What H7 does

H7 is a responsible accelerator and digital hub based in Lyon, France, founded in 2019. It supports startups across multiple verticals — including digital inclusion (13M), sustainable food (Alimentation durable), legal technology (LegalTech), Web3, and African growth (yprlink) — through structured thematic programs, a 1,000+ member community of entrepreneurs, large companies, investment funds, experts, and partner schools, and a 3,000m² physical workspace with a 1,000m² event hall and the HEAT public food hall. Its flagship 3-month program, shortcut, runs with a board of 18 mentors and explicitly does not take equity from participating startups.

The business is services-led and partner-funded rather than technology-led. H7 does not develop proprietary software; its technology assets are limited to its website, newsletter, event platforms, and Typeform-based applications. Revenue derives from corporate club memberships (Club Marque Employeur with TBWA\Corporate, Club Open Innovation with Digital League), program co-funding from anchor partners (Crédit Mutuel Sud-Est as founding partner, Banque des Territoires for 13M, SUEZ for Alimentation durable), and likely public-sector support as the Métropole de Lyon's "lieu totem du numérique." Pricing is not publicly disclosed and key programs (hors-séries, 1 verre 1 job, shortcut) are free for participants. Since 2019, H7 has supported 200+ startup projects that have collectively raised €259M, with reported 3x average revenue growth and 80% average headcount growth during acceleration.

Name

H7

Legal name

H7

Website

https://h-7.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

H7 is a Lyon-based responsible accelerator and digital hub that runs thematic startup programs (shortcut, 13M, LegalTech, Alimentation durable, Web3, yprlink), corporate clubs, and signature events (zero to one, H7 IA) for startups, large companies, and public-sector partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Acceleration Services

NAICS

Business Support Services (5614)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Remote Access, Virtual Workspaces & Digital HQ (BPAMAMAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

On-Demand Video Hosting & Content Repurposing (VOD Libraries, Highlights, Editing) (THAHAOAN)

Keywords

• Startup acceleration programs
• Digital inclusion accelerator
• Employer brand services
• Open innovation clubs
• Startup community events

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Accelerator Program Fees: H7 operates as an accelerator running multiple thematic programs (shortcut, 13M digital inclusion, LegalTech, Web3, sustainable food, etc.) for startups. Revenue is likely generated through partner fees, public funding, and corporate sponsorship rather than direct startup fees. Shortcut explicitly states no equity stake is taken from startups.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

H7 is a responsible startup accelerator and digital hub based in Lyon, France, that runs multiple thematic 3- to 9-month acceleration programs (shortcut, 13M digital inclusion, LegalTech, Alimentation durable, Web3, yprlink Africa), enterprise clubs (Club Marque Employeur, Club Open Innovation), large-scale events (zero to one, H7 IA, 1 Verre 1 Job, talma), and operates a 4,000 m² physical living space. H7 connects startups with a 1,000+ member ecosystem of corporates, investors, mentors, and schools without taking equity from accelerated startups.

Product overview

H7 is a responsible accelerator based in Lyon, France, operating multiple programs including acceleration initiatives (shortcut, 13M, LegalTech, Alimentation durable), events (zero to one, H7 IA, 1 Verre 1 Job, talma, hors-séries), and enterprise clubs (Club Marque Employeur, Club Open Innovation). The organization also maintains a 4,000 m2 living space venue and publishes media resources for entrepreneurs. Programs are operated in partnership with organizations such as SUEZ, Lyon Métropole Habitat, Banque des Territoires, Groupe SOS, Digital League, and TBWA\Corporate.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• shortcut A 3-month acceleration program for startups seeking to raise funds, recruit talent, or find partners, featuring a board of 18 mentors with no equity stake taken. Targeted at early-stage startup founders.
• 13M - Accélérer l'inclusion numérique Acceleration program co-operated with Banque des Territoires, Nantes Métropole, Métropole de Lyon, and Groupe SOS to accelerate digital inclusion projects. Three editions address equipment access, usage skills, and connectivity.
• LegalTech Program A 3-month program partnering with the Lyon Bar Association to coach and support LegalTech projects transforming the legal sector.
• Alimentation durable Program A 9-month program in partnership with SUEZ and Lyon Métropole Habitat supporting innovative projects for sustainable food systems, with coaching, mentorship, expert workshops, and visibility opportunities.
• hors-séries A strategic financing preparation program spanning 3 months with expert sessions on business model, tech, and finance topics, culminating in a Demo Day at zero to one. Free of charge, with 1 additional month of hosting included.
• zero to one Flagship annual startup event organized by H7 in Lyon, featuring conferences, pitches, and networking with over 1,200 participants, 50+ speakers, and 4 stages. Now in its 4th edition (May 2025).
• H7 IA Series of events, workshops, and conferences focused on artificial intelligence in Lyon, including Demo Days showcasing AI startups. Partners include socIAty, Microsoft, and BotRank.ai.
• 1 Verre 1 Job Job-dating event connecting candidates with startups and companies in Lyon through informal networking over drinks. Has been held 8 times. Free for attendees.
• talma France's first event dedicated to employer brand, organized by H7, scheduled for March 12, 2026 in Lyon.
• Club Marque Employeur Club for employer brand development operated with TBWA\Corporate, offering thematic sessions and immersive half-days for ETIs (intermediate-sized enterprises).
• Club Open Innovation Club for open innovation operated with Digital League, offering 7 workshops and 5 co-development sessions annually for large companies and ETIs, focused on digital, creativity, and societal impact.
• H7 Living Space A 4,000 m² collaborative venue in Lyon comprising 3,000 m² of workspaces, a 1,000 m² event hall, and HEAT food hall open to the public, serving as the physical hub of H7's accelerator.

