Jerome LECAT

"I'm worried about what France will be like without Emmanuel Macron." I shared this thought, among many others around tech and entrepreneurship, with Aurélie Pasquier of Maddyness at #VivaTech last month. If you can’t read French, here are the key takeaways from our conversation: A decade ago, France was one of the worst places in Europe to do business. Now, France is the country that’s leading technology innovation and economic growth in Europe. I give full credit to President Macron for this shift and have been honored to serve as the Global Ambassador of the French Tech to help execute his vision of building a #startup nation. I’m placing my bets on France, as well as India, to be the major players in fostering the next generation of the global innovation ecosystem.

171

13 commentaires

Alarming report on generative AI and pedophiliaIn a context where technological advances are transforming our daily lives, the Fondation pour l'Enfance is today publishing a worrying report on the growing use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) by pedophiles. This document highlights the insidious dangers posed by this technology, which is now being used as a formidable weapon against children.

1

This week was held in Chambéry (France) the 7th edition of the national event Digital in Common[s] (Numérique en Commun[s]), bringing together actors of the "digital for the general interest" from all over France. This is not purely an event around digital commons and open models, it's much more an institutional approach driven by public administrations in an attempt to bring digital technologies into line with their public service mission. In this process, the challenge of digital commons then becomes a groundswell that is spreading all over the place, a way to try to reach this digital in commons. A strongly institutional event but where many of the people involved in these practices and movements come together, mixing a variety of people. A member of parliament, a senator or a mayor, digital workers, researchers, people from public or private organisations, from NGO or weapons sellers, the entrepreneur or freelancer, and so on. A 2-day event that nurtures a culture of openness within public administration and beyond, continuing to shed light on these subjects. It can reflect an evolution in the appropriation of these practices as with the French Ministry of Education which became an official partner for the first year in line with their digital policies, with an underlying logic of open by default. Some key ideas I'm taking could be a rise in criticism against the logic of calls for projects, challenging the way public procurement currently operates pushing for more consideration towards call for commons. A latent need and interest for education and a culture of openness, which, for example, has been well-identified as a brake for digital commons. In search of an education "by and for the commons". A critique of innovation in favor of maintenance has been made in order to take care of things and people. Despite their growing position, these practices are often overshadowed by large closed technological solutions and are not yet the favored approach in the main power bodies (and those who hold the moneybags). Digital commons remain marginal and fragile despite their fundamental nature. A vibrant appeal was made for a more structured movement to transform itself into a real alternative. To oppose to a digital in competition this digital in common, outlining these dynamics as transforming the (neo)liberal state towards a cooperative rather than competitive mindset, with a call for greater sustainability through changes in legislation. Digital has been the Wild West of liberalism, a mercantile world abandoned to the private sector where public spaces belong to billionaires more powerful than states. But we are not facing a single path, others are taking shape in front of our eyes. Politics, ideologies and conceptions of the world shape our digital universe in depth.

6

2 commentaires

We invite you to join us at our booth at CYSAT (Cybersecurity for Satellites Conference), April 24-25 at Station F in Paris. We will gladly tell you about "The Airbnb for Satellites" - and its main enabler: SpaceOS. SpaceOS, with its Secure By Design architecture, provides major benefits to all users of satellites (from satellite operators to users of satellite-based data). Software-defined satellites, and multi-user payloads need new (cybersecurity) approaches: approaches based on zero (incremental) overhead and approaches where security is part of the design even before the developers start to work on the payload software. (And that SpaceOS is 20-30x smaller vs. alternative solutions - that is also a nice benefit) Ask us how SpaceOS will enable many new use cases - with security as part of its fabric.

19

Looking forward to sharing my perspectives and hearing how others are approaching the global VC landscape at this session at #GRIC2024!

19

🌟 I am pleased to share that Electra has been recognized among the "251 European Tech Scaleups"! Alongside great European scale ups. 🚀 At Electra, we're proud to be part of La French Tech Next 40, spotlighting the top 40 scaleups in France. While national ecosystem is a good thing , I believe that today's challenges—climate change, geopolitical shifts, energy demands— are European. 🌍 This also applies as a business. As a scale up I feel it is necessary to not just be a local player but have a broader footprint to benefit from scale and size effect. Competing on a global stage, especially against American and Chinese giants, means thinking European—the only market that rivals in scale. --> I discussed with the french tech team the idea of a European label and ecosystem which would be very helpful. I hope it becomes a reality soon. 🇪🇺 Finally, as a citizen of the Erasmus generation, I've always felt deeply connected to Europe. The freedom to travel seamlessly across the EU, the convenience of a common currency, and witnessing Europe's unity is fabulous when you think about it. No other group of countries have done this throughout the world!

