SATT Conectus

What SATT Conectus does

SATT Conectus is a French technology transfer acceleration company (Société d'Accélération du Transfert de Technologies, SATT) headquartered in Strasbourg, France, founded in 2012 as the first SATT created under the French State's Investments for the Future Program (PIA). The company operates as the exclusive mandated gateway between 85 Alsatian public research laboratories (representing 5,000+ scientific experts and 50 technological platforms) and companies seeking access to innovative technologies. Its shareholders comprise major Alsatian public research institutions (University of Strasbourg, University of Haute Alsace, CNRS, INSERM, INSA, ENGEES) and Bpifrance, the French public investment bank.

Conectus's core service offerings span the full technology transfer lifecycle: detection and intellectual property protection of inventions emerging from public research, investment of up to 500 K€ per project for proof-of-concept maturation through a 36 M€ investment fund, contract management for public-private partnerships, and comprehensive startup creation support. The company manages 313 active IP titles, has invested 54 M€ in 165 innovative projects since inception, and operates on a free-to-companies model with revenue generated from technology licensing royalties, equity stakes in portfolio startups, and contract-related fees. Since 2012, it has created 51 startups (76% in Grand Est, 63% in Health/Medical Tech) which have collectively raised 577 M€ in equity.

The organization delivers services through a 39-person team with mixed academic-industrial backgrounds, distributed across specialized Business Developers, Investment Directors, and legal/partnership functions. Distribution occurs through direct enterprise engagement, events (Tech-365 Meetings, Mature your PhD Challenge), and digital platforms (Tech-365 marketplace with 1,000+ technology offers). Cumulative revenues from technology transfers since 2012 amount to 25 M€, with total sales activity (contracts and licensing) reaching 106 M€ over the period.

Name

SATT Conectus

Legal name

SATT Conectus

Website

https://conectus.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SATT Conectus is a French state-mandated technology transfer acceleration company that connects Alsatian public research laboratories with companies. It detects, funds (up to €500K/project), protects, and commercializes inventions through licensing, equity stakes, and startup creation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technology Transfer Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Patent Owners & Lessors (6794)

akta.pro primary industry

Technology Transfer & Innovation-Driven Research Universities (High Commercialization) (EDAHABAH)

Keywords

• Technology transfer
• Public research partnerships
• Intellectual property licensing
• Deeptech startup creation
• Innovation project financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Illkirch

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Technology Licensing Royalties: Operating licenses granted for industrial exploitation of technologies to existing companies or startups created specifically for that purpose. Technologies are matured and protected before transfer.
2. Equity in Startups: Conectus takes equity stakes in startups created from public research technologies as part of its support package, generating returns when startups succeed or raise further funding
3. Technology Transfer Fees: Revenue from managing technology transfer operations including licensing agreements between public laboratories and companies

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SATT Conectus is a French Société d'Accélération du Transfert de Technologies (SATT) that accelerates the transfer of innovations from Alsatian public research laboratories to companies. It funds proof-of-concept and maturation projects up to €500K from a €36M investment fund, manages intellectual property protection and patent filing, drafts and negotiates public-private partnership contracts and licensing agreements, supports the creation of deep-tech startups from public research, and operates the Tech-365 digital marketplace showcasing 1,000+ technology offers from French public research.

