Les Premières Occitanie

What Les Premières Occitanie does

Les Premières Occitanie is a French non-profit association d'intérêt général founded in 2017 by Elisabeth Kimmerlin, headquartered in Toulouse with a second antenna in Montpellier. It is the Occitanie regional branch of the national Les Premières network (founded 2003), and operates a sequential incubation funnel for women entrepreneurs: Avant-1ère (monthly awareness sessions), START-1ère (2-day idea testing), GO-1ère (6-month intensive incubation), and PLAY-1ère (growth-stage development), plus the specialized Innov'Start (H)er track for women researchers and the 'En Premières' mobile community app. The organization is supported by approximately 50 volunteer experts and coaches who deliver workshops and individual coaching, with two full-time operational staff (Juliette Carray in Toulouse, Anne-Sophie Margail on private partnerships).

The organization runs three incubation cycles per year in Toulouse and two to three per year in Montpellier, with additional outreach across the Hérault, Gard, Aude, and Pyrénées-Orientales departments. Cumulative outcomes since 2017 include 58 completed promotion batches, 420 people supported, and 150 jobs created through incubated companies, with successful alumni such as Le Mouton Givrè (5 employees within 2 years), Kidycheck (Premières trop fières 2022), and Copernic (Pépite 2023).

The model is grant- and sponsorship-funded rather than fee-based: programs are kept financially accessible via public partners (Préfecture de la Région Occitanie, BPI France, Toulouse Métropole, Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole) and private sponsors (Banque Populaire Occitane, Caisse d'Epargne Midi-Pyrénées, BNP Paribas, MAAF, Davidson/MiPy), supplemented by donations through HelloAsso. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, combining Airtable-based application intake, monthly Avant-1ère sessions, alumni referrals, and visibility at national events (VivaTech, Bpifrance BIG, Innovathon Future Mak'Her, Make Her Day).

Name

Les Premières Occitanie

Legal name

Les Premières Occitanie

Website

https://lespremieresoccitanie.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Les Premières Occitanie is a non-profit business incubator in Toulouse and Montpellier, France, that runs multi-stage programs (Avant-1ère, START-1ère, GO-1ère, PLAY-1ère, Innov'Start (H)er) to support women entrepreneurs across the Occitanie region, funded largely by public and private sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Incubation Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

Keywords

• Women entrepreneurship
• Business incubation
• Startup support
• Entrepreneur coaching
• Incubator programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Toulouse

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Funding and Subsidies: Programs are financially accessible thanks to support from public partners including Préfecture de la Région Occitanie, Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, Toulouse Métropole, and BPI France.
2. Donations and Membership: Association receives donations through HelloAsso platform. 'Nous soutenir' (Support us) option available on website for financial contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Les Premières Occitanie operates a multi-stage women-focused business incubator offering sequential programs: information sessions, idea testing, 6-month intensive incubation, growth-stage acceleration, and a specialized track for female researchers. Services include collective workshops, individual coaching, expert interventions, pitch training, and access to a regional and national partner ecosystem of public bodies, banks, and corporations.

Product overview

Les Premières Occitanie is a non-profit association providing a multi-stage incubation and support ecosystem for women entrepreneurs. The portfolio consists of sequential programs: Avant-1ère (monthly awareness sessions), START-1ère (2-day idea testing), GO-1ère (6-month comprehensive incubation), and PLAY-1ère (growth-stage development), plus the specialized Innov'Start (H)er track for women researchers. The En Premières mobile app connects the community and provides access to exclusive resources and real-time event information. The organization also facilitates access to national events like Viva Technology and Bpifrance Inno Génération, and provides connections to the broader national Les Premières network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Avant-1ère

Quantifiable outcome

• 420 people supported through incubation programs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers28 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, supporting and core.

• Réseau Les Premières (National Federation)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Les Premières Occitanie is part of the national Les Premières network founded in 2003 by Frédérique Clavel. The federation connects regional incubators across France, providing access to national events (VivaTech, Make Her Day), shared methodology, and collective visibility.
• Davidson (MiPy)supportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting firm subsidiary in Midi-Pyrénées providing implementation support.
• BIC MontpelliercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness Innovation Center of Montpellier - key ecosystem partner in the entrepreneurial community.
• NubbocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcosystem partner for startups and innovation in the region.
• French Tech ToulousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the French Tech initiative connecting to national tech ecosystem and events.
• La MêléesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional innovation and entrepreneurship network.
• Pépite LRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent entrepreneurship structure for Languedoc-Roussillon. Partner for the Innov'Start (H)er program supporting female researchers.
• At Home CommunitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEntrepreneurial community network.
• La Région Occitanie (Citéplus)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional council initiative supporting entrepreneurship.
• MicrosoftsupportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing tools and resources for incubated companies.
• ADOCC (Agence AD'OCC)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional development agency for economic development.
• CAP Créa (Bpifrance)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLes Premières is member of the CAP Créa collective animated by Bpifrance, connecting key entrepreneurial support actors in France.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• 50 Partners Impact: French impact accelerator backing purpose-driven startups, often run in partnership with corporate sponsors and public actors. Comparable to Les Premières in the impact mission and corporate-partnership channels that finance programs in France.
• Bpifrance Le Hub: The French public investment bank's startup support and innovation platform, running Le Hub and the CAP Créa collective of which Les Premières is a member. Acts as both a strategic partner and a larger-scale counterpart offering direct entrepreneur support across France.
• Station F: Paris-based world's largest startup campus, offering hundreds of programs including several women-focused tracks (e.g., FEMTECH, Women in Tech). Comparable as an early-stage incubator/accelerator for French entrepreneurs, although broader in scope and more commercial than a regional non-profit.
• France Active: French national network financing and supporting entrepreneurs, particularly those furthest from employment, with public and partner funding. Comparable to Les Premières Occitanie in the model of using public funding to underwrite free entrepreneur support programs across French regions.

Direct peers

• Réseau Les Premières: The national French federation for women entrepreneurs founded in 2003 by Frédérique Clavel. Les Premières Occitanie is one of its regional chapters and uses its shared methodology, branding, and access to national events (VivaTech, BIG, Make Her Day).
• WILLA: Catalyze/WILLA is a US-based accelerator serving women-led early-stage businesses across multiple US regions with a similar cohort + mentor model. Closest international functional peer to Les Premières Occitanie in cohort structure, mentor-driven delivery, and target entrepreneur profile.
• Springboard Enterprises: US-based leading accelerator for women entrepreneurs (founded 2000). Operates a cohort-based model with mentoring, expert networks, and investor access — structurally analogous to Les Premières' women-focused incubation model, although Les Premières is non-profit and Springboard is investor-facing.

Regional players

• Le Poool: Western France tech and innovation hub in Nantes/Saint-Nazaine serving startups and corporate innovation. Comparable as a French regional incubator for early-stage companies, although more tech-focused and serving a different geography than Occitanie.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lespremieresoccitanie
• Instagraminstagram.com/lespremieresoccitanie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Les Premières Occitanie