IMT Starter

What IMT Starter does

IMT Starter is the digital startup incubator of the Institut Mines-Télécom (IMT) academic group, jointly operated by Télécom SudParis, Institut Mines-Télécom Business School, and ENSIIE, and headquartered in Évry, France with a secondary presence at Station F in Paris. Founded in 1999, the incubator has supported nearly 300 startups and is credited with creating over 4,000 jobs across the alumni portfolio. Its core product is a structured incubation program combining strategic coaching from experienced entrepreneur committees, access to seed capital (honary loans of €40-60K via the IMT Numérique Fund and Télécom Booster seed investments of €100-400K), physical workspace, and international development support through 20+ partner incubators across Europe.

The technology footprint is non-proprietary: IMT Starter does not build software platforms or sell AI/ML products itself. Instead, it operates program infrastructure — including the Trophée Start-up Numérique annual competition, Challenge Projets d'Entreprendre student entrepreneurship challenge, Sun Heat pre-acceleration summer program, Club Entrepreneurs Etudiants, and European programs (Soft-Landing, DAPSI). Its revenue model is institutional rather than commercial: core incubation services are provided free to startups, with operating costs funded by partner schools, public bodies (BPI France, Région Île-de-France, Fondation Mines-Télécom, Revital'Emploi), and EU grants. Notable alumni include Cedexis (€100M+ exit), Recommerce (€50M raise), Homeloop (€20M raise), SlimPay, and Crafty, demonstrating a track record of digital/tech startups across SaaS, healthtech, sporttech, AI, and digital transformation verticals.

Name

IMT Starter

Legal name

IMT Starter

Website

https://imt-starter.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IMT Starter is a French academic startup incubator, founded in 1999 by Télécom SudParis, Institut Mines-Télécom Business School, and ENSIIE. It provides strategic coaching, honorary loans (€40-60K), seed funding (€100-400K), workspace, and international support to ~15 new digital startups per year.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Incubator Services

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSANAAAM

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated)

Financial & Insurance/Private Equity & Venture Capital/Venture Capital Firms

SECONDARYFSANALAD

Accelerator / Incubator-Backed ETA Programs

Financial & Insurance/Private Equity & Venture Capital/Search Funds / Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA)

SECONDARYEDAMAHAC

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Entrepreneurship & Business Enrichment

Keywords

• Startup incubation services
• Digital entrepreneurship support
• Seed funding programs
• Honorary loan financing
• International startup acceleration

Headquarters

HQ city

Évry

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Incubation Services: IMT Starter provides incubation services to startups including strategic coaching, funding support, accommodation, and network access. The incubator is funded by partner schools and public institutions rather than charging startups directly for basic incubation services.
2. Honorary Loans (Prêt d'honneur): Zero-interest loans up to €40K-60K provided to startups through the IMT Digital Fund, co-financed by Fondation Mines-Télécom, BPI France, and Revital'Emploi. The fund supports startup development in France and internationally.
3. Telecom Booster Seed Fund: Seed fund invested annually in 1-2 incubator startups, co-financed by IMT Starter, coaches, and alumni since 2016. Investments range from €100K-400K.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

IMT Starter is the digital startup incubator jointly operated by Télécom SudParis, Institut Mines-Télécom Business School, and ENSIIE. It supports early-stage digital startups from the idea phase through international growth by providing strategic coaching from experienced entrepreneurs, zero-interest honor loans (up to €60K), seed investments via the Télécom Booster fund (€100K-€400K), office accommodation across its Evry and Station F campuses, and international development support through 20+ partner incubators across Europe.