Product overview

SATT Conectus is a technology transfer acceleration company that operates as a service organization rather than a software product company. Its core offerings consist of technology transfer services connecting Alsatian public research laboratories with companies, innovative project investment (up to €500K per project), public-private partnership contract management, intellectual property protection with free filing services, and startup creation support through incubator partnerships. The Tech-365 Platform serves as a digital marketplace providing access to over 1,000 public research technology offers with AI-optimized appointment scheduling. These services are delivered through a team of 39 employees with expertise in investment, business development, intellectual property, and legal support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Technology Transfer Services End-to-end technology transfer service that connects Alsatian public research laboratories with companies, evaluating research outputs, structuring transfer projects, and managing the full process from initial contact through deal closure. For researchers at public labs and companies seeking innovation.
• Innovation Project Financing Financing of proof-of-concept and maturation projects up to €500K per project, deployed from a dedicated €36M investment fund. For researchers from Alsatian public laboratories developing innovations with market potential.
• Intellectual Property Protection and Management Patent filing, intellectual property protection, and management of IP rights for innovations emerging from Alsatian public research laboratories, covering the full IP lifecycle from disclosure to granted patent.
• Startup Creation Support Support for the creation of deep-tech startups from public research, including incubation, mentoring, and connection with investors, helping researchers spin out companies based on their laboratory innovations.
• Public-Private Partnership Contracts and Licensing Drafting, negotiation, and management of public-private partnership contracts and licensing agreements between Alsatian public research laboratories and industrial partners, structuring collaboration frameworks and IP exploitation terms.
• Tech-365 Digital Technology Marketplace Digital marketplace showcasing 1,000+ technology offers from French public research, providing a national visibility platform where research institutions can present their innovations and companies can discover licensable technologies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 165 innovative projects supported since 2012
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SEMIAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Conectus and SEMIA innovative business incubator provide dedicated project managers specifically for projects resulting from public research. This partnership supports researchers and doctoral students in creating companies based on public research technologies.
• Quest for ChangecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Network of innovative business incubators providing expert project managers dedicated to company creation from public research. Works with Conectus to guide entrepreneurs through key steps of their entrepreneurial adventure.
• University of StrasbourgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Conectus shareholder and main research institution in Alsace. University of Strasbourg is the #1 French academic site with 74,000 students and ranks 5th most innovative university in France.
• University of Haute Alsace (UHA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Conectus shareholder and public research university in Mulhouse, Alsace, contributing to the regional innovation ecosystem.
• CNRS AlsacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012French National Centre for Scientific Research, one of the world's largest public research organizations, operating as a Conectus shareholder.
• INSERMcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012French National Institute of Health and Medical Research, Conectus shareholder providing expertise in life sciences and health research.
• INSA StrasbourgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012National Institute of Applied Sciences, Conectus shareholder and engineering school contributing scientific expertise.
• ENGEEScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012National School of Water, Environment and Building Engineering, Conectus shareholder contributing expertise in environmental engineering.
• National SATT NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Conectus is one of 13 French SATTs federated within the National SATT Network (satt.fr), sharing best practices and coordinating technology transfer activities nationwide.
• Réseau CURIEminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Conectus is a member of the CURIE Network, connecting public research technology transfer organizations.
• lesdeeptech.frminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2012Bpifrance-supported website dedicated to Deeptech startup creation. Connects entrepreneurs with 400+ deeptech entrepreneurs, provides funding help, and tools for startup creation.
• lesinnopreneurs.comminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2012Platform for innopreneurs from public research providing guidance and support for researchers exploring entrepreneurship opportunities.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Bpifrance: French public investment bank, Conectus shareholder and Programs for the Future administrator; the ecosystem partner that provides funding, follow-on capital and operates the i-Lab deeptech competition used by portfolio startups.

Broad incumbents

• Inserm Transfert: Technology transfer subsidiary of INSERM (a Conectus shareholder); handles health-focused academic licensing, startup creation and clinical asset maturation at national scale, overlapping with Conectus's healthtech deal flow.
• CNRS Innovation: CNRS's national tech transfer vehicle; manages broader and deeper IP and startup portfolio, providing a benchmark for Conectus's operating model in handling large state-research IP estates.

Direct peers

• Sayens (SATT Nord): SATT covering the Hauts-de-France/Bourgogne-Franche-Comté research perimeter; identical mission of detecting inventions from public labs, funding proof-of-concept and creating startups.
• AxLR (SATT Montpellier): SATT serving Languedoc-Roussillon public labs; matches Conectus on the PIA proof-of-concept investment fund model and the equity-take in academic spin-offs.
• SATT Ouest Valorisation: Western-France SATT covering Bretagne and Pays de la Loire research institutions; directly comparable tech transfer and equity-stake model for measuring SATT performance.
• Toulouse Tech Transfer: Toulouse-based SATT covering Occitanie public research labs; same PIA-funded investment fund, IP, and startup-creation model serving aerospace, health and digital deeptech.
• SATT Paris-Saclay: SATT for the Paris-Saclay research cluster; runs the same PIA-funded tech transfer engine (investment fund, IP, licensing) at much larger scale, providing a benchmark for Conectus's growth trajectory.
• AST Innovations (SATT Aquitaine): One of the 13 French SATTs serving Nouvelle-Aquitaine public labs; identical business model of proof-of-concept financing, IP management and startup creation makes it the closest regional comparable to Conectus.
• LinkSium (SATT Grenoble): SATT affiliated with Université Grenoble Alpes; identical mandate of maturing public research inventions, taking equity and running startup creation programs in deeptech/engineering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/conectusalsace

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about SATT Conectus