Richard Menneveux

Are French unicorns ready for their IPO? I'll say yes, and probably even a bit better than German startups! Let me tell you why. Most IPOs are driven by the CEO / CFO couple but there is a third important wheel to this constellation: the CMO! A big part of a successful IPO and then stock exchange valuation is communication. It's all about trust, baby! And trust is built through communication & thought leadership. French startups are often very strong in being transparent and proactive in their communications. So this is a solid basis to work on. Here are my learnings from working on KATEK GROUP's IPO: ‣ It's not all about the press: Yes, mandatory investor relations (IR) news have to be communicated through the press. By going further and also using your company's owned channels you show even more transparency to your stakeholders. Communicating on LinkedIn will enable dialog with your investors. ‣ IR does not need to be boring: Financial reports might not sound as sexy as the next big brand campaign, but it can be. Use videos to explain the numbers further, plan live Q&A sessions with the CEO. Be creative and stay true to your brand's values. ‣ It's about the people: The stock exchange market is a numbers and money world. By involving your C-level in the communication you will be able to build up a stronger trust in your company. In people we trust! Here think about news hijacking to position your C-level as the experts they are, do video interviews or quote statements. You can read more about KATEK's IPO and strategic communication here: https://lnkd.in/dFYscP3k #IPO #ListedInFrankfurt #FrenchTech #StartupCommunication

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Are AI chatbots an easier mark for propagandists and disinformation spreaders in English or in French? 🧐🤨🧐 For the past three months, we at NewsGuard, have published monthly AI misinformation monitors, auditing the 10 leading generative AI tools on their propensity to repeat false claims about the news in English. This month, we decided to repeat the experience with French-language prompts. What did we learn? 1) In French, AI chatbots repeat misinformation 13,33% of the time, offer a non-response 12% of the time and present a debunk 74,67% of the time. 2) Their performance is slightly better in French than in English. But only slightly! With the same prompts in English, chatbots repeated misinformation 18% of the time, offered a non-response 20.33% of the time, and debunked false claims 61.66% of the time. 3) AI chatbots are more likely to push false claims when presented with prompts impersonating malign actors. What does this mean? That they are dangerously vulnerable to being weaponized by bad actors, to turbocharge disinformation campaigns. (In this experiment, when chatbots returned false information, it was in response to « Bad Actor » prompts in 70% of the cases.) 4) Foreign conflicts are dangerous territory for the bots, which prove most vulnerable to repeating falsehoods when asked about them. The full report is available to download here: https://lnkd.in/efxmdTE4 Congrats to my co-authors Isis Blachez, intrepid reporter on the French team, and McKenzie Sadeghi our brilliant AI editor ! 🙌🙌🙌

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📰 Great paper released in the well-known French newspaper La Tribune about the bankruptcy trend in the French tech industry. The report highlights the research we've run recently on this topic with a great interview by Edouard Thibaut COO of ScaleX Invest 😎 Maurice OMS Banque de France ScaleX Invest By Early Metrics 👉 Franck Sebag #Tech #Investment #Startup #Scaleup

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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

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An inspiring day yesterday at La French Tech Aix-Marseille Région Sud as we welcomed Clara Chappaz, the new Secretary of State for #AI and Digital Affairs (and former head of La French Tech). Alongside the board of La FrenchTech Aix Marseille, we had the opportunity to discuss the future of AI, innovation, and the vital role our ecosystem plays in driving technological progresses. Many topics were discussed! Of course #LaFrenchTech which is representing, over the past 10 years: 25,000+ startups and over a million jobs. Its maturity is coming with resilience. The era of hypergrowth without concern for profitability is probably behind us, but innovation in artificial intelligence is not incompatible with profitable business (we are by the way reminded of this by Photoroom, demonstrating that #GenAI and profitability are possible together)! Finally, the connection of this new Secretary of State for AI and Digital to the Ministry of Higher Education and Research is a huge opportunity. While strong ties remain with the Ministry of the Economy, it underscores the crucial role of education and research in AI and entrepreneurship! It might also be a chance for th #deeptech startups, for whom the scientific dimension is an essential foundation for their future development. Exciting times ahead for La French Tech Aix-Marseille Région Sudand its members as we continue to foster collaboration and innovation at the heart of #LaFrenchTech. Looking forward to seeing how this synergy will shape the future! Julie Sébastien Théophile Volta Medical Diane Christophe Charlie Elodie Pierre-Emmanuel Alex Béatrice Frédéric Sophie Emilie Diana Nicolas Gabriel Ines Romain Alexandre Emmanuel Anne Yann Tanguy Selim Mathieu Jules Joséphine Roxana Amina Arnaud MERCIER Métropole Aix-Marseille-Provence Christophe Hugon Emmanuel Roux Julie Huguet #ArtificialIntelligence #tech #education #research #startup

