funds will advance clinical trials for its lead therapy, EG110A, targeting neurogenic bladder.

• Spore.Bio raises $23M to revolutionize microbiology testing with AI. The Series A was led by Singular, with Point72 Ventures, 1st Kind Ventures, Station F, and others participating. Funds will accelerate on-site testing solutions for food, pharma, and cosmetics.

Rounds €5M to €10M:

• ABIONYX Pharma secures €8.7M from the France 2030 i-Démo program to advance its sepsis treatment. The funding, backed by Bpifrance, supports clinical trials of its recombinant apoA-I therapy.

• Dametis raises €7M to expand its industrial decarbonization solutions. The round was led by IDF Décarbonation to support growth and international expansion.

• Cycloid raises €5M to expand sustainable platform engineering. The round was led by Reflexion Capital and angel investors.

Rounds €1M to €5M:

• Wavo raises €3.5M to expand debt-free stock financing for SMEs. The round was led by Clint Capital, with Kima Ventures, HUB612, and Tony Parker.

• Iktos secures a €2.5M grant from EIC Accelerator to advance its AI and robotics-driven drug discovery platform. The funding may increase to €5M to enhance automated molecular design and synthesis.

• AITHRA raises €2M to streamline technical ceramics production. Backed by France Angels networks, funds will support industrial machine rollout in 2025.

• SeaWeed Concept raises €2M to expand its algae preservation technology. The round was led by Blue Forward Fund and Seventure Partners.

• FullEnrich raises €1.9M to expand its global data enrichment platform. The round was led by Flex Capital, with backing from Kima Ventures, First Degree, and others. Funds will drive global growth and product development.

• Genial raises €1.8M to develop AI agents for tourism and leisure. The round was led by Huttopia and Crédit Agricole, with Founders Futures and angels participating.

• Ochy raises €1.7M to expand its AI-powered running analysis platform. The pre-seed round was led by Redstone Impact Fund, with Look AI Ventures, Bpifrance, and others. The startup also joins adidas' adiClub program.

Other rounds of funding:

• Symexo raises €750K from Multicroissance and Bpifrance to expand cybersecurity and strengthen IT services.

• Naali raises €600K from Qui veut être mon associé? investors and generates €1M in sales in 24 hours. The funds will support its mission in saffron-based wellness therapy.

• PulseSight Therapeutics raises Series A from Pureos BioVentures to advance PST-611 for dry AMD, funding Phase I and preparing for Phase IIa.

M&A transactions 🎊

Bio-Rad acquires Stilla Technologies for $225M to expand its digital PCR portfolio. The deal, which includes a potential $50M earnout, is expected to close in Q3 2025.

LexisNexis Risk Solutions acquires IDVerse to enhance AI-powered identity verification and fraud detection. The deal strengthens global ID verification and anti-fraud capabilities.

TSS acquires Dolist to strengthen its position in marketing automation. This marks TSS’s entry into the French email and SMS marketing sector. Dolist will maintain its autonomy while benefiting from TSS’s resources and expertise.

Adwanted Group acquires Teeps to expand its digital audience activation capabilities. The move strengthens its AI-driven advertising solutions and supports international growth.

Investor & accelerator news 🚀

BOLD (L’Oréal’s venture fund) invests in BORNTOSTANDOUT’s Series A round, led by Touch Capital, to support its global expansion. The funding will accelerate the brand’s growth in Europe and the U.S.

Builders Factory completes its first incubator program with a pitch competition featuring 12 startups. Founded by Foucauld de Thézy and Martin Cregut, the Paris-based incubator aims to support early-stage entrepreneurs.

Startup news 💡

AI startups revolutionize French agriculture as farms scale up and modernize. With 50% set to change hands by 2026, AI-driven solutions optimize efficiency and productivity.

Brevo invests €50M in AI to enhance CRM personalization. The company also reports strong growth, reaching €179M ARR in 2024, and expands internationally.

Mistral AI launches Mistral Saba, its first AI model specialized in regional languages. Designed for the Middle East and South Asia, it supports Arabic and Indian languages, excelling in conversational support and industry-specific expertise.

Ÿnsect, the startup specializing in insect-based protein, is set to enter receivership after failing to secure investors during its safeguard procedure. Despite raising over €600M since 2011 with backing from Bpifrance and the French government, no takeover or investment offers were submitted before the February 17 deadline.

Bumble shuts down Fruitz three years after acquiring it for $75M. The dating app struggled to integrate within the group, leading to its closure by mid-2025 as Bumble refocuses on its core platforms.

Big company & policy news 💡

French government launches "Je choisis la French Tech Académie" to help startups access public contracts. The free online training aims to simplify procurement processes for startups, which currently account for only 2.4% of state purchases.

France Fintech, France Digitale, ADAN, and 12 other associations urge the government to maintain key innovation tax incentives. They warn that budget cuts to CIR, CII, and France 2030 could weaken France’s startup ecosystem.

Fluidstack secures €10B agreement to build a supercomputer in France. The deal aligns with Macron’s €109B AI investment plan but raises concerns over the startup’s capacity. Fluidstack, backed by Cacti Ventures, is now seeking $100M-$200M in Series A funding to scale operations.

Interesting reads 💡

Jean de La Rochebrochard published The Silent Startup Killer, exploring why most board members fail to add real value. He breaks down the key differences between being an investor and being part of governance, and how bad board dynamics can cripple startups.

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