Product overview

IMT Starter is an incubator operated by Télécom SudParis, Institut Mines-Télécom Business School, and ENSIIE that provides a comprehensive ecosystem for launching digital startups. The core offering centers on the Incubation IMT Starter program which combines strategic coaching, funding (Prêt d'Honneur up to 60K€ and Télécom Booster seed fund 100-400K€), office accommodation, and international development support. Supplementary programs include the Sun Heat pre-acceleration summer program, the annual Trophée Start-up Numérique competition, and the Challenge Projets d'Entreprendre student entrepreneurship challenge. International development is supported through Soft-Landing partnerships with European incubators, while the DAPSI program addresses data portability innovation. The incubator has supported nearly 300 startups generating over 4,000 jobs since 1999.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Incubation IMT Starter Core incubation program providing strategic coaching, funding support, office accommodation, and network access to digital startups from idea phase through international growth. Targeted at early-stage digital startups.
• Prêt d'Honneur IMT (Honorary Loan Fund) Zero-interest honor loan fund providing up to €40K (later €60K) to incubated startups without personal guarantees, repayable over 5 years on honor. Selected through IMT Starter's approval committee.
• Télécom Booster Seed Fund Seed fund investing €100K-€400K in 1-2 incubated startups per year, co-financed by IMT Starter, coaches, and alumni since 2016.
• Sun Heat Pre-Acceleration Program Summer pre-acceleration program to help future entrepreneurs transition from idea to action through immersive workshops, intensive coaching, and project development.
• Trophée Start-up Numérique Annual digital startup competition recognizing innovative projects across categories (HealthTech, Impact Positif, Sustainable Retail, Enterprise Organization) with incubation access and prizes for winners.
• Challenge Projets d'Entreprendre Largest student entrepreneurship competition in France, engaging 600+ students annually in 120 teams to develop startup projects during an intensive week with coaching from business professionals.
• Soft-Landing International Program European partnership enabling startups to discover and integrate into international ecosystems through immersion missions with partner incubators in Lithuania, Germany, Netherlands, and UK.
• DAPSI Incubation Program European Union-funded 9-month incubation program supporting data portability and GDPR-compliant solutions with up to €150K funding per selected project.
• Incubateur Grand Paris Sport 24-month sports-tech incubator program in partnership with Cluster Grand Paris Sport, supporting startups developing innovative solutions for sports including analysis tools, connected objects, and performance improvement.
• Club Entrepreneurs Etudiants Student entrepreneur club providing networking and ongoing support for students pursuing entrepreneurship alongside their studies at partner schools.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ startups accelerated since 1999
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability16 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• DeloittemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership for Impact startups through Trophée Start-up Numérique. Deloitte provides strategic and business expertise for selected startups, combining IMT Starter's incubation with Deloitte's consulting capabilities.
• Showroomprivé / LookforwardmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20214-year partnership for retail and e-commerce startups. Lookforward incubator co-supports winners with strategic guidance, network access, and business acceleration.
• Magellan ConsultingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership for enterprise transformation startups. Magellan helps startups deploy solutions to large corporate clients through their consulting network.
• Cluster Grand Paris SportmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership to launch the Grand Paris Sport incubator for sports technology startups. Created in 2019 with 24-month incubation programs hosted at IMT Starter and Le Magellan business hotel. Sponsored by David Douillet.
• DAPSI Consortium PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019European project (Data Portability & Services Incubator) with 6 partners: Zabala Innovation Consulting (Spain), F6S (Ireland), Cap Digital (France), IMT Starter (France), Fraunhofer IAS (Germany), Engineering (Italy). €5.6M total funding for data portability solutions over 3 years.
• Viva TechnologymajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018IMT Starter participates annually at VivaTech with dedicated stands, providing visibility and networking opportunities for its startups with investors, corporations, and the broader tech ecosystem.
• 20+ International IncubatorsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Network of 20+ international incubators and accelerators enabling student entrepreneurs to do 6-month internships developing their startups abroad. Includes partners in Germany, Netherlands, Lithuania, and other countries.
• Startup Division (Lithuania)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Lithuanian incubator partner in the Soft-Landing European project, focused on FinTech and digital startups.
• Crosspring Lab (Netherlands)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Dutch incubator partner in the Soft-Landing European project, focused on digital and technology startups.
• GTEC (Germany)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017German technology and startup ecosystem partner in the Soft-Landing project, with focus on industrial technologies.
• F6S Network (UK)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017UK-based startup network partner in the Soft-Landing European project, facilitating connections across the European startup ecosystem.
• Télécom SudPariscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the three founding schools of IMT Starter. Located in Evry, the school provides access to engineering talent, research labs, and students for the incubator's ecosystem.
• Institut Mines-Télécom Business School (IMT BS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the three founding schools of IMT Starter. Provides access to business school students, management expertise, and corporate connections.
• ENSIIEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the three founding schools of IMT Starter. Specializes in information systems and engineering, hosting the C-19 gaming and digital interactions cluster.
• Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP Paris)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMT Starter has a dedicated space at Station F within the IP Paris campus, enabling access to the broader IP Paris network and joint events with Télécom Paris incubator.
• Grand Paris SudmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgglomeration community partner supporting IMT Starter's operations and hosting the Grand Paris Sport incubator initiative at their facilities.
• La French Tech Paris-SaclaymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal French Tech hub partner providing connections to the broader French startup ecosystem and network.
• Station FmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld's largest startup campus where IMT Starter maintains a dedicated space for its startups within the Institut Polytechnique de Paris area.
• GenopolemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiotechnology cluster partner based in Evry, offering complementary support for healthtech and biotech startups alongside IMT Starter's digital focus.
• C-19 (Video Game & Digital Interactions Cluster)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital interactions and video game cluster hosted at ENSIIE with 2,500m² facility. Partner for gaming, VR/AR, Big Data, HPC, and AI startups. Provides technical platforms and hosting for companies in these sectors.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Station F: World's largest startup campus in Paris hosting 30+ incubator and accelerator programs. IMT Starter operates a dedicated space within Station F; Station F is comparable as the umbrella ecosystem and a key channel/distribution mechanism.
• BPI France Le Hub: French public investment bank's innovation and incubation platform supporting deep-tech and French Tech ecosystem. Comparable as a public-sector incubator/fund-of-funds operating nationally; IMT Starter's honorary loan program is co-funded by BPI France.