Quantifiable outcome

• Startups triple their revenue on average during acceleration at H7
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

30 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SUEZcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019SUEZ is a co-operator of multiple H7 programs including the sustainable food program ('Innover pour une alimentation durable') and the Solutions Climat competition. SUEZ provides strategic mentors (9 dedicated per project), expert content, and field expertise in ecological transition. H7 provides ecosystem access, startup sourcing, and acceleration infrastructure.
• Lyon Métropole HabitatcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Lyon Métropole Habitat (LMH) is a key H7 partner, providing housing infrastructure for programs like the sustainable food initiative. LMH operates 33,400 social housing units serving 65,000+ tenants, providing startups with real-world testing environments and territorial reach.
• Banque des TerritoirescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBanque des Territoires is the lead partner of 13M, France's first accelerator dedicated to digital inclusion. The program runs across three editions (2023–2026) in Lyon and Nantes, supporting 8 laureates per edition addressing three digital inclusion challenges: equipment access, usage skills, and connectivity.
• Groupe SOScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroupe SOS is a co-porteur of the 13M digital inclusion accelerator alongside H7 and Banque des Territoires, contributing social impact expertise and access to vulnerable populations.
• Nantes MétropolecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNantes Métropole co-porteurs the 13M digital inclusion accelerator with H7, Banque des Territoires, and Groupe SOS, extending the program to the Nantes territory.
• TBWA\CorporatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTBWA\Corporate co-animates the Club Marque Employeur with H7, providing employer brand strategy expertise. Claire-Marie Kimmig (Directrice des Stratégies Marque Employeur) and Thomas Giry (Directeur de Clientèle Marque Employeur) lead sessions for ETI members. TBWA\Corporate has 30+ experts across brand, employer brand, and influence.
• Digital LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital League co-animates the Club Open Innovation with H7, bringing together large companies and ETI for open innovation workshops. The club organizes 7 workshops and 5 co-development sessions annually, focused on digital, creativity, and societal impact.
• Barreau de LyonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarreau de Lyon partnered with H7 for the LegalTech program — a 3-month program to support projects revolutionizing the legal sector. The partnership discovered, coached, and accelerated LegalTech startups.
• iExecminorStrategic or Co-development PartneriExec co-operates the H7 Web3 program with H7, supporting blockchain and decentralized technology startups.
• LAfricaMobileminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLAfricaMobile partners with H7 and Possible.Africa on yprlink, a challenge to accelerate startup growth in Africa.
• Possible.AfricaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPossible.Africa co-operates the yprlink Africa acceleration challenge with H7 and LAfricaMobile.
• socIAtyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnersocIAty co-organizes the Demo Day H7 IA events with H7, bringing together the Lyon AI community and showcasing AI startups.
• BotRank.aiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBotRank.ai co-authored H7's GEO guide (2026), providing AI search engine optimization expertise. BotRank.ai is positioned as a partner for H7's content marketing on AI visibility topics.
• France DigitaleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFrance Digitale co-authored H7's GEO guide and is referenced as France's largest startup association with 2000+ digital startup and investor members. H7 IA events reference France Digitale's AI Mapping showing Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes as France's #2 AI territory.
• WeglotminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWeglot co-authored H7's internationalization guide ('Les 4 bonnes pratiques pour s'exporter à l'international'), providing translation and localization expertise.
• WyngsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWyngs co-authored H7's internationalization guide alongside Weglot, providing market entry expertise for Germany and other markets.
• iii-FinancementsminorStrategic or Co-development Partneriii-Financements co-operates the hors-séries financing preparation program with H7. Romain Brun (Partner) provides expert guidance on non-dilutive financing, Bpifrance, and financial roadmap optimization.
• JabersonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJaberson is a business law firm specializing in startup financing. Hugo Besson (Avocat Senior) co-authored H7's fundraising guide ('Les 4 bonnes pratiques pour lever des fonds en 2026') providing legal and fiscal expertise for startups.
• MicrosoftminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrosoft partnered with H7 IA for the 'Accélérez votre start-up avec la GenAI' workshop, providing AI platform expertise and ecosystem resources for startups.
• JobTeaserminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJobTeaser is referenced in H7's employer brand content as a job board dedicated to young talents. Michael Giaj (Insight Manager) provides expertise on attracting young graduates.
• Welcome to the JungleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWelcome to the Jungle (Alice Hagger, Chief Brand & Marketing Officer) contributed to H7's employer brand content, providing expertise on authentic employer branding and content strategy.
• TeamtailorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTeamtailor's Country Manager France (Adrien Vicard) contributed to H7's employer brand content on AI-powered recruitment and ATS solutions for customizing candidate experiences.
• BlifyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBlify (Cofondateur Clément Lhommeau) contributed to H7's employer brand content on manager training as a retention lever. Blify's data shows 94% of employees stay longer in companies investing in career development.
• HuggyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHuggy (Fondateur Baptiste Prive) contributed to H7's employer brand content on circular recruitment practices, helping rejected candidates find similar positions.
• La French Tech STLminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLa French Tech STL is a partner of 1 verre 1 job events, supporting the Lyon startup ecosystem job-dating initiative.
• APECminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAPEC is a partner of 1 verre 1 job job-dating events, providing visibility to the recruiting event for experienced professionals.
• Pulse (Pulse Group)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPulse Group is referenced as a partner in the 13M digital inclusion program alongside Banque des Territoires, H7, and Groupe SOS.
• Réseau CanopéminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRéseau Canopé partnered with H7 IA and Métropole de Lyon for a conference on 'Enseigner l'IA autrement' — teaching AI adoption in organizations.
• Lior AgencyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLior Agency is listed as the first Google Cloud partner exclusively dedicated to Generative AI, featured as an H7 IA startup demonstrating 10 years of cloud experience for AI.
• HEAT (Halle à manger)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEAT is the food hall operated at H7's Lyon headquarters, open to the public. It is part of H7's 'lieu de vie' (living space) concept and provides networking and community-building opportunities.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Station F: Station F is the world's largest startup campus, located in Paris and hosting more than 30 accelerator programs. It is directly comparable to H7 as a large, partner-program-driven French startup hub serving founders and corporates.
• The Family: The Family built a French/European startup support community with cohorts, founder education, and investor network access — comparable to H7's community-led GTM motion and startup support programs.
• Euratechnologies: Euratechnologies is a French public/private incubator and innovation campus in Lille running thematic acceleration programs with corporates and institutions — comparable to H7's public-sector-backed hub + thematic acceleration model.
• 50 Partners: 50 Partners is a French startup accelerator running multi-month thematic acceleration programs with corporate and institutional partners. It is comparable to H7's shortcut, hors-séries, and vertically co-operated programs (LegalTech, Alimentation Durable, 13M).
• NUMA: NUMA is a French-founded global startup accelerator that combines thematic acceleration programs, a coworking/digital hub, and a community of entrepreneurs and corporates — the closest analog to H7's 'responsible accelerator + physical hub + partner-funded programs' model.
• Village by CA: Village by CA is Crédit Agricole's network of startup accelerators across France, co-located with bank branches and offering themed programs with corporate sponsors. It is structurally similar to H7's Crédit Mutuel Sud-Est partnership and partner-co-operated model.

Broad incumbents

• Wayra (Telefónica): Wayra is Telefónica's global corporate accelerator network operating in multiple countries with hub-based programs and corporate-sponsored cohorts — comparable to H7 as a broad incumbent in the accelerator space with corporate backing.
• Techstars: Techstars is one of the largest global accelerator operators running equity-bearing programs in dozens of cities with corporate partners — a broader benchmark incumbent against which H7's regional, no-equity, partner-funded model is positioned.

Emerging players

• Impulse Partners: Impulse Partners is a French innovation consultancy and startup/venture platform connecting corporates with startups — a partial overlap with H7's enterprise club (Club Open Innovation) and open-innovation offerings.
• Le Camping (NUMA predecessor sibling): Le Camping is a Paris-based French startup accelerator focused on early-stage digital startups with mentor and partner support — comparable to H7's shortcut program in cohort size, duration, and founder-development orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/H7lyon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/h7lyon
• Facebookfacebook.com/H7lyon

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

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about H7