Cité de l'Innovation et des Savoirs Aix-Marseille

What Cité de l'Innovation et des Savoirs Aix-Marseille does

CISAM (Cité de l'Innovation et des Savoirs Aix-Marseille) is a publicly-funded innovation hub located in Marseille, France, operated under Aix-Marseille Université. Founded in 2018 at the initiative of AMU President Eric Berton, it was created as a unique co-location site bringing together the largest French-speaking university, the largest French metropolis (Aix-Marseille-Provence), and two multinational corporations — CMA CGM Group and L'OCCITANE Group — to stimulate innovation from idea to commercialization. The hub physically concentrates the partner accelerators M Accelerator (public, launched 2019), ZEBOX (CMA CGM's international startup accelerator, founded 2018, expanded to Manchester, Abidjan and Singapore in 2023), and OBRATORI (L'OCCITANE's venture fund in BeautyTech, e-health and Tech4Good), together with research laboratories and technology-transfer infrastructure including SATT Sud Est and the IMPULSE and Belle de Mai incubators.

CISAM's commercial activity is structurally non-revenue: it does not charge for access to core services and is funded through multiple layers of public grant money — including the €40M PIA4 ExcellenceES grant for the CISAM+ expansion project (2021), the €6M Pôle Universitaire d'Innovation endowment (2023), ongoing contributions from the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis, and partner in-kind support. The hub's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, deploying RDV Innovation series, the Deeptech Tour, Startup Manager Day, and ~15 workshops per year to convene ecosystem players. It serves three primary segments: early-stage startups seeking incubation and acceleration, university researchers seeking commercialization paths, and corporate partners (notably CMA CGM and L'OCCITANE) seeking open-innovation access.

The platform has supported nearly 200 startups in three years and 184 internationally in 2023, with cumulative reporting of 217 jobs created. Other infrastructure includes CESAM, a research search engine launched with A*Midex support to identify regional laboratory capabilities, and the Marseille Immunology Biocluster project extending the hub into health verticals. The single most significant strategic asset is the €40M CISAM+ PIA4 grant, which is funding the deployment of seven thematic antennas across AMU and CNRS campuses.

Name

Cité de l'Innovation et des Savoirs Aix-Marseille

Legal name

Aix-Marseille Université

Website

https://cisam-innovation.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CISAM is a public innovation hub in Marseille, France, operated under Aix-Marseille Université, that co-locates the university's research capabilities with two multinational corporations (CMA CGM, L'OCCITANE) to incubate startups, accelerate research commercialization, and broker corporate open-innovation partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Marseille

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public funding and grants: CISAM operates as a public innovation hub funded through government programs, university resources, and metropolitan investments. Revenue comes from institutional funding including PIA4 (Programme d'Investissement d'Avenir) grants such as the 40 million euro CISAM+ project.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CISAM is a public innovation hub that brings together startups, researchers, and corporate partners under one physical roof to streamline the innovation process from idea to commercialization. It delivers co-location space, startup incubation and acceleration programs, research-industry matchmaking, themed workshops and masterclasses, and partnership brokering between academic institutions and industry players. Its core activity is facilitating entrepreneurial creativity rather than selling a product.

Product overview

CISAM is a unified innovation hub/campus that serves as an innovation facilitator from idea to realization, rather than a software product. It offers a portfolio of physical and programmatic services including: the core CISAM innovation facilitation platform connecting research with industry; the CISAM+ expansion project creating thematic satellite antennas; and three partner accelerators (Accélérateur M, ZEBOX, and OBRATORI) that provide specialized incubation and acceleration services. Additionally, CESAM is a complementary digital search platform for finding research expertise. The ecosystem has supported nearly 200 startups and created over 217 jobs since 2018.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CISAM Innovation Hub
• CISAM+
• Accélérateur M
• ZEBOX
• OBRATORI
• CESAM (Compétences & Équipements Scientifiques d'Aix-Marseille)