283

10 commentaires

Together with Hubert Tardieu I had the opportunity to formulate a set of principles for Europe's role in the global #dataeconomy. The article has now been published by Le Grand Continent in French (https://lnkd.in/ewEgm4t4) and German (https://lnkd.in/eapRvxmb). Please comment and send feedback! #datasharing #ai #dataspaces #dataplatform #dataecosystem.

79

4 commentaires

Let’s take a look back at our president and co-founder, Mr. Alexandre Zapolsky’s speech on the first day of #VivaTech during a round table organized by our partner Centre National de la recherche scientifique - CNRS on the valorization and impact of open-source software. w/ Isabelle Blanc - Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche, Pierre-Henri Wuillemin - LIP6 and Mehdi GMAR - CNRS Innovation.   Here are some key takeaways from the discussions as if you were there: ✅ Software production in higher education and research is extremely dynamic within all scientific communities; ✅ Open-source research software has a significant societal impact. It brings together vast communities of developers and users from the French and international academic world, as well as private sector actors and citizens; ✅ The influence of software stems from the synergy between public research and private actors; ✅ We also need digital biodiversity in the field of AI: the challenge is nothing less than the preservation of languages and cultures in Europe; ✅ Truly Open Source AI means having (1) open code, (2) open training models, and (3) open datasets. This is what the OpenLLM 🇫🇷 🇪🇺 community is doing 🇫🇷 🇪🇺; ✅ Yes, a third digital way is possible in France and Europe: we can succeed in creating open, ethical, transparent, and responsible Tech! ✅ Collaboration between the public and private sectors in the field of open-source software strengthens innovation! w/ Frédéric Hermelin 🎬 LINAGORA Minh Nguyen #opensource #innovation #research #AI

2

Anne Hidalgo just announced that she will not be running for another 6-year term as Mayor of Paris. In her tenure, she has proven herself to be one of very few truly brave politicians. She took her 2014 mandate, and showed that she had the courage of her convictions, and instead of "analysis paralysis", she rapidly set out to make the changes she promised to make in Paris. Not everyone was on board, and any leader who actually makes changes will endure and waken the full forces of the anti-change stakeholders. But after a productive first term, the majority of Parisians sent her back to finish the job in 2020. More importantly, many people who were against her ideas at first, changed their minds and voted for her after seeing the results of the first-term's projects. These changes include abstract concepts like: - Equity, fairness, inclusion, access, addressing the modern city under a changing climate But also concrete changes like: - Hundreds of school streets, where traffic is blocked on blocks with schools, creating an instant playground, pedestrian and cyclist drop-off zone for kids, with NO car danger or idling vehicle pollution. - Changing the riverside freeways into parks for people. You can now walk along the riverside, or jog, bike, rollerblade, picnic, drink & revel. This is prime real estate in Paris she reclaimed for people, not cars. - Cleaner river - Pedestrian improvements and more space - Huge growth in bike lanes - Increased greenery and tree planting - Reduction of "heat island" contributors - Public transit enhancements & system growth - Flood preparedness systems - Efficient centralized citywide piped heat pump systems - Housing supply growth, stabilization of real estate prices And she contributed to shared successes like the 2024 Paris Olympics, transportation and mobility, a cleaner river, a 15 minute city. Paris is now a model city that many other metropolises can and ARE using as a leading example. Was Hidalgo perfect? No of course not - who is? I understand many of the critiques against her, but I believe she delivered on what she promised, and what she was elected to do. That makes her an unusually good politician, who is forward-leading as opposed to just forward-looking. Carlos Moreno Stacey Randecker Jeff Frick Nick Macilveen Stein van Oosteren Clarence Eckerson Jr.

15

2 commentaires

Last week, we hosted our second webinar with Guillaume, Alexis and Nico who delivered a masterclass on how you should nail your outbound strategy for 2025 We covered topics like tech stacks, the rise of GTM engineers, how to predict the next best action, ... but spoiler alert: no mention of AI SDRs 👀 https://lnkd.in/eRmGj6Yf

29

You wanna know how startup funding is going on right now in Belgium 🇧🇪 ? 🔮 I shared with Maxime SAMAIN (L'Echo) my point of view on that matter. 🦄 < >🐌 Article here: https://lnkd.in/e9qbCKKX Discover my take on the situation in 4 points: 1️⃣ More experienced 🐼 Belgium's startup scene boomed around 2015. These early-stage investors, the Business Angels, have gained experience through their investments made between 2015 and 2020. This newfound expertise makes them more rigorous in their analysis and more demanding of startups, ultimately limiting funding for a select few. 2️⃣ Investment shift ↩ The 2022 inflation surge reshaped investor mindsets and expectations. This trend solidified in 2023, becoming the "new normal." Consequently, 2024 witnessed a significant decline in funding for startups lacking a clear path to profitability. 3️⃣ Cycle ♻ The pre-pandemic boom in startups (around 2020) is now experiencing its first wave of bankruptcies. This has understandably shaken some Business Angels' confidence. While this cycle is natural, fear currently dominates investment decisions for many. 4️⃣ Post trauma 🤕 We are in a “post trauma” period. The above elements are making Business Angels much more risk averse. To restore confidence, we need to see successful Belgian 🇧🇪 startups emerge. Thankfully, time can be a healer, and some inspiring success stories 💪 are likely unfolding even as you browse this tremendous LinkedIn post 😜. Let's scale it up! 👏 #startups #scaleups #buildingbridges

