International French Tech network: 69 communities in 52 countries

Created in 2013, Mission French Tech is a public entity depending on the French ministry of economy in charge of supporting the structuration and growth of the French ecosystem of start-ups in France and internationally. After having been a label granted to French cities registering a significant number of innovative companies, the Mission now carries out broader actions such as support to development abroad. With over 25,000 start-ups, the French Tech forms “a vibrant ecosystem supported by a broad network of players”: investors, support entities, incubators, accelerators, associations, large groups and public institutions.

A booming ecosystem

In this booming ecosystem are French Tech Capitals and Communities, used as entry doors for French start-ups in the French Tech ecosystem. Mission French Tech drives and support a network strengthened in 2023 of 114 structures certified French Tech, in France and internationally. Present all over France and worldwide, “they bring together players of innovation on their territory and drive them on common initiatives, in agreement with the stakes of Mission French Tech depending on the local priorities of their ecosystem”.

The network is structured by three types of Capitals and Communities:

• French Tech Capitals are 17 and used as relays of the Mission French Tech on the national territory. They are made of teams developing the tech and digital ecosystem of their region and deploy the programmes of the Mission French Tech;
• French Tech Communities in France include a network of 31 groups of volunteer entrepreneurs who “bring together and promote their ecosystems everywhere in France”. These French Tech Communities in France are groups who, “in addition to actions led by French Tech Capitals, drive the ecosystem of players of innovation at local level and intensify their collaboration”. They are composed of tech founders, investors, employees and players and “any other stakeholder committed in the promotion of French Tech in their geographic area”;
• French Tech Communities abroad are groups of French or Francophile volunteer entrepreneurs who represent Mission French Tech internationally. Today, there are no less than 69 implemented in 52 countries.

69 international communities in 52 over five continents

French Tech Communities abroad are thus made of French or Francophile volunteer entrepreneurs who represent Mission French Tech internationally. According to the Mission, their actions “promote the French tech ecosystem with players of the French institutional network in every country”. This network, placed at the heart of the French Tech action, is now made of 69 communities divided in 52 countries and over five continents. 

This international network is indeed deployed in Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Pacific region. Communities are implemented in about a hundred cities throughout the world. They “whip up their local ecosystem, commit and increase the mobility of French start-ups by including them in their city or country”.

The network of French Tech Communities abroad has been reinforced in 2024 with new labelled structures: in Germany, the United States, Spain, Greece, Indonesia, New Zealand, Poland, and more. All these communities organise sharing events about tech entrepreneurship throughout the year. Conferences, job dating, relations business are scheduled during these meetings to help French start-ups abroad “contact entrepreneurs communities implemented in countries and cities they plan to develop”.

A network to promote the priorities of French tech 

According to the Ministry of economy, French Tech Communities abroad aim to implement the priority ways of the Mission. Their main objective is “supporting the expansion of start-ups registered in France and the creation of a French tech network”. 

At the heart of the economic international network, actions led by Communities abroad focus on three main missions: 

• bringing together and driving the local French and international community by “creating bridges between ecosystems”;
• deploying actions contributing to historical missions of the French Tech at international scale: the promotion of France, support of French start-ups internationalisation, and appeal of talents and investors.
• setting up incoming themed events in the strategic priorities of Mission French Tech: ecological transition, gender equality and diversity, DeepTech, HealthTech, and more.

To carry out these missions, Communities are in relation with all the local French and foreign ecosystem. Many cooperation agreements with Business France or French and international the Chambers of Commerce and Industry exist.