NextGen IT (IMA)

What NextGen IT (IMA) does

NextGen IT, legally "Le cercle NextGen IT," is a French professional community and nonprofit association founded in 2009 (the firm's metadata lists 2015 as a secondary date) that operates as the first and largest peer network for IT decision-makers in France. The organization serves approximately 15,000 IT leaders — DSI/CIO, CTO, RSSI/CISO, IT infrastructure and production directors, and their teams — across roughly 450 member organizations including 90% of CAC 40 companies, 65% of SBF 120 companies, and the majority of French ministries and large public administrations. Its stated footprint represents €40 billion in cumulative annual Digital and IT Innovation budgets.

The core product is a community networking platform delivered through the IMA web portal (community.ima-dt.org) and iOS/Android mobile applications, layered with a calendar of recurring event formats: monthly IA'Gora virtual sessions on generative AI, IMAgine Days on innovation topics, immersive Deep Dives hosted at member facilities (e.g., Commissariat des Armées, ArcelorMittal Dunkerque), the two-day DIMS conferences at Station F, and the annual Sommet de la Souveraineté Technologique on digital sovereignty. Technology is conventional — a web-based member portal plus mobile apps — with no proprietary AI, ML, or data products disclosed.

The business model combines recurring membership fees from organizations joining IMA to access the community with corporate sponsorship revenue tied to events and content. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. GTM is community-led and event-driven, supplemented by LinkedIn presence, email/newsletter communications, and co-hosting partnerships with Campus Cyber and Salon BIG DATA & AI Paris. The organization is founder-led by Christophe Grosbost, employs approximately 20 staff in Paris (24 Rue Erlanger, 75016), and is a sister association to IMA (Innovation) rather than a subsidiary of any external corporate or financial-sponsor parent.

Name

NextGen IT (IMA)

Legal name

Le cercle NextGen IT

Website

https://nextgen-it.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Le cercle NextGen IT is the first French community of IT decision-makers, serving roughly 15,000 CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, and IT leaders across 450 organizations via a membership platform, mobile apps, and a calendar of curated peer-exchange and innovation events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional IT Community and Networking

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA), DEI, Equity & Inclusion Advisory (BPACAJAJ)

Keywords

• IT peer community
• Professional networking events
• Technology decision-makers
• IT leadership association
• Enterprise IT community

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Revenue likely generated through membership fees from organizations joining IMA to access the NextGen IT community, events, and peer network.
2. Sponsorship Revenue: Corporate sponsors support the community and events in exchange for access to decision-makers and visibility.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Le cercle NextGen IT is a professional community and association for French IT decision-makers (DSI/CIO, CTO, RSSI/CISO, IT directors and their teams), enabling peer exchange, benchmarking, and best-practice sharing across 450 major French organizations. Membership provides access to an online community platform, mobile applications, and a portfolio of in-person and virtual event series covering generative AI, cybersecurity, technological sovereignty, and digital innovation. The organization generates revenue through membership fees and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