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Ending the week on a high note, I am delighted to announce that INDEFI x SINGULIER has successfully conducted the Strategic and Digital vendor due diligence for Nutripure. This collaboration not only showcases our e-commerce expertise but also strengthens our presence in the health and wellness sector - an area we are passionate about. Founded in 2018, Nutripure is an online pure player specialised in the development and distribution of premium food supplements and sports nutrition products. The brand has quickly become a market leader, known for its holistic approach to health, sport, and wellness. Nutripure empowers individuals to unlock their physical and mental potential while optimising their health. Looking ahead, PAI Partners' investment will fuel Nutripure’s growth, drive new product development and innovation, and enhance its presence in the health and sports communities. On completion of the transaction, PAI Partners will be the majority shareholder, alongside the founders and Bpifrance. 👏 A heartfelt congratulations to Nutripure’s management team Christophe Carrio, Florent Carrio, Clément Thibault, alongside PAI Partners Lyna Lalami, Stefano Drago, and Yasmine Karger (Bourenane), as they embark on this new journey together. It’s been a pleasure to collaborate with you! 🙏I also want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the team at Natixis Partners, François Rivalland, Guillaume du Repaire, Veran Berard-Quelin, Elvire Sds, Théo Pijoulat. And of course, a special shoutout to our dedicated Digital & Strategy team: David Toledano, Mathieu FEREL, Nicolas Lamour, Clara Thery, Maxime Lapraye, Abbi Stolagiewicz, Ali Hayek, and Corentin HARDY. Your contributions have been instrumental in the success of this deal. #VDD #DigitalStrategy #Singulier #Indefi #Ecommerce #BusinessGrowth #HealthSector #WellnessSector #PrivatEquity #DealNews

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Traffic from Facebook to established media outlets has dropped dramatically in recent years, which is such a shame for people who like quality news and a huge blow to the business of media companies - the opportunity to spread links to media content on the platform was free advertising for the media. However, this development has not been surprising: Many media outlets claim that link-sharing is a violation of copyright and demand payment for it. Now, the same risk is looming with Google: The media are actively creating an incentive for the platform NOT to share links to their content. At the same time, we hear disgruntled voices from these same media, demanding that Google MUST display their content. It doesn’t make sense. ‘You are evil if you don’t pay to display our links, and you are evil if you don’t display our links’.

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💥 Linkup annonces a 3M€ funding round to plug LLMs to high-quality content.    Much like the music industry before Spotify, AI applications today face hurdles in accessing quality content. In the early 2000s, people often turned to platforms like Pirate Bay to download music, but that came with legal risks, poor sound quality, and artists missing out on fair compensation. Similarly, today many AI tools depend on existing web frameworks like search engines and web scraping to collect information.   However, as the AI landscape evolves, these methods are proving less efficient and raising new concerns around legal compliance and fair use of copyrighted content.   Linkup aims to solve this problem by taking a new approach with premium content providers with both a legal and ethical consideration.   Delighted to support this top-notch team Philippe Mizrahi, Denis Charrier, Boris Toledano alongside Seedcamp, Motier Ventures, Kima Ventures OPRTRS CLUB and amazing BAs ! cc Sia Houchangnia, Nicolas Essayan, Christophe Raynaud, Noé Gersanois, Chloe Timsit, Alix François-Poncet, Axeleo Capital (AXC)

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Here is one of our AI-translated videos

