Back Market to Appoint a New CEO for the First Time in 12 Years
Back Market announced that CFO Clément Petit will succeed founder Thibaud Hug de Larauze as CEO on September 1, while the founder remains executive chairman. The French unicorn, valued at roughly $5.6 billion, posted 2023 revenue of about $480 million and a $3.3 billion transaction volume, marking 32% growth. After achieving European profitability in 2024, the company reached global profitability in 2025 and now aims to make refurbished electronics the industry norm. To accelerate growth, Back Market will launch physical retail stores in France and the United States and introduce a repair service, targeting the 70% of U.S. shoppers who still buy in‑store.
H Company Joins Nvidia’s International Coalition Dedicated to Open-Source AI Models
H Company has been added to Nvidia’s Nemotron coalition, an international effort launched in March to accelerate open‑source foundation models. The Paris‑based startup will tap shared computing resources to boost its “computer‑use” AI, which can autonomously interact with web browsers...
Scaling AI Adoption Internally: Best Practices for Bringing Teams on Board
Companies are rushing to hand out ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot licenses, but most employees remain disengaged. The gap stems from a lack of internal AI culture, governance, and clear use‑case guidance, leading to widespread “shadow AI” and missed productivity gains....
Cegedim Santé Acquires Médoucine, the “Doctolib of Alternative Medicine”
Cegedim Santé has acquired Médoucine, the French platform likened to the “Doctolib of alternative medicine,” while keeping it as a separate legal entity. Médoucine generated roughly €2 million in annual revenue—about $2.2 million—and serves an estimated 80,000 complementary‑care practitioners. The deal gives Cegedim...
Reindustrialization: How Startups Are (Already) Helping Manufacturers Improve Performance
EDF Pulse Ventures, EDF Group’s corporate venture arm, is leveraging deep‑tech startups to modernize manufacturing and energy operations. Its portfolio includes Siteflow, which digitized maintenance workflows and cut operation time by 80% at EDF Hydro Alpes, and Yxir, an AI‑driven...
Choose France: Revolut Commits an Additional €100 Million Investment in France
Revolut announced an additional €100 million ($108 million) investment in France by 2030, adding to more than €1 billion ($1.08 billion) already pledged. The funding will create 200 jobs, raising its French workforce to about 650 employees and supports its push for a French...
Special Effects, Animation, Video Games: Why the United Kingdom Has Become the Global Benchmark for Creative Industries
The United Kingdom’s creative sector is booming, with audiovisual production spending of $7.1 billion in 2024 and a target of $11.1 billion by 2028. London’s visual‑effects (VFX) ecosystem, anchored by firms like Framestore, DNEG and The Yard VFX, has earned 10 of...
Why the United Kingdom Has Become an Innovation Laboratory for Sodexo
Sodexo treats the United Kingdom as a living laboratory, using its third‑largest market to pilot AI‑driven services, waste‑reduction programmes and new catering concepts. The firm employs roughly 30,000 staff across 2,000 sites, serving about one million meals daily, with half the...
Ledger Appoints New CFO and Opens New York Office Ahead of Potential Wall Street Listing
Ledger, the French crypto‑security unicorn, announced John Andrews as its new chief financial officer and the launch of a New York office. Andrews brings 25 years in finance, including a stint as head of capital markets at Circle, the firm behind USDC....
The Origins of Y Combinator’s Success in San Francisco
Y Combinator moved its headquarters to the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco in late 2023, positioning the accelerator at the heart of the city’s emerging AI ecosystem. The program continues to offer $500,000 in pre‑seed capital for a 7% equity...
How AI Put San Francisco Back at the Center of the Global Tech Scene
San Francisco has re‑emerged as the world’s AI epicenter, driven by OpenAI’s ChatGPT launch and a surge of AI‑focused startups. Nearly 2,000 of the city’s 17,000 tech firms now specialize in artificial intelligence, with 342 new AI startups founded in...
3 Years with French Business Leaders, 5 Lessons in Leadership
After three years at the British Embassy in Paris, the author reflects on leadership insights gained from France’s top executives. He identifies five core lessons—vision, ambition, risk‑taking, networking, and geopolitical awareness—that shape how French leaders drive growth at home and...
Revolut to Open Its Paris Headquarters in the “Silicon Sentier” In 2027
Revolut has signed a 10‑year lease on a Haussmann‑style building in Paris’s “Silicon Sentier,” slated to open in early 2027. The 2,400 m² office will host 500 employees and serve as the Western European hub for more than 25 million customers across...
Nearly 100 Days in, Emmanuel Durand Sets a New Course for EuraTechnologies
Emmanuel Durand, newly appointed CEO of EuraTechnologies, used the Founder 2 Founder event to unveil a vision that positions Lille as a central hub in a "new Palo Alto" triangle linking Paris, London and Amsterdam. He announced "The Square," a bespoke acceleration...
After Two Acquisitions in the United States, MWM Snaps up London Startup Picnic
French mobile‑app publisher MWM has acquired London‑based photo‑management startup Picnic, which boasts over 2 million users and €4 million (about $4.4 million) in annual recurring revenue. The deal, undisclosed financially, adds a profitable, Gen Z‑focused app to MWM’s growing portfolio that already includes Sincerely...