What Deeptech Founders does

Deeptech Founders is a Paris-based startup accelerator founded in 2019 that runs a four-to-five-month program to help entrepreneurial scientists and engineers commercialize academic research into science-based startups. The program is structured in four sequential phases: Inside the Lab (two months on business model, IP, fundraising, and pitch fundamentals), Bootcamp (two-day intensive with Bpifrance Dealflow team), Outside the Lab (two months of 50+ customer/investor interviews), and Closing Ceremony (final presentations). The founders include Xavier Duportet (former President of Hello Tomorrow, PhD in synthetic biology, MIT TR35 honoree) and Robert Marino (PhD in solid state physics, CEO of Qubit Pharmaceuticals, founding member of SATT Ile-de-France Innov), supported by operating partners with BCG and tech-transfer backgrounds.

The company monetizes primarily through program enrollment fees, charging €13,000 per team of 1-2 members and €2,500 per additional member, with negotiable pricing for institutional sponsors and co-financing options via French i-PhD grants and TTO partnerships. GTM motion is community-led and event-driven: recruitment flows from 45+ research institution partnerships (CEA, CNRS, INRIA, INSERM), TTO referrals, alumni network (500+ across 15+ countries), and i-Lab competition referrals. A specialized Healthcare Builders sub-brand, run with Newfund, addresses healthtech/medtech founders with 3-year time-to-market and pre-seed fundraising targets.

Customer segments include research scientists and engineers (primary persona), technology transfer professionals, young deeptech startups preparing for seed or Series A, and healthcare/medtech founders (a vertical-specific segment). Notable alumni include Alice & Bob, Pasqal, Qubit Pharmaceuticals, Aqemia, Gourmey, and C12, with 80 startups spun-off, 40 i-Lab laureates (10 grand prizes), and 800M€ collectively raised by alumni across all cohorts to date.

Name

Deeptech Founders

Legal name

Deeptech Founders (Collective Ventures)

Website

https://deeptechfounders.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Deeptech Founders is a Paris-based startup accelerator, founded in 2019, that runs a four-to-five-month program helping entrepreneurial scientists and engineers in Europe evaluate and commercialize their research into deeptech startups, with a parallel Healthcare Builders track for medtech founders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Acceleration Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD), Venture Studios / Company Builders (FSANAAAH)

Keywords

• Startup acceleration programs
• Deeptech entrepreneurship
• Science-based ventures
• Technology transfer support
• Healthtech medtech incubation

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

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. Accelerator Program Fees: The primary revenue stream is program enrollment fees. Teams of 1-2 members pay 13,000€; each additional member costs 2,500€ more. Pricing is negotiable based on number of teams. The program is 5 months long, delivered weekly via virtual sessions with dedicated operating partner support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Deeptech Founders is a four-to-five-month cohort-based accelerator program for entrepreneurial scientists, engineers, and early-stage deeptech startups. Participants work through four structured phases (Inside the Lab, Bootcamp, Outside the Lab, Closing Ceremony) to evaluate the commercial potential of their research, conduct 50+ market interviews, refine investor materials, and gain access to a network of 100+ mentors, 30+ investors, and 500+ alumni. A specialized Healthcare Builders track is run in partnership with Newfund for healthtech/medtech founders.

Product overview

Deeptech Founders operates a single primary offering: the Deeptech Founders Program, a four-to-five month intensive startup acceleration program for entrepreneurial scientists and engineers. The program is structured in four sequential phases (Inside the Lab, Bootcamp, Outside the Lab, and Closing Ceremony) designed to help participants evaluate technology potential, build a startup team and development plan, prepare for fundraising, and expand their network. Additionally, a specialized Healthcare Builders sub-brand offers a targeted track for healthtech/medtech startups in partnership with Newfund.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Healthcare Builders Program: A specialized healthcare/healthtech/medtech accelerator track run in partnership with Newfund for startups with 3-year time to market and planning to raise pre-seed within 12 months

Products and services

• Deeptech Founders Program A four-to-five-month intensive cohort-based acceleration program for entrepreneurial scientists and engineers to evaluate the commercial potential of their research and turn it into successful deeptech startups. The program runs in cohorts with weekly sessions and four sequential phases (Inside the Lab, Bootcamp, Outside the Lab, Closing Ceremony), including 50+ required stakeholder interviews, Bpifrance Dealflow pitch feedback, and access to a network of 100+ mentors, 30+ investors, and 500+ alumni.
• Healthcare Builders Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 80 startups spun-off from program
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Hello TomorrowcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeeptech Founders was created by some of the founding members of Hello Tomorrow, in partnership with Bpifrance. Hello Tomorrow is a global deeptech initiative and event series. Xavier Duportet founded Hello Tomorrow and transitioned to Honorary President role to start Deeptech Founders. The two organizations share ecosystem and provide cross-promotion.
• SATT Ile-de-FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeeptech Founders works in harmony with technology transfer offices including SATT Ile-de-France. Robert Marino was a founding member of SATT Ile-de-France Innov in 2012. The program helps researchers coordinate with their TTO and can sign confidentiality agreements to protect interactions.
• French Research Institutions (CEA, CNRS, INRIA, INSERM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeeptech Founders partners with 45+ French research institutions including CEA, CNRS, INRAE, INRIA, INSERM, IFPEN, Institut Curie, Institut d'Optique, Institut Pasteur, and major universities. Institutions provide participant access and co-financing for researchers.
• 100+ Science-Founder MentorscoreOthers100+ mentors who are successful science-founders share their experience through interactive masterclasses. Mentors include founders from DNA Script, Ynsect, Prophesee, Cellectis, and other deeptech companies. They provide field expertise and knowledge of issues at hand.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Global accelerator network with multiple vertical-specific programs (including deeptech/industrial); competes for European founder dealflow.
• Y Combinator: The dominant global startup accelerator — a much broader incumbent whose cohorts overlap with Deeptech Founders' deeptech sub-segment and compete for the same founders.

Direct peers

• Entrepreneur First: Global 'talent-first' accelerator investing in technical founders before they have a company — the closest functional peer to Deeptech Founders in mission, model, and founder profile.
• Creative Destruction Lab: Science-and technology-focused founder program with objective-setting cohorts for science-based ventures, closely aligned with Deeptech Founders' science-entrepreneur mandate.
• HAX: SOSV-operated accelerator focused on hardware and deeptech startups, with a global cohort model and strong investor/market access similar to Deeptech Founders' positioning.
• Antler: Global early-stage investor and accelerator that helps technical founders build companies from day zero, with a comparable cohort cadence and direct-investment orientation.
• IndieBio: Biotech-dedicated accelerator program; comparable vertical specialization within life sciences, similar deeptech founder pipeline.

Others

• Hello Tomorrow: Sister deeptech organization founded by Xavier Duportet; adjacent ecosystem player providing the global deeptech conference and community from which Deeptech Founders draws dealflow.
• Bpifrance Le Hub: Bpifrance's corporate accelerator and startup programs unit; strategic ecosystem partner and a broader public-sector accelerator operator with overlapping deeptech mandate.

Regional players

• Station F: Paris-based mega-incubator and ecosystem hub; shares geography and French deeptech dealflow with Deeptech Founders but is a generalist platform rather than a focused accelerator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 Deeptech Founders