Evolem Start
Evolem Start is the venture investment division of Evolem, a French single-family office managing ~$800M. It invests exclusively in French seed and Series A startups across sector-agnostic verticals, with 58 portfolio shareholdings generating €213M in 2025 sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersLyon, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Evolem Start does
Evolem Start is the venture investment division of Evolem, a French single-family office founded in 1996 by Bruno Rousset following his creation of the APRIL insurance group (sold to CVC in 2019). Headquartered in Lyon, Evolem manages approximately $800M in assets and operates four integrated activities: Platform (SME/ETI support), Start (venture investing), Property (real estate for portfolio companies), and Philanthropy. Evolem Start, officially launched in April 2018, focuses exclusively on French seed and Series A investments across sector-agnostic verticals, deploying minority active capital into startups in their commercial acceleration phase.
The division invests across a wide technology spectrum spanning SaaS (DataGalaxy for data cataloging, Tilkee for sales enablement), AI/ML (Innovorder's Atlas AI platform for restaurant digitalization serving Sodexo and Elior; Ed.ai for education), legal tech (LegalPlace), deeptech in oncology diagnostics (Sirius NeoSight, Kimialys' K-One technology for biological molecule detection), process mining (Livejourney), e-commerce (MonsieurGourmand.com), and environmental services (Fungu'it, Rainbow for carbon). Proprietary internal tools include FISY, an evaluation and diagnostic framework authored by senior director Rémi Berthier. The investment team comprises Thomas Rival (Partner, with Evolem since 2010), Rémi Berthier (Director senior), and Nadia El Idrissi (Director, since 2018).
Evolem Start generates returns through capital appreciation and exits from its 58 shareholdings (cumulative €692M in aggregate portfolio sales, €213M in 2025 alone, +20% YoY), supplemented by co-investment alongside partners such as UL Invest and Turenne Groupe. Its go-to-market relies on direct deal sourcing via the Evolem family-office network, the 'Valeurs d'entrepreneurs' content platform, founder referrals from existing portfolio companies, and community events. In 2025, the activity executed 4 new deals, 22 refinancings, and 5 build-up acquisitions while supporting portfolio startups in raising over €60M in aggregate. The strategic moat combines patient family-office capital, a four-activity integrated platform that allows startups to graduate within the Evolem ecosystem, and the Rousset family's brand recognition in the French entrepreneurial community.
Evolem Start firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Evolem Start
- Legal name
- Evolem
- Website
- http://www.evolem.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Evolem Start is the venture investment division of Evolem, a French single-family office managing ~$800M. It invests exclusively in French seed and Series A startups across sector-agnostic verticals, with 58 portfolio shareholdings generating €213M in 2025 sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Evolem Start industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital and Private Equity
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed) (FSANAAAA), Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)
Keywords
Where Evolem Start is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lyon
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Evolem Start business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Venture Capital Returns: Evolem Start generates returns through capital appreciation and exit events (acquisitions, IPOs) from its portfolio of 58 shareholdings. Returns are realized through trade sales, secondary transactions, and strategic exits. The activity has facilitated 43 projects supported in 2025 alone, with cumulative sales of portfolio companies reaching €692M and total jobs of 1,932 across shareholdings.
- Management Fees and Carried Interest: As a family office investment activity, Evolem Start likely generates revenue through management fees on invested capital and carried interest on successful exits, consistent with the broader Evolem group's model of supporting entrepreneurs across their growth lifecycle.
- Co-investment and Follow-on Capital Deployment: Evolem Start participates alongside other investors in funding rounds (seed, Series A, growth), deploying capital as a financial partner, with strategic value-add support for portfolio companies. In 2025, startups in the portfolio raised over €60M.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Venture investment – deal-by-deal terms (seed, Series A, growth) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Evolem Start product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Evolem Start is the venture investment division of the Evolem family office, providing capital and strategic support to innovative French startups in their commercial acceleration phase. It deploys equity into seed, Series A, and growth rounds, taking active minority stakes and accompanying founders through follow-on rounds, refinancings, and build-up acquisitions. The activity also provides portfolio companies with access to the broader Evolem network of 58 shareholdings, peer learning communities, and strategic guidance.