Le cercle NextGen IT operates as a professional community and events platform for French IT decision-makers, not a traditional software product company. The core offering is the NextGen IT Circle community network, supported by a mobile application (iOS/Android) and an online community platform (community.ima-dt.org). The organization runs various event series including IA' Gora (Generative AI monthly meetings), IMAgine Day (innovation events), Deep Dive (immersive co-construction sessions), DIMS (innovation conferences), and the Sommet de la Souveraineté Technologique (tech sovereignty summit). These events cover topics such as enterprise architecture, IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, generative AI, and Industry 5.0.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IMA Community Platform Online member community platform at community.ima-dt.org enabling IT decision-makers and project leaders to network, register for events, and collaborate within the Le cercle NextGen IT ecosystem.
• IMA Mobile Application iOS and Android mobile application for the IMA social network, enabling community members to access the NextGen IT platform and resources on mobile devices.
• Le cercle NextGen IT Membership Organizational membership in the first French community of IT decision-makers, providing peer exchange, benchmarking, and best-practice sharing among DSI/CIO, CTO, RSSI/CISO, and IT project leaders from major French companies and administrations.
• IA' Gora Event Series Monthly video call meeting for Generative AI enthusiasts featuring news, tutorials, experience sharing (RETEX), and Q&A sessions, hosted by experts Marjory Canonne and Yann Carbonne. Targeted at NextGen IT members interested in generative AI.
• IMAgine Day Event Series Innovation-focused events covering topics such as Industry 5.0, Smart Manufacturing, Generative AI, and Agentic AI, with events held at partner locations like Crédit Agricole and ENGIE.
• Deep Dive Event Series Immersive co-construction events held at partner organizations, such as the Deep Dive at Commissariat des Armées focused on Digital Twins and supply chain resilience.
• DIMS (Digital Innovation Meeting Series) Two-day innovation events held at Station F covering themes including sovereignty, generative AI, agentic systems, data architectures, low code/no code, vibe coding, future industry, and innovation management.
• Sommet de la Souveraineté Technologique (Tech Sovereignty Summit) Annual summit addressing French and European technological sovereignty and strategic autonomy in digital domains including generative/agentic AI, sovereign cloud, data strategies, cybersecurity, and industrial robotics.
• Cyber & IA Event Series Event exploring the intersection of cybersecurity and AI, covering AI-driven attack industrialization, autonomous agent security, and AI-powered cyber defense.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40 billion euros in cumulative IT innovation budgets represented
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

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

• Salon BIG DATA & AI ParismajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 September 2026Co-hosting the BIG DATA & AI Paris trade show with IMA, positioning the event as the rendez-vous for IT & Data decision-makers industrializing AI.
• IMA (Innovation)coreOthersIMA (Innovation) is the parent/sister organization of NextGen IT. NextGen IT operates as the IT-focused circle under the IMA umbrella, accelerating collective intelligence between major groups, startups, and administrations on emerging technologies.
• Campus CybermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampus Cyber partners with IMA/NextGen IT for sector-specific events. Hosted Campus Cyber x IMA Secteur Public event on sovereignty, AI & cyber for territories at Campus Cyber La Défense.
• ITiForumsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner platform for IT professionals, listed as a sister association and referral channel.
• ArcelorMittal DunkerqueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosting Alliance Tech: Road Maps croisés Sécurité event at ArcelorMittal Dunkerque facility for industrial cybersecurity collaboration.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CIONET: Pan-European community of senior IT decision-makers operating peer-exchange events, working groups, and CIO summits; directly comparable membership and event model but with broader geographic reach across Europe.
• Evanta (a Gartner Company): Operates CIO and C-suite peer communities and executive summits in North America, Europe, and beyond; same peer-exchange business model backed by Gartner's research assets and global sponsor relationships.
• Les Assises de la Cybersécurité: Major French cybersecurity event and community for CISOs and security leaders; comparable event-driven membership and peer-exchange model targeting a closely overlapping French IT/security executive audience.
• The Open Group: Global vendor-neutral consortium for technology standards that operates member-driven working groups and events for enterprise IT leadership; similar association-driven community and event model.
• ITiForums: Sister association and referral partner listed on NextGen IT's own site; operates adjacent IT professional events and communities with overlapping French IT decision-maker audience.

Regional players

• Campus Cyber: French cybersecurity ecosystem hub that co-hosts events with NextGen IT; comparable community/convener role focused specifically on cybersecurity and sovereign topics in France.
• EuroCloud: European cloud and digital industry community with national chapters; comparable association-driven peer community serving enterprise IT decision-makers across multiple European countries.
• Heptagone: French digital transformation community and event series for senior IT and business executives; directly comparable French peer community model with overlapping event formats.
• CXP (now part of PAC): French-headquartered analyst firm serving enterprise IT decision-makers with research, events, and peer communities; comparable audience and French market focus.

Broad incumbents

• IDC CIO Executive Community: Global market intelligence firm running CIO peer communities and Executive Roundtables; comparable community model but embedded within a much larger analyst research business serving enterprise IT decision-makers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cercle-nextgen-it

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 NextGen IT (IMA)