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 200 startups supported in 3 years creating 217+ jobs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Aix-Marseille UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Largest French-speaking university in France, founding member. Provides research capabilities, 80,000+ students, 120 research facilities, and patent portfolio. CISAM initiated by President Eric Berton in 2018.
• Aix-Marseille-Provence MetropoliscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Largest metropolis in France, founding member. Provides M Accelerator, public funding, and regional development support. Elected European Innovation Capital 2022.
• CMA CGM GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018French multinational shipping company, founding member. Supports ZEBOX accelerator and provides maritime/logistics innovation focus. Founded by Rodolphe Saadé.
• L'OCCITANE GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018French multinational cosmetics company, founding member. Supports OBRATORI venture capital fund focused on well-being, BeautyTech, and e-health.
• M AcceleratorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic accelerator launched January 2019 by Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis. Over 300m2 space within CISAM. Specializes in startup acceleration with international focus and African/Mediterranean partnerships. Qualiopi-certified training provider since January 2022.
• ZEBOXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational incubator & accelerator founded by Rodolphe Saadé (CMA CGM). Focuses on supply chain, logistics, mobility, and Industry 4.0. Operating in 5 regions worldwide with 20 supporting companies. In 2023, opened new hubs in Manchester, Abidjan, and Singapore.
• OBRATORIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerL'OCCITANE Group's venture capital fund specializing in Well-being, BeautyTech, e-health, RetailTech, and Tech4Good. Has supported 16+ companies since 2018. Made 5 new investments in 2023.
• EnedisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerElectricity distribution network operator. Signed research collaboration contracts with LIS (Information and Systems Laboratory) through CISAM. Includes Enedis Chair and AI Laboratory collaboration.
• SATT Sud EstminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTechnology Transfer accelerator managing patent portfolio and licensing for AMU research. Signed 9 licenses bearing innovations from AMU laboratories in 2021.
• Belle de Mai IncubatorminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMultimedia incubator specializing in ICT and digital innovation projects. Located on Belle de Mai site, supports startups from public research including Keeex, Kalyzée.
• IMPULSE IncubatorminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerInter-university incubator supporting business creation from public research. Has financed dozens of startups with projects related to AMU research including Green PRAXIS, Hysilabs, Diamidex.
• CNRScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Centre for Scientific Research. Key research partner in PUI Provence initiative alongside AMU, INSERM, IRD, and others.
• INSERMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench National Institute of Health and Medical Research. Partner in PUI Provence and technology transfer through Inserm Transfert.
• IRDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench National Research Institute for Sustainable Development. Partner in PUI Provence innovation university pole.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Euratechnologies: Tech incubator and accelerator in Lille operating a physical innovation campus with corporate partners and public funding. Closely comparable to CISAM in mission (regional innovation hub with corporate-university-municipality backing) and scale.
• H-FARM: Italian innovation hub and venture platform operating a campus with corporate partners, education programs, and a venture fund. Comparable to CISAM in combining corporate open innovation, education, and early-stage investment in a single physical location.
• Station F: The world's largest startup campus in Paris, co-locating founders, corporate partners and VCs. Directly comparable to CISAM as a multi-tenant innovation hub blending incubation, corporate open innovation, and a flagship national role.
• Le Cargo - Le Village by CA: French network of corporate-backed innovation campuses operated by Crédit Agricole, hosting startups and corporate open innovation programs. Directly comparable to CISAM in hosting accelerators linked to large French corporates.
• Bicocca University Innovation Hub / Fondazione UNIMI: University-affiliated innovation and technology transfer hubs in Italy that combine research commercialization with startup incubation. Comparable to CISAM as university-led innovation facilitators with structured incubation, accelerator, and corporate partnership components.

Broad incumbents

• La French Tech: France's national umbrella brand and public program for startups and innovation hubs. Comparable to CISAM as a public innovation ecosystem enabler, though operating as a national network rather than a single physical campus.
• Plug and Play Tech Center: Global startup accelerator and corporate innovation platform with multiple industry verticals and corporate partners. Comparable to CISAM in delivering accelerator programs structured around corporate partnerships, though at much larger scale and international scope.

Regional players

• Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC): US-based innovation campus operator providing shared workspace, lab facilities, and venture programs. Comparable to CISAM in providing physical co-location for startups alongside corporate and institutional partners.
• The Factory (Copenhagen): Nordic startup hub and accelerator combining physical co-location with corporate partnerships. Comparable to CISAM as a multi-tenant innovation campus serving founders and corporates, though focused on the Scandinavian market.

Others

• Bpifrance Le Hub: Public innovation platform of France's public investment bank, providing programs, events, and connections for innovative startups. Comparable to CISAM as a public-facing innovation services provider, though more virtual and national in scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cisam-innovation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Cité de l'Innovation et des Savoirs Aix-Marseille