Olivier Younes, PhD

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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Time to step up Germany 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 Corporations have pledged to invest €15bn in France at the “Choose France” summit — an annual event held since 2018 to facilitate foreign investments in the country. A large chunk of the money will be dedicated to AI. Microsoft stole the show after announcing its largest investment in France to date, a €4bn cash envelope to build more data centres — and expand existing ones — across the country by the end of 2025. The focus is on increasing the capacity of GPUs, which are needed to run large AI models. Amazon also announced that it’ll invest €1.2bn to further develop its French cloud and AI infrastructure. Quantum computing was also on the agenda. IBM pledged to invest €45m to expand the company’s research efforts in France. Up to 50 quantum researchers and engineers will be recruited in the country in the next year.

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 🚀 OSS Ventures Secures €8.5 Million to Propel the Future of Operations 💡 We are thrilled to announce that OSS Ventures has successfully secured €8.5 million in our latest funding round! This milestone was made possible by our esteemed investors, including Tikehau Capital, Bpifrance on behalf of French Tech Accélération 2, Etablissements Peugeot Frères, and visionary business angels like Max Pog. 🌿 At OSS Ventures, we are driven by a mission to make industrial operations not just more efficient, but also adaptive and future-ready. We envision factories where technology and human ingenuity combine to create sustainable solutions that meet the challenges of tomorrow. 🌎 Our vision extends beyond technological advancement. We're committed to transforming the very foundation of how goods are produced, addressing critical challenges like climate change and working conditions in the process.  Since our inception in 2019, we've launched 15 startups, invested in four external projects, and our innovative solutions are now empowering over 40,000 operators across nearly 2,200 industrial sites worldwide. 🔧 "Operations account for 25% of the world GDP, yet only a fraction of startup funding goes to this sector. This funding round is pivotal as we aim to scale our impact globally thanks to our esteemed investors for their confidence, » says Renan Devillieres, our CEO. 🙌 A huge thank for the trust and support of our investors and to every team member, partner, and supporter who is part of this transformative journey. #OSSVentures #Innovation #Fundraising #FutureOfManufacturing Francois Lavaste Romain FRIEDMAN Pierre GILLET Frédéric Villain Ulysse Laroche Pierre GILLET Océane Fleury Renan Devillieres

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🌟 Navigating the French FIG Market: A Challenge Worth Taking 🇫🇷 The French FIG market isn’t an easy playground: ⚡ Fierce competition 💰 High valuations 🔍 Rare opportunities But don’t worry—Martheart FS is here to guide you every step of the way. 🕵️‍♂️✨ With our expertise and market insights, we help investors uncover hidden gems and seize the best opportunities in this competitive landscape. 💼 Let us be your partner in success. #PrivateEquity #FIGMarket #FrenchInvestments #HiddenGems #MarketIntelligence #FinancialServices #PEAdvisory #ValueCreation #SmartInvesting

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‘Everything Is Not Going to Be OK’ in Private Equity, Apollo’s Co-President Scott Kleinman Says : Fewer realizations and lower returns are on the horizon : private equity industry must face up to the reality of lower valuations : SuperReturn conference in Berlin “I’m here to tell you everything is not going to be ok” Funds are now holding on to these companies and will eventually have to refinance at higher rates : means “fewer realizations and lower returns” are on the horizon in the industry : dealmaking is poised to accelerate this year as buyout and private credit funds face pressure to return money to their investors : Apollo is one of the world’s largest alternative asset managers, investing across credit, equity and real estate : ended last year with $651 billion of assets under management, is targeting $1 trillion by 2026 

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Soooo pretty much how French VC has always been. VC firms suing each other. LPs firing GPs. LPs taking funds back. VCs suing entrepreneurs. It's always been a dramatic scene. 🇫🇷 🐓🍷🥖 https://lnkd.in/eK8JbgDA #vc #venrurecapital #startups #entrepreneurs #entrepreneurship #tech #technology #innovation #money #business

