What INPG Entreprise does

INPG Entreprise S.A., operating commercially as Grenoble INP Entreprise, is the private valorization subsidiary of Grenoble INP - UGA, a major French public engineering institution. Founded in 1991 and headquartered at the MINATEC campus in Grenoble, the company functions as the commercial interface that channels research output from 6 engineering schools, 900 researchers, and 26-39 specialized laboratories into industrial applications, technology transfer, and deeptech startup creation. Its core activity is managing roughly 150 industrial research contracts per year, handling contract negotiation, financial administration, legal compliance, and rapid personnel contracting (72 hours for European citizens), all under the French Research Tax Credit (CIR) framework.

The business is organized around three service lines: industrial research contracts connecting companies with university labs; research valorization including intellectual property management and technology commercialization; and equity participation in deeptech startups, with the most recent being SUMOT (power electronics, October 2025), alongside historical holdings in ALPAO, AIoTrust, Hydroquest, Kapteos, Vesta System, and Recupyl. A fourth technical offering — the Multi Project Wafer (MPW) service run with the CIME-P department — allows clients to share semiconductor fabrication costs by pooling different chip designs on a single wafer. The company also co-owns the Pertinence Invest investment vehicle, which manages three funds totaling €163M.

The revenue model is professional-services based, with reported annual revenue of €8M, supplemented by equity returns and licensing income from the portfolio. Go-to-market is exclusively direct B2B, relying on long-tenured relationships with hundreds of industrial clients (international groups, ETIs, SMEs, and startups) and on the broader Grenoble ecosystem (Minalogic, Minatec, Tenerrdis, Axelera, MIAI clusters, SATT LINKSIUM, RESEAU C.U.R.I.E.). The wholly-owned parent, Grenoble INP - UGA, provides institutional backing and exclusive access to its research capabilities, which is the central pillar of the company's competitive position.

Name

INPG Entreprise

Legal name

INPG Entreprise S.A.

Website

https://entreprise.grenoble-inp.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Grenoble INP Entreprise is the private technology-transfer subsidiary of Grenoble INP - UGA, managing industrial research contracts, technology valorization, and deeptech startup equity investments drawn from 6 engineering schools and 39 specialized laboratories for industrial clients across France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technology Transfer and Research Valorization Services

NAICS

Public Administration (92)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Compliance Technology, GRC Platforms & Controls Automation Advisory (BPAHAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Professional Employer Organization (PEO) / Co-Employment Services (BPACAHAB), Intercompany & Consolidation Support (Eliminations, Group Reporting Support) (BPAAAGAG)

Keywords

• Research contract management
• Technology transfer services
• Industrial research partnerships
• Startup incubation support
• Research valorization

Headquarters

HQ city

Grenoble

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Contracts Management: Contract research management services for industrial partnerships, including administrative support, financial management, and legal/fiscal responsibility for research contracts between companies and Grenoble INP - UGA laboratories.
2. Technology Valorization: Contributing to the valorization of research results from Grenoble INP - UGA through technology transfer and startup creation support services.
3. Equity Participation: Investment in the capital of young high-tech companies directly resulting from research, supporting deeptech and right tech projects.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Grenoble INP Entreprise is the private valorization subsidiary of Grenoble INP - UGA, managing the interface between the university's research laboratories and industrial partners. It administers industrial research contracts, facilitates technology transfer and intellectual property commercialization, and takes equity stakes in deeptech startups emerging from university research, supported by access to the Pertinence Invest fund platform.

Product overview

Grenoble INP Entreprise is a private subsidiary of Grenoble INP - UGA, operating as a technology transfer and valorization company since 1991. The company offers three interconnected service lines: (1) Industrial Research Contracts for managing R&D partnerships between companies and laboratories; (2) Research Valuation and Startup Incubation Support for technology transfer; and (3) Startup Capital Participation through equity stakes in deeptech startups. Additionally, the company operates a Multi Project Wafer (MPW) service for semiconductor fabrication pooling. The startup portfolio includes companies such as AIoTrust (connected electronics security), ALPAO (adaptive optics), ALTRANS (electrical network monitoring), H-VULCAIN (hydrogen production), HYDROQUEST (hydroelectric turbines), KAPTEOS (electromagnetic measurement), OPTYMA (waste-to-energy), RECUPYL (battery recycling), and VESTA SYSTEM (building energy software).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industrial Research Contracts (Contrats industriels) Contract engineering and financial management services that connect industrial companies with Grenoble INP - UGA laboratories for collaborative R&D projects. INPG Entreprise handles contract negotiation, administrative management, financial follow-up, and recruitment of personnel for research partnerships.
• Research Valuation (Valorisation) Technology transfer services contributing to the valorization of research results from Grenoble INP - UGA, including support for intellectual property management and technology commercialization.
• Startup Capital Participation Equity investment in young high-tech startups directly originating from research. Grenoble INP Entreprise takes stakes in deeptech companies and supports their development through investment vehicles like Pertinence Invest.
• Multi Project Wafer (MPW) Service
• Startup Incubation Support
• Pertinence Invest Fund Access Access to three investment funds managed by Pertinence Invest (3M€, 60M€, and 100M€) for startup financing and equity investment support, totaling €163M available for deeptech ventures.

