What Castres-Mazamet Technopole does

Castres-Mazamet Technopole is a French non-profit association (association loi 1901), founded in 2006 and headquartered in Castres, Occitanie, that operates as the sole RETIS-labelled Technopole in the Tarn department. It provides full-cycle innovation support — pre-incubation (6 months), incubation (12 months), business-nursery residency, acceleration, scientific animation, and territorial marketing — to project carriers (students, researchers, job seekers, employees in reconversion) and innovative SMEs across e-health, chemistry, and digital sectors. Core infrastructure includes two business hotels (Arobase, Bradford), the InnoFab Fab Lab, and three research platforms: GALA (galenical formulation with Mines Albi-Carmaux and five laboratories), the Connected Health Lab (220 m² living lab at ISIS), and ILIPACK (packaging qualification). Strategic focus is anchored by Pierre Fabre, the Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal, and the annual Universitè de la e-santé conference (16+ years running, described as one of France's major e-health events).

The organisation does not generate commercial revenue from incubated companies; instead, it is financed by four founding institutional partners (Communauté d'agglomération de Castres-Mazamet, Laboratoires Pierre Fabre, CCI du Tarn, CMA du Tarn) and public backers including Région Occitanie, with complementary support from BPI France, EDF, URSSAF, CEA Tech, and SATT Toulouse Tech Transfer. Services are provided at subsidised rates, and pricing is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is direct and partner-driven: prospective entrepreneurs reach the Technopole through its website, partner referrals (CCI, CMA, Pierre Fabre, IUT, ISIS, Mines Albi), the Universitè de la e-santé, and an active content presence (Innovacast and Universitè e-santé podcasts, YouTube e-santé TV, newsletter, social channels). Track record includes 1,000+ companies and projects supported since inception, La Luciole (€7,500 grant eco-innovation incubator launched September 2023), and notable graduates such as Floatee (€2M raised, 10,000+ anti-drowning units sold) and Neurolixis (clinical trial for NLX-112 in Parkinson's disease). Governance is via a Bureau representing the four founders, currently led by President Catherine Durand (since September 2020) and Director Yann Peter.

Name

Castres-Mazamet Technopole

Legal name

Castres-Mazamet Technopole

Website

https://castres-mazamet-technopole.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Castres-Mazamet Technopole is a French non-profit (association loi 1901) founded in 2006 that delivers pre-incubation, incubation, business-nursery residency, and shared R&D platforms to innovative startups, SMEs, and researchers in e-health, chemistry, and digital sectors on the Castres-Mazamet territory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Innovation Incubation Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Venture Studios & Incubators (Build/launch ventures) (FSANAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB)

Keywords

• Business incubation programs
• Innovation support services
• Technology transfer platforms
• Startup acceleration programs
• Digital health ecosystem

Headquarters

HQ city

Castres

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Association non-lucrative / Public funding model: Castres-Mazamet Technopole is a non-profit association (Association à but non lucratif) governed by the law of 1901. It is financed by its institutional founders (Communauté d'agglomération de Castres-Mazamet, Laboratoires Pierre Fabre, CCI du Tarn, CMA du Tarn) and public partners including Région Occitanie. It does not generate commercial revenue from its incubated companies but provides services at subsidised rates.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Castres-Mazamet Technopole is a non-profit innovation support organisation that delivers pre-incubation, incubation, and acceleration programmes to innovative project carriers and SMEs on the Castres-Mazamet territory. It operates business nurseries (Arobase, Bradford), an eco-innovation incubator (La Luciole), a Fab Lab (InnoFab), research platforms (GALA, Connected Health Lab, ILIPACK), and convenes the annual Université de la e-santé conference. Its focus sectors are e-health, ecological transition, chemistry, and digital innovation.

Product overview

Castres-Mazamet Technopole operates as a technology park and innovation support organization established in 2006 by the Castres-Mazamet community, Pierre Fabre Laboratories, and local chambers of commerce. Its portfolio comprises incubation programs (Incubateur by CMT and La Luciole for ecological transition), business nurseries (Arobase and Bradford), the InnoFab Fab Lab for prototyping, research platforms (GALA for galenic formulation, ILIPACK for packaging, Connected Health Lab for health innovation), and event/content offerings (Université de la e-santé, Innovacast podcasts). The organization focuses on supporting innovative projects in e-health, digital, and chemistry sectors through pre-incubation, incubation, acceleration, and networking services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• La Luciole: Incubator dedicated to ecological transition, offering 12-month accompaniment, network of expert partners, €7,500 endowment, and support for financing applications to Région, BPI, and ADEME.
• InnoFab
• Université de la e-santé

Products and services

• Pré-incubation Program

Quantifiable outcome

• La Luciole laureates each receive a €7,500 grant plus expert network access
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