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IA funding is (still) surging. As uncertainty continues in the start-up ecosystem, IA is still trending. For example the amount raised by AI media generation deals doubles since Q4 2023. But one spot seem to be left on the side : AI tools for investors. VC are betting big on AI but aren’t using AI at all to make better bets. And the AI castle might crumble one day. The CEO of Hugging Face is already warning that dozens of founders are reaching out on a weekly basis to be acquired. So there might be a lot of losing bets still alive. So why so few start-ups are working to solve this issue? Is it because the market is to small? Is it because VCs don’t believe in a data-driven approach (I don’t believe in this one, VCs are too smart to not try something new)? Or simply nobody’s building in this ecosystem? A few start-ups are starting to try to tacle the problem. And we’re on this path to. Easing data collection on the start-up, the market and competitors. Carefully selecting the right metrics to make the right decision. And making it simple and super efficient so you don’t spend hours on it anymore. If you’re curious to see how it works, shoot me a DM 👀 #AI #VC #startup

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‘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 ---

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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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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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🔍 Looking to boost your fundraising strategy or grow your business? Alexandre Dutoit is now available for exclusive advisory sessions on Coffee ! Alexandre has 15 years of experience in Private Equity and Venture Capital. At ScaleFund, he helped many startups grow and raise funds. He knows the challenges entrepreneurs face and how to overcome them! Here's what he can offer: ✔️ Growth strategy: tips to optimize your business expansion. ✔️ Fundraising: expert advice to optimize your valuation. ✔️ Strategic consulting: use his deal experience to make better decisions. ✔️ Executive coaching: improve your management and negotiation skills. ✔️ ... and much more ! 🎯 Whether you lead a startup, scale-up, or SME, Alexandre can provide valuable insights to help you reach your goals. Ready to transform your business with real, impactful advice? 📈 Book your session with Alexandre on Coffee now! 👉 https://lnkd.in/efH6WJfp

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What do you need to be top quartile as a SaaS company in Europe? Sébastien Le Roy started to share the results of the Serena European SaaS benchmark during #Saastr Europa this week. Great way to quickly check whether you’re on track for a next VC round or simply what you have to improve. More results coming soon with the whole report.

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The new edition of 🇫🇷 French Tech Updates is here with everything you need to know this week including: 🚀 A new accelerator program at STATION F 💶 Startups who raised €296 million 👩‍💻 Interesting job opportunities with French startups 📆 Upcoming startup and VC events Read the full update here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eTMUZiDy #frenchtech #startups #venturecapital

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Only 4% of EU VC's have previous startup experience... versus 60% in US  In CVC in EU it will even be worse... (educated guess)  There are some more interesting insights on the low level of support by VC's, the needs from startups, .... in the article below  This confirms also the need for more VC Platform roles in the EU #vcplatform (see my previous post on VC Platform roles)  #venturecapital 

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Exciting news ! Younited is on the "Fintech 100" podium, which has just been released ! 🥇1st Fintech in France in turnover 🥉3rd Fintech in France overall (4 criteria, including turnover) 🥉3rd consecutive year in the top 4 We are honored to be recognized in this latest report published by Truffle Capital, Finance Innovation, Groupe BPCE, and Sopra Steria ranking the top fintechs in France and very proud to be leading the fintech landscape alongside our friends at Qonto and Ledger ! A big thank you to our customers and partners across Europe - your trust and collaboration fuel our continued innovation and success. Check out the full report here: www.fintech100.fr #Fintech #Innovation #Younited #Sopra Banking Software

