EMERGING Valley

What EMERGING Valley does

EMERGING Valley, operated by privately held Startupbrics SAS (RCS Marseille 813 183 837), is an annual international summit founded in 2017 by Samir Abdelkrim in Aix-Marseille-Provence, France. It positions itself as a reference conference for accelerating innovation, startups, and tech investments between Africa and Europe, anchored under the recurring High Patronage of French President Emmanuel Macron. The 9th edition is scheduled for November 26, 2025 at Thecamp, Marseille, with a cumulative reported community of 13,600+ participants, 750+ startups, 140+ investors, and 850+ speakers from 93 countries across all editions.

The product portfolio centers on the annual summit and extends year-round through several complementary offerings: the Provence Africa Connect soft-landing program (a public-private initiative helping African startups establish European operations in Aix-Marseille-Provence), the Prix Provence Africa Connect pitch competition, the EMERGING Mediterranean regional extension, the annual Livre Blanc white paper publication, and an EMERGING Valley podcast series distributed on Spotify. Underlying technology is limited to digital platforms — emergingvalley.co, emergingmediterranean.co, startupbrics.com, and emergingvalley.online — used for event registration, content publishing, and community management; the organization is not a technology builder.

The revenue model relies on tiered event sponsorship (Premium, Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Bronze tiers) combined with participant registration fees, sold primarily to public institutions and development agencies rather than private commercial sponsors. Customer segments split between African tech startups (seeking European visibility and soft-landing), European/international investors (seeking deal flow), European institutions and development agencies (pursuing bilateral cooperation), and European corporates (scouting partnerships). Headcount is reported at 1-10, and the organization does not disclose revenue figures.

Name

EMERGING Valley

Legal name

Startupbrics

Website

https://emergingvalley.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EMERGING Valley is a Marseille-based annual international summit (founded 2017) operated by Startupbrics SAS that connects African tech startups with European investors, corporates, and institutions, complemented by year-round soft-landing and Mediterranean innovation programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conference and Summit Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAHACAM

Virtual/Hybrid Conference Production & Platform Management

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Professional Conference Organizers (PCOs) & Meeting Planners

SECONDARYMPAGAGAK

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Conventions & Conferences (Business Events)

Keywords

• International tech summit
• Startup acceleration programs
• Venture capital events
• Africa Europe innovation
• Soft-landing programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Marseille

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Event Sponsorship: EMERGING Valley generates revenue through tiered sponsorship packages (Premium, Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Bronze) that provide visibility, networking access, and brand positioning at the annual summit. Sponsors receive varying levels of exposure including logo placement, speaking opportunities, and exclusive networking sessions.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue generated from participant registrations for the annual summit, startup pitches, and networking sessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

EMERGING Valley operates an annual international summit held at Thecamp in Aix-Marseille-Provence, France, dedicated to accelerating tech innovation, startup development, and investment between Africa and Europe. It supplements the summit with year-round programs including the Soft-Landing Provence Africa Connect program, the Prix Provence Africa Connect pitch competition, the EMERGING Valley podcasts, the EMERGING Mediterranean initiative, and an annual Livre Blanc (white paper) publication. Sponsorship packages (Premium, Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Bronze) and participant registrations are the primary revenue sources.