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More prizes for the #1 Impact Startup Awards… Discover them now! 👇 What if we could offer square meters? I recently met the right partner for all startups out there: “We create steady square meters for entrepreneurs to shake things up” - Quoting Alexandre Ponchon and Axel Kuborn - co-founders Silversquare. In a fast-changing world, companies and individuals alike are rethinking their use of space and time, seeking more efficiency and flexibility, while preserving a sense of community and togetherness. Silversquare was born from this state of mind. Aware that the workspaces of tomorrow will be the cornerstone of new lifestyles, we provide state-of-the-art coworking venues to meet every need and every dream. I’m happy to announce the Silversquare prizes of the future #1 Belgium Impact Startup Awards winners. All Prizes are valid for 12 months in the 12 Silversquare spaces across Belgium 🇧🇪 and Luxembourg 🇱🇺: 🥇 1 FREE event in collaboration & hosted at Silversquare + 10 day passes. 🥈 10 day passes.  🥉 5 day passes. + 🏅 Special B2B Prize: 2 FREE FLEX memberships. 🏅 Special B2C Prize: 2 FREE FLEX memberships. Are you an impact #startup or #scaleup? Apply now! https://lnkd.in/gDxeth_C Apply with a 10-slide pitch to make a lasting impact! Let's scale up! 👏 #startups #scaleups #buildingbridges

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pretty interesting! As this states very hard to find a seed round over $10 million yet this one came in at $220 million! Reading the article You can kind of get the idea why. Basically a who's who in AI research. What I found interesting is that in addition to Charles Cantor heading things up, they had some high level researchers Karl Tuyls and Julien Perolat that focus on game theory. I find this interesting because I'm going through a course from deeplearning.ai called multi AI agent systems. they just put it out last week but it's pretty relevant. I see how game theory can definitely be crucial in developing and designing these AI automation agents. there are many facets that game theory can be utilized in building these systems including 1 Strategic decision making Can help in multi agent (AI/and or human) environments. Game theory can provide a framework to help model interactions, predict outcomes and devise strategies. It can also help in understanding when agents should compete or cooperate, making more efficient decision making processes. 2 Optimizing interactions It can assist in optimal resource allocation among competing agents ensuring fairness as well as efficiency. It can also help with negotiation and bargaining to maximize utility. 3 Learning an adaptation Game theory can help with reinforcement learning which is used in many AI algorithms, helping to learn optimal policies in cooperative and competitive settings. It can also help with behavior prediction and understanding strategic behavior of other agents, which can lead to better models enhancing the performance of the system. 4 Handling uncertainty Game theory can help in making informed decisions in environments with incomplete data or information. This is common in real world scenarios. It can also help design robust strategies that perform well under various conditions. 5 Building ethical and fairness into AI Game theory can help design mechanisms that ensure fair outcomes, essential for deployment of ethical AI systems. It can also help in preventing exploitation by malicious entities. So it seems that incorporating game theory into developing these systems leads to significant competitive advantages. I think it is very smart to leverage these techniques and cutting edge research to push the envelope. Looking forward to diving deeper into this as well as seeing what H comes up with in the near future!

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The French Tech Mission, Franceʼs government team responsible for supporting the start-up ecosystem growth in France, announces the award winners of the 5th edition of the French Tech Next40/120, a program dedicated to the 120 most advanced French start-ups. 🌍With the likes of Mirakl (marketplace technologies), Voodoo (video games) and Qonto (financial services), the 2024 cohort of the French Tech Next40/120 program brings together France’s 120 most successful start-ups, including 28 of France’s unicorns (startups with valuations exceeding $1 billion). Nearly 90% of these 120 start-ups already have an international business presence, notably in the US, Germany, Spain, Italy, and the UK. 🔝The 2024 cohort of the #FrenchTech Next40/120 is the most selective since the inception of the program and embodies the momentum in the French Tech ecosystem. In total, the 120 companies had a combined net revenue of €10 billion in 2023, up by 3% in one year and 31 (out of the 120) companies reported a net revenue exceeding €100 million. Acting as a driving force in France's economic, technological, and industrial landscape, these companies already employ 40,000 workers worldwide. 🌿DeepTech companies account for 23% of the 120 startups selected in the 5th edition. These companies are aligned with “France 2030” strategic plan, France's investment plan for emerging technologies in the most strategic sectors. Discover the new cohort here: https://lnkd.in/eMbqzasr   Clara Chappaz Marina Ferrari Bruno Le Maire Gabriel Attal Emmanuel Macron