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📈 What drives top-tier performance in venture capital? In the latest episode of Entretien avec un VC by Benjamin Wattinne, Serena Partner Sébastien Le Roy, author of the Serena European SaaS Benchmark, unpacks what it takes to make a venture capital fund thrive. 🧑‍💻 Sébastien began as an engineer and entrepreneur until a pivotal trip to San Francisco shifted his career towards VC. Returning to France, he joined Serena as an intern, where his passion took root, ultimately leading him to become a partner. 🎙️ Some key takeaways from this episode: ✨ VC is high-risk, high-reward. Serena’s “home run” philosophy is about backing bold and visionary founders who can multiply the fund’s size and change the landscape of their industry. By partnering with them on strategy and execution, we accelerate growth in high-stakes environments. ✨ Most VC teams typically include two operating members. At Serena, we’ve built a team of eight. This larger structure provides founders with the resources needed to streamline execution and prepare for funding rounds. Our approach, recognized by the France Digitale Operating Talent Award, reflects our commitment to going beyond capital to address founders’ evolving needs. ✨ The Serena Squad, our network of over 500 C-level executives across our portfolio, is a powerhouse for founders. This community grants their teams access to practical templates, growth-focused workshops, and direct peer support. By connecting with other leaders, founders and their teams can navigate common challenges and scale more effectively. ✨ Our focus on Applied AI and Climate Tech At Serena, we’re especially enthusiastic about two areas: ➡️ Vertical AI solutions tailored to industries like finance and manufacturing, solving complex problems at scale. ➡️ Climate Tech, with a focus on decarbonization and biodiversity.  ➡️ One of Serena's standout investments is Descartes Underwriting, which operates at the intersection of AI and climate. Descartes leverages artificial intelligence to build parametric insurance models, assessing and pricing climate risks in real time. 💡 Spotlight: Jimmy A “coup de cœur” for Sébastien, Jimmy Energy is revolutionizing industrial heat decarbonization with nuclear fission—a game-changer for emissions-heavy industries. Tune it to deep dive into the inner workings of VCs!

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I am proud to announce the launch of CompliancR, the first software to calculate and pay eco-contributions for any company selling physical products in France. I’ve exchanged with 100s of producers and marketplaces, and since AGEC Law implementation, they share the same challenges: 1. How do we get our UIN? 2. How do we find the right products’ eco-contributions? 3. How and where do we submit our market declaration data to calculate the eco-contributions we owe? That’s what we’re solving with CompliancR. You can manage all your eco-contributions for any products you sell in France in just a few clicks. We’ve built and trained the most advanced AI model for product recognition: 1. Share your product reference and automatically get it recognized and assigned to the correct eco-contribution category. 2. Everything can be handled on CompliancR UI, from calculation to payment. 3. Designed to comply with French regulations: perfect for any business operating in or expanding to France. If you’re a marketplace or a producer and want to learn more about CompliancR, let’s chat: https://lnkd.in/ehCPJF4i

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🚀 How’s French Tech Doing in 2024? | Insights from the latest France Digitale x EY Barometer Reposted from: Joseph Landauer On September 11, 2024, France Digitale and EY released their annual report, and despite the tough economic climate, there’s plenty to be proud of! French startups are proving they’re ready to face the challenges head-on. Here are five key takeaways: 1️⃣ 15,000 startups are thriving in France, with 3,500 new ones launched in just the past year! So, who said French Tech was slowing down? 2️⃣ 1.3 million jobs created by these startups. Yes, you read that right. While hiring may slow down in 2024, we’re still pushing forward 💪. 3️⃣ Funding crunch: Big deals are happening, but smaller rounds are struggling. VCs are searching for ways to keep the ecosystem thriving. 4️⃣ Global reach: French startups are expanding fast, with 27% revenue growth internationally. Europe is our playground 🌍. 5️⃣ AI dominance: Whether it’s internal tools or product offerings, AI is everywhere. But competition with global giants is fierce 🤖. So, what’s next? French Tech is holding strong, but continued support from policymakers is crucial for future success. Innovation, taxation, and European regulations will be pivotal in the coming years. A big thank you to France Digitale and EY for this report! 🙏 Looking forward to seeing many of you at #FDDAY on September 18. Let’s keep pushing boundaries! 🙌 #FrenchTech #Innovation #Startups

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