BIG BOOSTER

Name

BIG BOOSTER

Legal name

Fondation BigBooster

Website

https://bigbooster.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Acceleration Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Educational Support Services (61171)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Capacity Building & Nonprofit Infrastructure Funders (BPAGAKAO)

Keywords

• Startup acceleration program
• International business development
• Mentorship programs
• Innovation ecosystem
• Positive impact startups

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

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

Revenue model

1. Non-profit Program Operations: BigBooster is a non-profit organization (Fondation BigBooster under the aegis of Fondation pour l'Université de Lyon) that does not take equity from startups and charges no fees. The program is funded through sponsorships, partnerships with regional economic development bodies, and corporate partners. Startups contribute €500 for lifetime alumni membership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BIG BOOSTER operates an international startup acceleration program that selects innovative startups with positive impact solutions and supports them through an annual cycle comprising a 2-3 day BoosterCamp intensive in Lyon and a 6-month Go Global phase exploring European and North American markets. The program is delivered at 0% equity and 0% program fees, with startups contributing €500 for lifetime alumni membership, and is supported by a community of 474+ mentors, judges, and experts across six partner territories.

Product overview

BIG BOOSTER is a non-profit international acceleration program for startups with positive impact solutions. The program consists of two main offerings: the BoosterCamp, an intensive multi-day event held in Lyon where entrepreneurs refine their international strategy, pitch, and business model with support from mentors and experts; and the Go Global Program, a 6-month tailored support phase for winning startups to explore target markets in Europe and North America. The company operates through a community of ~180+ boosters (mentors, judges, experts) and serves two cohorts—early stage startups building internationalization roadmaps and startups ready to explore new markets. The program is offered at 0 equity and 0 fees for startups.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BoosterCamp A 2-3 day intensive in-person event held in Lyon where selected startups refine their value proposition, test their business model, improve their pitch, and develop their international strategy with guidance from the community of mentors, experts, and judges. Held annually as the entry point to the acceleration cycle.
• Go Global Program A 6-month follow-on program for winning startups providing tailored mentoring, market exploration, local ecosystem deep dives, and access to decision-makers in target territories including Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (France), Baden-Württemberg (Germany), Catalonia (Spain), Lombardy (Italy), Quebec (Canada), and Pennsylvania (USA).
• Boosters Community A network of approximately 180+ mentors, judges, and experts from international partner territories who support startups through coaching, mentoring sessions, workshops, and jury evaluations throughout the BoosterCamp and Go Global phases.
• Early Stage Startups Track A cohort track within the BigBooster program for startups at an earlier stage who are creating a roadmap for future internationalization, providing global mindset development, pitch improvement, and network building support.
• Startups Ready to Explore Track A cohort track within the BigBooster program for startups ready to explore a new international market, offering expansion readiness assessment and qualification for the 6-month Go Global phase in target territories.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and major.

• Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes EntreprisescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development partner for the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in France, supporting startups and facilitating connections within the local innovation ecosystem.
• Baden-Württemberg InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman state agency for international business and technology transfer, supporting BigBooster startups entering the Baden-Württemberg market.
• ACCIÓ (Catalonia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatalan government agency for competitiveness and foreign trade, facilitating market access for startups in Spain's Catalonia region.
• Promos Italia / Invest in LombardycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian chambers of commerce and investment promotion agency supporting startups entering the Lombardy market.
• Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS state agency supporting economic development and helping startups enter the Pennsylvania market.
• Service économique de la Délégation générale du Québec à PariscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuebec government economic office in Paris supporting Canadian market entry for startups.
• Invest QuébeccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuebec government investment promotion agency facilitating startup market access in Canada.
• Écotech QuébecsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuebec cleantech cluster supporting environmental and sustainable technology startups.
• PromptsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuebec innovation cluster for collaborative R&D projects in information and communications technology.
• VINCImajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting BigBooster through skills sponsorship. François Debain, Regional Director at VINCI, serves on the BigBooster board.
• MichelinmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner providing mentorship through employee Frédéric Fourié and supporting the acceleration program.
• PULSALYScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology transfer and startup incubator for Lyon-Saint-Étienne. Sophie Jullian, Chairman of PULSALYS, serves as Chairman of BigBooster Foundation.
• Société GénéralemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate sponsor partner providing financial and organizational support to the BigBooster program.
• Le CampsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner supporting the BigBooster ecosystem and acceleration activities.
• Laurent & CharrascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManaging Partner Anne Buchet serves on the BigBooster board as one of the three founding members.
• Schneider ElectricmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting BigBooster through skills sponsorship. Isabelle Guillaume, Strategic Projects' Vice-President, serves as BigBooster President and was previously a mentor for seasons 1, 2, and 5.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Antler: Global early-stage investor and accelerator with operations across Europe, North America and beyond; competes directly for international-ready founders and offers global market access support.
• NUMA: Paris-based international accelerator and innovation hub running acceleration programs similar in structure to BigBooster, including internationalization support for early-stage startups.
• MassChallenge: Global non-equity startup accelerator with flagship programs in Boston and multiple international locations including Lyon; explicitly named as a partner of BigBooster and operates a comparable zero-equity, multi-territory model.
• Startupbootcamp: Global accelerator with programs in Europe and North America serving startups ready to scale internationally; comparable cohort-based format and cross-border market access targeting.

Regional players

• Euratechnologies: Lille-based tech hub and accelerator running programs for international startups entering France; comparable model of regional government-backed international acceleration.
• Bpifrance Le Hub: French public investment bank's startup support and acceleration programs; operates with public-sector sponsorship similar to BigBooster and targets French founders seeking growth resources.
• Le Camp: Quebec-based innovation hub and accelerator explicitly listed as a regional partner of BigBooster; serves a comparable North American startup audience within the Quebec ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Station F: Largest startup campus in Paris hosting dozens of acceleration programs; serves a similar French and international early-stage startup audience and competes for visibility and partnerships.
• Techstars: Global accelerator network running programs across multiple countries and verticals; competes for the same international early-stage founders and offers equity-based mentorship that BigBooster's no-equity model must counter.

Emerging players

• HEC Challenge+: HEC Montréal's startup acceleration program focused on international market expansion for Quebec-based founders; overlaps with BigBooster's Go Global phase targeting Quebec territory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BigBoosterOrg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@bigboosterofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-booster

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments3 records

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

Frequently asked questions about BIG BOOSTER