Direct peers

• Agoranov: Paris-based deep-tech startup incubator supporting early-stage startups with coaching, office space, and seed funding. Highly comparable as a French non-equity/light-equity incubator serving deep-tech founders in the Paris region.
• 1Kubator: French startup incubator network operating multiple locations across France. Comparable multi-city digital incubator offering seed investment and operational support to early-stage startups.
• Paris&Co: Paris economic development agency's innovation platform running multiple sector-specific incubators (tech, health, sustainability) in the Paris region. Directly comparable as a publicly-backed multi-program incubator competing for the same founder pool.
• X-Up (École Polytechnique incubator): Deep-tech incubator operated by École Polytechnique on the Institut Polytechnique de Paris campus at Station F. Most directly comparable peer—academic-affiliated tech incubator sharing the same Station F ecosystem and IMT/Polytechnique university network.
• HEC Challenge+: HEC Paris's startup accelerator program located at Station F. Comparable academic incubator targeting student/early-stage founders in the Paris ecosystem with coaching, network, and Demo Day structure.
• Wilco (ex-SciencetoSate): Paris-based startup accelerator supporting early-stage tech and digital startups with funding, coaching, and network access. Comparable in target customer (early-stage digital founders), funding model, and Paris-region positioning.
• NUMA Paris: Paris-based digital innovation accelerator and incubator offering programs for early-stage startups and corporate innovation. Comparable digital-tech focus, Paris footprint, and program structure (cohort-based acceleration, network access).

Regional players

• EuraTechnologies: Major French tech incubator and accelerator based in Lille (Hauts-de-France). Comparable as a publicly-backed French tech incubator, though focused on the northern France ecosystem rather than Île-de-France.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IncubTelecomSP
• Facebookfacebook.com/412148998874377
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imt-starter
• Instagraminstagram.com/imt.starter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments41 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IMT Starter