67

19 commentaires

Do you agree to be FORCED on a specific map route? Paris' transport network launches an app to help visitors navigate and pay for transit during the Olympics. But one aspect that I find particularly interesting about it is that it's NOT just designed for you, it's designed for systemic efficiency. That is, while the app is designed to make it easy for individuals to choose routings and pay for mobility across subway, tram, bus, and walking, IT ALSO will be used to spread people out on different lines and stops, to avoid overcrowding that can slow down the system. While this is one benefit of modern technology, and can deliver net social rewards (overall better mobility for all), it's possible that an individual user will get advice that is WORSE for them, but BETTER for "the whole". That could be controversial especially in the USA, but it fits the European social contract fairly well. Also, an argument can be made that, when the system flows better, EVERYONE will benefit, including those who have been given a slightly longer route. Mr. Spock would love it: "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." "Can't I just use Google Maps?" you may be asking. Well, yes, but Paris has also asked map and GPS nav providers to comply with the city's routing wishes, and not simply deliver the usual Google route algorithm's "fastest route". https://lnkd.in/ghrFxWCS. Ultimately, a systemic approach to moving people efficiently DOES provide shorter overall average trip times. And there is precedent: Taking two parallel streets and making each one-way-only is something seen in hundreds of cities (ex: Oak and Fell in SFO). Is that not the same thing? In fact, most traffic laws use the same principle: Restricting choice in order to produce safer and systemically improved flows. I suppose the main difference is that this applies to people on foot, outside of licensed vehicles. Are you for or against? Let me know in the comments. https://lnkd.in/gseyTpiD

4

Many interesting things in this interview (in French) : - even when you are at the top, you need to train and / or change for a more effective technique, to stay at the top for a longer period in the future; - preparing the next career transition while at the top of the current one; - Team sport inspiring management style. https://lnkd.in/e2GkvMgY

15

It is extremely rare for three AI giants to fail simultaneously. This could indicate a larger issue related to infrastructure or the internet, similar to those that sometimes affect multiple social networks at the same time. Another hypothesis is that the outages of Claude and Perplexity are related to a sudden influx of traffic following the unavailability of ChatGPT, rather than internal bugs. See the article below

39

1 commentaire

Carbontribe Labs OÜ (Techstars'24) Labs Featured in L'ADN: Tackling N₂O with N2O Removal Digital Assets. We’re excited to announce that L'ADN, a French media, has featured Carbontribe Labs and our work on N₂O removal digital assets. While CO₂ gets most of the attention, gases like N₂O—300 times more potent than CO₂—are critical to achieving carbon neutrality. N₂O reductions offer high-impact opportunities, particularly in agriculture, where optimized practices can drive measurable change. Why N₂O Matters 1️⃣ More Actionable: N₂O reductions are targeted and practical, focusing on clear sources like fertilizers. 2️⃣ Broader Impact: Diversifying efforts to include N₂O unlocks new opportunities, engages sectors like agriculture, and maximizes GHG reduction potential. At Carbontribe Labs, we’re leveraging AI and Web3 to create cutting-edge digital standards for CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O, covering 98% of global GHG reduction activities. With innovative algorithms and science-backed methods, we’re expanding the possibilities for impactful climate action. Let’s redefine GHG removal and drive meaningful change! Kaveh Zahedi, Martial Bernoux, Fiona Maria Bottigliero, Laura Guien

6

‘Le Chat’ ‘la platform’ Mistral AI artificial intelligence, France’s Startup Darling, Takes Aim at the US Market : Mistral's edge could come from customers that want to avoid being locked into particular cloud companies “Customers are even saying ‘Le Chat’ and ‘la platform’ It seems that the French touch is having an effect.” opportunity is huge — Bloomberg Intelligence estimated that the software and cloud market in generative AI market could reach $350 billion by 2032 : Mistral is going after OpenAI’s home turf “They do not want to be forced into an AI stack” “They want choices” Mistral released a series of AI models, which power generative AI services, and a ChatGPT-like feature called Le Chat : US manager says businesses are looking for alternatives to Big Tech : will find customers through these partners as well as via direct deals with companies using its open-source models. Open source is one of Mistral’s main selling points : the approach — where the underlying computer code is openly shared and tweakable — as a safer, more versatile method than closed systems offered by OpenAI and others : Mistral’s open-source models on-premises, with data stored in local servers instead of with public cloud providers ---- generative artificial intelligence ---

1

1 commentaire