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

• Région OccitaniecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrincipal regional authority providing ongoing financial support to the Technopole. Régions are key public investors in French innovation ecosystems. Mentioned as the body providing funding for the La Luciole eco-innovation incubator programme.
• Communauté d'agglomération de Castres-MazametcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member and primary institutional backer of Castres-Mazamet Technopole. Provides ongoing funding, co-governance (3 representatives on the Bureau), and hosts the business nursery premises (Arobase, Bradford, Le Causse).
• Laboratoires Pierre FabrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member and principal private-sector anchor of the Technopole. Olivier Siegler (VP & Secretary General, Pierre Fabre SA) sits on the Bureau. The Pierre Fabre group shapes the Technopole's e-health strategic focus and provides industry access.
• Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie du Tarn (CCI Tarn)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member represented on the Bureau by Michel Bossi (President). Contributes business network access, legitimacy, and co-financing.
• Chambre des Métiers et de l'Artisanat du Tarn (CMA Tarn)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member represented on the Bureau by Jean-Michel Camps (President). Provides craft-industry and SME network access.
• CEA TechcoreTechnology or IntegrationCEA (Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives) is among the world's top 100 innovation actors. CEA Tech conducts 'Rencontres CEA' events at Castres bringing research capabilities to local companies for competitiveness improvement. Multiple collaboration events held since 2024.
• ISIS - Ecole d'Ingénieurs (Université Champollion)coreTechnology or IntegrationFirst French engineering school with 'Santé' (health) in its name. Hosts the Connected Health Lab (220m² living lab) at the La Borde Basse campus. Key partner for e-health specialisation and student entrepreneurship (ISIS being the source of multiple incubated projects).
• IUT Paul Sabatier (Toulouse III)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education institute with Castres campus offering Chemistry, MMI, Packaging, and Commerce programmes. Source of student entrepreneurs and talent pipeline. Hosts the ILIPACK packaging qualification platform.
• Mines Albi-Carmaux (IMT)coreTechnology or IntegrationEngineering school carrying the GALA® technological platform, a collaborative R&D facility oriented toward innovative dosage forms for health, cosmetics, chemistry, and agrifood sectors, associating 5 research laboratories.
• Eurobiomed (Pôle de compétitivité)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompetitiveness cluster (formerly Cancer-Bio-Santé) for the health industry. Supports GALA platform identification and connects Technopole companies to a wider health innovation ecosystem.
• Ad'occ (Agence Occitanie Développement)', 'Réso IP+majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional development agency Ad'occ and its Réso IP+ innovation network connecting French technopoles and incubators, providing cross-territorial visibility and programme coordination (including the La Startup est dans le pré competition).
• SATT Toulouse Tech TransfermajorTechnology or IntegrationTechnology transfer company managing the transfer of public research to industry, providing a bridge for academic IP exploitation benefiting Technopole companies.
• RETIS Network, EBN (European Business Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational (RETIS) and European (EBN) certification networks. RETIS renewed the Technopole's label for 7 years in 2020, providing quality assurance, peer benchmarking, and international visibility.
• Université de Toulouse / PEPITEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Technopole participates in the D2E (Diplôme d'Etudiants Entrepreneurs) jury process organised by Université Fédérale de Toulouse. Ohir Esport was the second D2E project to integrate the Incubateur by CMT.
• Créalia OccitanieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOccitanie regional network of business incubators providing shared resources, best practices, and cross-incubator programme coordination.
• Fidal, KPMG, Lauma Communication, OPS Partner (expert firms)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProfessional services firms providing expertise to Technopole companies during thematic webinars (legal, fiscal, HR, communication, strategy), particularly during the COVID-19 crisis support programme.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Technopole de l'Aube en Champagne: RETIS-labelled French Technopole providing incubation and innovation support services to its local territory (Aube, Grand Est). Directly comparable as another territorial Technopole with similar incubation, fab lab, and ecosystem animation roles.
• Agoranov: Paris-based deep-tech incubator supporting innovative startups from lab to market. Comparable as a French innovation hub running structured incubation programmes and serving technology-driven founders.
• BIC Montpellier: Business Innovation Centre in Montpellier providing incubation, acceleration, and innovation services to innovative startups. Comparable as a French regional incubator offering structured startup support programmes in southern France.
• Eurobiomed: French health competitiveness cluster covering the south of France, focused on health innovation. Comparable as a partner of Castres-Mazamet Technopole and as a sectoral peer specializing in health-tech project support and ecosystem building in the same geography.
• Euratechnologies: Major French technopole and startup incubator in Lille offering incubation, acceleration, and fab lab services with strong corporate partnerships. Comparable as a French territorial innovation hub with similar incubation, event, and ecosystem-building services.
• Technopôle Brest Iroise: French RETIS-labelled Technopole providing incubation, business nursery services and innovation support to its territory (Brest, Brittany). Directly comparable as a territorial innovation hub delivering incubation, fab lab, and networking programmes to local project carriers.

Broad incumbents

• Paris&Co: Paris-based innovation agency running multiple sector-specific incubators and programs. Comparable in its incubation and territorial marketing role but at much larger scale and broader scope than the Castres-Mazamet Technopole.
• La French Tech: National French tech ecosystem movement coordinating startups, investors, and innovation hubs across France. Comparable as a broader ecosystem enabler that overlaps with the Castres-Mazamet Technopole's territorial innovation mandate.

Others

• SATT Toulouse Tech Transfer: Technology transfer company accelerating the transfer of public research to industry in the Toulouse/Occitanie region. Comparable as a regional innovation enabler and partner of the Technopole that bridges academic research and commercial ventures.
• CEA Tech: French public R&D institute focused on technology transfer to industry. Comparable as a partner of the Technopole and a broader ecosystem enabler providing research capabilities and innovation support to French companies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cmtechnopole
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCG9cGdIXDQstfFNNgKkLT4Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/CMTechnopole
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/castres-mazamet-technopole

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Castres-Mazamet Technopole