Product overview

EMERGING Valley operates as a multi-product innovation platform centered around its annual international summit in Aix-Marseille-Provence, France. The core offering is the EMERGING Valley Summit, a flagship event connecting tech leaders, startups, and investors from Africa and Europe. Complementary products include the Provence Africa Connect Program and its associated Prix competition for startup awards, the EMERGING Valley Podcasts series for ongoing content, the annual Livre Blanc white paper publication, and the EMERGING Mediterranean regional initiative. The platform also includes an online registration platform and soft-landing programs for African startups entering the European market. The ecosystem collectively positions Marseille as a hub for Euro-African tech innovation and cross-continental business development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EMERGING Valley Summit Flagship annual international summit held at Thecamp in Aix-Marseille-Provence, France, serving as the premier convening platform for tech innovation, startup acceleration, and investment between Africa and Europe. Targets startups, investors, corporations, and institutions from 93+ countries.
• Provence Africa Connect Program Public-private initiative supporting African startups with soft-landing and scaling into Europe, providing mentorship, networking, and business development opportunities through the Aix-Marseille hub. Operated in partnership with Métropole Aix-Marseille-Provence, Africalink, and Marseille Innovation.
• Prix Provence Africa Connect Annual innovation competition awarded to entrepreneurs building bridges between Africa and Europe, offering visibility and support packages including communication, Africalink membership, and exposure at the EMERGING Valley summit.
• EMERGING Valley Podcasts Audio content series featuring interviews, discussions, and insights from summit speakers and ecosystem leaders on tech, innovation, and Euro-African cooperation. Hosted on Spotify.
• EMERGING Valley Online Platform Digital platform supporting summit registration, speaker management, program access, and virtual participation in EMERGING Valley events.
• Livre Blanc (White Paper) Annual publication of 100+ pages analyzing innovation dynamics between Europe, Africa, and the Mediterranean, featuring expert insights and ecosystem analysis.
• EMERGING Mediterranean Regional extension of EMERGING Valley focused on Mediterranean innovation, promoting Tech for Good and supporting emerging tech leaders in North Africa. Selected by the 5+5 States among 14 civil society initiatives.
• Soft-Landing Program Structured support program helping African startups establish presence in Aix-Marseille-Provence, including administrative assistance, networking, and acceleration services.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13,600+ participants mobilized since 2017
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• Metropole Aix-Marseille-ProvenceflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 November 2025Premium partner of EMERGING Valley. The Metropolis provides institutional support and serves as the territorial anchor for the Africa-Europe innovation hub, hosting the annual summit and supporting the Soft-Landing Provence Africa Connect program.
• AFD Group (Agence Française de Développement)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 November 2025Diamond partner and key supporter of Mediterranean Positive initiative. AFD partners with EMERGING Valley to strengthen Euro-Mediterranean cooperation through tech innovation and sustainable development.
• OVHcloudminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor providing cloud infrastructure support and visibility at the summit.
• Plug and Play Tech CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor tech accelerator that has established operations in Marseille. Managing Director Yves Cabanac leads Plug and Play France and Africa, representing a key bridge between European and African startup ecosystems.
• Flat6LabscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional startup accelerator with operations across MENA and Africa. Director of Global Partnerships Faten Aissi participates as speaker, facilitating connections between EMERGING Valley and the Flat6Labs portfolio.
• Expertise FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench public agency for international technical cooperation. Participates through Greenov'i initiative and sustainable economy programs.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman development agency participating as Gold partner. Supports cross-border innovation initiatives between Africa and Europe.
• AfricalinkflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity of entrepreneurs and SMEs connecting Europe, Mediterranean, and Africa. Délégué Général Denis Bergé works with EMERGING Valley on the Provence Africa Connect program, providing soft-landing support for African startups.
• Marseille InnovationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBusiness incubator supporting startup development in Marseille. Provides acceleration services to laureates of Provence Africa Connect competition.
• KEDGE Business SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness school participating through entrepreneurship programs and incubator support.
• ANIMA Investment NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestment network supporting business and investment links across the Mediterranean region. Emmanuel Noutary represents ANIMA at EMERGING Valley.
• French Tech Aix-Marseille Region SudcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Tech community providing network access for laureates of the Provence Africa Connect competition.
• EBAN (European Business Angel Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean network of business angels. Board Member Marcel Bruno Dridje participates, facilitating cross-border angel investments.
• Technopôle de l'ArboisminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTechnology park providing hosting and acceleration services for technology projects including competition laureates.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• VivaTech: Annual tech and startup summit held in Paris, one of Europe's flagship startup/investor events. Directly comparable as a large-scale European tech conference that brings together startups, investors and corporates, though with a broader geographic and thematic remit than EMERGING Valley's Africa-Europe corridor focus.
• GITEX Africa: Africa-focused edition of the GITEX technology exhibition held in Morocco. Comparable as the principal large-scale African tech summit connecting startups, investors and governments, competing directly for the same continental deal-flow narrative EMERGING Valley owns in Marseille.
• Africa Tech Summit (ATS): Pan-African tech and investment conference held in Nairobi and Cape Town. Directly comparable as an Africa-focused summit that curates startup-investor matchmaking, pitch competitions and ecosystem programming, competing for the same African founder and investor audience.
• Slush: Helsinki-based founder-led tech and startup conference with strong investor programming. Comparable as a similarly curated, community-driven startup summit model, though its geographic focus is Northern Europe rather than Africa-Europe.

Emerging players

• VivaTech Africa: Africa-track and partnerships within VivaTech's portfolio addressing African startups and investors. Comparable as an emerging player in the Africa-Europe tech summit category that could erode EMERGING Valley's niche if scaled.
• Innovate Africa: Forum focused on African innovation and investment held in European venues. Comparable as an emerging event organizer targeting the same Africa-to-Europe founder-investor bridge that EMERGING Valley has built.

Broad incumbents

• Web Summit: Global tech conference operator (Lisbon, Rio, Qatar, Vancouver etc.). Comparable as a multi-track tech and investor summit with massive sponsor ecosystems, but with a global rather than Africa-Europe specific positioning, making it a broader incumbent rather than a direct competitor.
• World Summit AI: Global AI and emerging-tech summit with European editions. Comparable as a broader incumbent conference operator whose speaker and sponsor pool overlaps with EMERGING Valley's AI/tech programming, particularly for the 2025 inclusive-AI focus.

Regional players

• Hub Africa: Long-running African innovation and startup event held in Morocco. Comparable as a regional Africa-focused ecosystem event serving founders, investors and institutions, and a peer within the Mediterranean-Africa corridor from the African side.

Others

• Marseille Innovation: Marseille-based business incubator and a Core implementation partner of EMERGING Valley. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem player delivering acceleration services to EMERGING Valley's competition laureates and soft-landing cohorts, providing partner-level rather than direct competition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/emergingvalley
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9ezJj5TlMkLedJw1WFLqSw/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/EMERGINGValley
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/emergingvalley
• Instagraminstagram.com/emergingvalley

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 EMERGING Valley