Quantifiable outcome

• 150 industrial contracts managed per year
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AxeleracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional innovation and competitiveness pole specializing in Chemistry-Environment. Grenoble INP Entreprise is a partner or member, leveraging the network for industry connections in environmental and chemical technology sectors.
• MinalogiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompetitiveness cluster for Micro and Nanotechnology. Strategic partnership for connecting Grenoble INP research capabilities with industry partners in microelectronics and nanotech domains.
• MinateccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation campus for Intelligent Miniaturized Solutions. Hosts the headquarters location of Grenoble INP Entreprise and provides access to world-class technological platforms.
• TenerrdiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompetitiveness cluster for New Energy Technologies and Renewable Energies. Enables partnerships in energy transition and clean technology sectors.
• MIAI ClustercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultidisciplinary Institute in Artificial Intelligence at Université Grenoble Alpes. Supports AI-related research partnerships and innovation projects.
• SATT LINKSIUMcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology Transfer Acceleration Company. Collaborative partner for accelerating technology transfer from public research to industry applications.
• RESEAU C.U.R.I.E.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network for valorization, technology transfer and innovation from public research. Provides connection to broader national technology transfer ecosystem.
• Digital LeagueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional digital ecosystem cluster. Partnership for digital technology innovation and industry connections.
• Fondation partenariale de Grenoble INP - UGAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate foundation implementing actions promoting Grenoble INP - UGA activities in connection with the economic world, within a citizen approach. Collaborates on chaires and industry partnerships.
• IN'PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerClub of industrial partners of Grenoble INP - UGA. Platform for cooperation and dialogue between the institution and its corporate partners.
• DRIVE (Direction Recherche, Innovation, Valorisation et Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch, Innovation, Valorization and Europe Division of Grenoble INP - UGA. Works in synergy with Grenoble INP Entreprise for managing research-industry partnerships.
• Carnot Énergies du FuturminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarnot label research network focused on future energy technologies. Provides access to additional research capabilities in energy sector.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CEA (Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives): Major French public research institution with substantial technology transfer and deeptech spinout activity overlapping with INPG Entreprise's energy, materials, and micro-nano domains. Operates as a much broader incumbent spanning multiple disciplines and geographies.
• Bpifrance: France's national public investment bank, with deeptech funding programs that overlap with INPG Entreprise's equity participation activities and its Pertinence Invest co-investment. Functions as a much larger incumbent providing both funding and stewardship to French deeptech startups and research valorization.

Direct peers

• CNRS Innovation: The dedicated technology transfer and startup creation arm of CNRS, France's largest public research organization. Directly comparable to INPG Entreprise in mission (valorizing public research, taking equity stakes in spinouts, managing industry-research contracts), but operating at much greater scale across the national CNRS laboratory footprint.
• Inserm Transfert: Private subsidiary of Inserm dedicated to valorizing health research, with broadly analogous TTO operations: research contract management, IP licensing, and equity participation in spinouts. Direct structural peer in the French public-research TTO landscape.
• SATT LINKSIUM: SATT (Technology Transfer Acceleration Company) based in the Grenoble Alps ecosystem and explicitly named as a technology transfer partner of INPG Entreprise. Operates as a direct TTO peer, maturing and commercializing research from Grenoble-area public laboratories, with overlapping clientele of industrial groups and SMEs.
• Erganeo: Paris-region SATT providing technology transfer services to public research laboratories, with similar functions in research contract intermediation, IP maturation, and startup creation. A direct peer that operates at the same stage and with similar institutional ownership structure as INPG Entreprise.
• INRIA Transfert: Technology transfer subsidiary of INRIA, the French national institute for digital science. Operates a virtually identical model to INPG Entreprise for a different public research parent - managing research contracts, taking equity in deeptech spinouts, and serving industrial clients seeking access to academic expertise.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inpg-entreprise-sa

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments2 records

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

Frequently asked questions about INPG Entreprise