Product overview
Evolem Start is a venture capital and startup acceleration arm of the Evolem family office. It is not a traditional software product but rather an investment activity that supports innovative projects through funding rounds. The service provides financial investment and strategic guidance to startups during their commercial acceleration phase, functioning as an investor rather than a product provider.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Evolem Start: Venture division of Evolem family office supporting innovative startups in commercial acceleration phase.
Products and services
- Evolem Start Venture Capital Activity Venture capital investment service that provides equity capital and strategic guidance to innovative French startups in seed, Series A, and growth funding rounds. Targets startups across all sectors in their commercial acceleration phase, offering active minority shareholder support, network introductions, GTM acceleration, and ongoing governance involvement. Includes follow-on investments, refinancing participation, and support for portfolio company build-up (M&A) transactions.
- FISY Startup Diagnostic Tool An evaluation and diagnostic tool developed by Evolem Start's senior director to assess and diagnose startups during the deal evaluation and portfolio support process. Used within the Evolem startup ecosystem toolkit by investment professionals.
Quantifiable outcome
- €60M+ funds raised by portfolio startups in 2025 alone
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Evolem Start
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Evolem Start technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Evolem Start partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Evolem Start competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kima Ventures: French early-stage VC associated with Webedia/Allociné founders, known for high-volume small-ticket seed investing. Comparable as an early-stage French VC with broad sector coverage and active deal flow.
- Newfund: Paris-based early-stage VC with focus on French and international startups, sector agnostic. Comparable in stage and geography, with similar ticket sizes at seed.
- Daphni: Paris-based early-stage VC investing across sectors with strong community/network focus (daphni community). Directly comparable as a French seed/Series A investor with similar ticket sizes and sector-agnostic approach.
- Breega: Paris-based early-stage VC supporting European tech startups from seed to Series A. Comparable as a French-rooted early-stage investor with similar portfolio construction across B2B and consumer.
- Aglaé Ventures: Paris-based early-stage VC backed by LVMH/Arnault family interests, supporting French and European tech startups. Comparable as a family-affiliated early-stage investor with patient capital and brand-network effects.
- Serena Capital: Paris-based early-stage VC with sector focus including SaaS, deeptech, and digital. Directly comparable as a French seed/Series A investor with similar portfolio size and stage focus.
- Axeleo Capital: Lyon-based early-stage VC (matching Evolem's Lyon HQ) with sector focus including B2B SaaS, deeptech, and digital. Directly comparable geographically and by stage, with active French seed/Series A investing.
- Elaia Partners: Paris-based early-stage VC with focus on deeptech and digital. Comparable as a French seed/Series A investor, particularly relevant given Evolem Start's deeptech exposure (Sirius NeoSight, Kimialys).
- Founders Future: Paris-based early-stage fund focused on French and European founders, with active seed and pre-seed investing. Directly comparable in stage, geography, and sector-agnostic approach.
Broad incumbents
- Partech: Major French-headquartered VC with multi-stage funds (seed through growth) and pan-European reach. Comparable as a French-rooted venture investor, though materially larger and more institutional than Evolem Start.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Evolem Start social profiles
Digital presenceEvolem Start financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Evolem Start leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Evolem Start funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Evolem Start M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments80 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Evolem Start
What does Evolem Start do?
Evolem Start is the venture investment division of the Evolem family office, providing capital and strategic support to innovative French startups in their commercial acceleration phase. It deploys equity into seed, Series A, and growth rounds, taking active minority stakes and accompanying founders through follow-on rounds, refinancings, and build-up acquisitions. The activity also provides portfolio companies with access to the broader Evolem network of 58 shareholdings, peer learning communities, and strategic guidance.
Is Evolem Start a public or private company?
Evolem Start is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Evolem Start founded?
Evolem Start was founded in 1997. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Evolem Start based?
Evolem Start is headquartered in Lyon, France, in the Europe region.
How does Evolem Start make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Venture Capital Returns are the primary driver. The others are management Fees and Carried Interest and co-investment and Follow-on Capital Deployment.
Who are Evolem Start's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kima Ventures, Newfund, Daphni, Breega, Aglaé Ventures, Serena Capital, Axeleo Capital, Elaia Partners and Founders Future. Partech is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Evolem Start have an API?
No public API is recorded for Evolem Start.
What industry is Evolem Start in?
Evolem Start's product category is Venture Capital and Private Equity. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B), with a secondary code of FSANAAAA, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.