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The French Tech Mission, Franceʼs government team responsible for supporting the start-up ecosystem growth in France, announces the award winners of the 5th edition of the French Tech Next40/120, a program dedicated to the 120 most advanced French start-ups. 🌍With the likes of Mirakl (marketplace technologies), Voodoo (video games) and Qonto (financial services), the 2024 cohort of the French Tech Next40/120 program brings together France’s 120 most successful start-ups, including 28 of France’s unicorns (startups with valuations exceeding $1 billion). Nearly 90% of these 120 start-ups already have an international business presence, notably in the US, Germany, Spain, Italy, and the UK. 🔝The 2024 cohort of the #FrenchTech Next40/120 is the most selective since the inception of the program and embodies the momentum in the French Tech ecosystem. In total, the 120 companies had a combined net revenue of €10 billion in 2023, up by 3% in one year and 31 (out of the 120) companies reported a net revenue exceeding €100 million. Acting as a driving force in France's economic, technological, and industrial landscape, these companies already employ 40,000 workers worldwide. 🌿DeepTech companies account for 23% of the 120 startups selected in the 5th edition. These companies are aligned with “France 2030” strategic plan, France's investment plan for emerging technologies in the most strategic sectors. Discover the new cohort here: https://lnkd.in/eMbqzasr Clara Chappaz | Marina Ferrari | Bruno Le Maire | Gabriel Attal | Emmanuel Macron | Steve DAKAYI-KAMGA | Yann Gilbert | Louis V. | Deborah Gael | Simon Melchior | Romain Poirot-Lellig | Moses Umoru, MBA, AICPM, ChMC | Ambroise Gouze | Claire LAVIELLE | Franco-Nigerian Chamber of Commerce & Industry | French Treasury in Nigeria #FrenchTech #StartupEcosystem #Innovation #TechCommunity #TechInnovation #GlobalTechCommunity

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in French :) https://lnkd.in/e7W5Hu6T #capitalraising #startups #fundraising #founders #venturecapital #investors #vc #vcfunding #technology #startup #tech

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Let me tell you what Les Echos, one of the most important business journals in France, is NOT saying (yet!): 1/ We need EUR 800 billion in investments per year (5% of UE's budget) just to keep the pace with USA and Chin 2/ The amount is twice the Marshal plan, because the problems now are twice compared to after WW2, if you can imagine this 3/ The report highlights the urgent need for common coordination in all aspects, from energy to financing. This is totally against Germany's business model as a country. We'll see if Italy and France we'll succeed in pushing this plan. https://lnkd.in/dPAXE_fu

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Keen to speak about blockchain & AI with my fellow friend Ilya Zuckerman. 🖥️ Join our webinar to understand the synergies between both emerging technologies 💡 Value proposal, live use cases, VC investment trends, challenges and future potential 🔗 register: https://lnkd.in/eMwFZWf2 #blockchain #ai #agenticai

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I was honored to join a panel yesterday, moderated by Jean Rognetta and Morgan Hunault-Berret, with fellow panelist Olivier Martret. The provocative topic on our agenda: “Have French VCs already lost against US VCs in GenAI?” It was the opportunity to share our thought at daphni, here are a few takeaways: 1) Fund size matters: While it's evident that apart from BPI, French VCs lack the critical size to play a significant role in foundational models funding rounds. However, reducing GenAI startups to 200M+ seed rounds is an oversimplification. We see a clear market segmentation between foundational models - that share caracteristics with infrastructure deals - and application layers. There are probably 4 deals in the last 18 months where French VC could not positionate. The issue of the size of French VC funds is an old debate, older than ChatGPT. 2) International mindset: French startups have been criticised a lot in the past for lacking ambition and international mindset. We have been expecting what’s happening right now for a while: it's time to celebrate. Most of the world's leading VC funds are now co-investing with us in France. 3) A Seed GenAI startup still have the problematic of a seed startup: Seed has always been dominated by local actors for sourcing reasons but also because the support you can bring is really ecosystem specific. 4) Co-investment: We're actually very enthusiastic about co-investing with US VCs, who bring added value and help French startups penetrate international markets. From an exit perspective, pursuing a US IPO remains the best scenario and requires to success in the US at some point. Having the right US VC in series A is a great support. 5) Building a Top Ecosystem: France is on track to establish itself as one of the world's top three ecosystems for GenAI, a feat not possible without foreign VCs. This isn't just national pride – it's a sentiment echoed by global investors who recognize the dynamic changes occurring within our borders and knock at the door to exchange about it. More to come soon! Thanks Louis Petitjean and Matthieu Bouhelier 

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