Technopole Hélioparc - Pau

What Technopole Hélioparc - Pau does

Technopole Hélioparc is a public-initiative technology park and business incubator founded in 1987 by the Conseil Départemental des Pyrénées-Atlantiques in Pau, France. It operates as an association (legal name HELIOPARC PAU-PYRENEES) and hosts more than 170 resident companies and 1,700 qualified professionals across 14 buildings totaling 35,000 m² of workspace. The organization runs an integrated three-stage tenant pathway: free incubation for up to 18 months, a nursery phase at €100/m²/year for up to 4 years, and business-hotel rentals at €120-170/m²/year, supplemented by five meeting rooms, a 70-seat auditorium, and the Le 87 on-site restaurant.

The core offering consists of four specialized sectoral incubators — L'Atelier Numérique (digital/AI/data), GéoStart (geosciences/geothermal), Greenov (greentech, launched 2023), and Up! (service innovation) — plus regional tools TIPI535 (tourism) and Impulsion (sport). Hélioparc animates three formal sectoral filaments (geosciences via Pôle AVENIA and TotalEnergies CSTJF; Data & AI via IAPau; greentech) and operates a selective admission process via a Scientific and Technical Committee (CST), admitting ~20 startups from ~80 annual applicants. Two dedicated startup managers provide individual accompaniment alongside collective training (finance, marketing, pitching). The technopole's underlying technology stack consists of standard SaaS tooling — Webflow CMS, Memberstack for member directory authentication, Typeform for intake/incident forms, Moffi.io for meeting-room reservations, and Axeptio for cookie compliance.

Hélioparc's revenue model is primarily recurring workspace rental at graduated, subsidized rates (with free incubation as a deliberate funnel), supplemented by transactional meeting-room and restaurant revenue. It is governed by a Director General (Olivier Farreng, who also serves as RETIS President) and a Chairman (Jérôme Marbot), with a ~15-20 person staff spanning direction, startup accompaniment and network animation, and administration/technical services. Reported outcomes include an 87% five-year survival rate for incubated companies (vs. 50% baseline) and approximately 300 new qualified jobs created on campus each year.

Name

Technopole Hélioparc - Pau

Legal name

HELIOPARC PAU-PYRENEES

Website

https://helioparc.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Technopole Hélioparc is a French technology park and business incubator in Pau, founded in 1987, hosting 170+ innovative companies across 35,000 m² through a free incubation, subsidized nursery, and market-rate business-hotel pathway, with four sectoral incubators spanning digital, geosciences, greentech, and service innovation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Incubation Services

NAICS

Facilities Support Services (5612)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Space & Occupancy (MAC, Space Planning, Move Management) (BPABAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workplace & Office Support Services (Reception/Mailroom/Porterage/Helpdesk) (IMAIAAAD), Space & Occupancy Services (Move/Add/Change, Seating, Wayfinding) (IMAIALAF), Venue Sourcing & Site Coordination (HSACAAAD)

Keywords

• Business incubation services
• Technology park operations
• Startup workspace rental
• Innovation ecosystem management
• Business hotel leasing

Headquarters

HQ city

Pau

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. Incubator workspace rental (free during incubation): Free office space provided during the incubation phase (up to 18 months) to support early-stage project development.
2. Pépinière (nursery) workspace rental: Preferential rental rates at 100 € HT/m²/year during the nursery phase (up to 4 years). Includes shared desk options at 60 €/month. Revenue from space leasing to growing startups.
3. Business hotel workspace rental: Standard market-rate rental for established businesses in 14 business hotels across the campus. Rates range from 120–170 €/m²/year for standard offices; from 140 €/m²/year after nursery phase completion.
4. Meeting room & event space rental: Five meeting rooms (Ansabère 20p, Auditorium 70p, Ossau 25p, Palas 6p, Vignemale 14p) exclusively available to campus residents, booked via Moffi.io platform.
5. On-site restaurant services (Le 87): Catering services via Le 87 restaurant offering self-service, snack, brasserie, and VIP salon options for campus residents. Catering services for events also available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Technopole Hélioparc operates a 35,000 m² technology park campus in Pau hosting more than 170 innovative companies, providing tiered workspace (free incubation offices up to 18 months, nursery space at €100/m²/year, and 14 business hotels at €120–170/m²/year), individualized startup coaching, four sector-specific incubator programs (L'Atelier Numérique for digital, GéoStart for geosciences, Greenov for greentech, UP! for service innovation), shared meeting rooms, and an on-site restaurant. Revenue is generated through workspace rental, meeting room bookings, and catering services, with selective admission via a Scientific and Technical Committee.

Product overview

Technopole Hélioparc operates as a technology park and business incubator providing a comprehensive ecosystem for innovative companies. The core offering consists of four specialized incubator programs (L'Atelier Numérique for digital/IT, GéoStart for geosciences, Greenov for green tech, and UP! for service innovation), professional workspace accommodation across 14 buildings (Business Hotels), and shared facilities including meeting rooms and the Le 87 restaurant. Startups progress through incubation (free, up to 18 months), nursery phase (€100 HT/m²/year for 2 years), then business hotels (€140+ HT/m²/year).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• L'Atelier Numérique: Incubator focused on IA, cloud, web, data, applications, and software publishing
• Géostart
• Greenov
• Up!
• TIPI 535
• Impulsion
• Le 87

Products and services

• L'Atelier Numérique Specialized incubator for digital technology companies focusing on AI, cloud, web, data, applications, and software publishing. Provides free hosting and individualized coaching for entrepreneurs in the digital sector.
• GéoStart Incubator dedicated to geosciences, underground technology, geothermal energy, geology, and energy sectors. Offers sector-specific support and access to research networks including Pôle AVENIA and TotalEnergies.
• Greenov Green tech incubator launched in 2023 for ecological transition, energy transition, RSE, eco-innovation, eco-design, circular economy, renewable energy, and resource projects. Includes 12-month supported hosting and engages 12 startups as of 2024.
• UP! Incubator focused on usage innovation and service innovation, supporting entrepreneurs developing novel approaches to existing products or services.
• Business Hotels (Hôtels d'Entreprises) 14 buildings offering professional office space for established companies, with rents ranging from €120–170 HT/m²/year. Provides continued ecosystem access after the incubation period, with rates from €140/m²/year after nursery phase completion.
• Incubation Workspace (Bureaux d'incubation) Free office space provided for up to 18 months during the incubation phase, with a shared desk option at €60/month, to support early-stage project development.
• Pépinière (Nursery) Workspace Preferential workspace rental at €100 HT/m²/year during the nursery phase for up to 2 years (renewable once for up to 4 years total), with shared desk options at €60/month.
• Meeting Rooms Five meeting rooms (Ansabère 20p, Auditorium 70p, Ossau 25p, Palas 6p, Vignemale 14p) exclusively available to campus residents, booked via the Moffi.io platform.
• Le 87 Restaurant Campus restaurant offering three dining options: self-service (lunch 11:30-13:45), snack (08:30-14:30), and brasserie (12:00-14:30 weekdays). Includes VIP salon for 8 guests and catering services for events.

Quantifiable outcome

• 87% of Hélioparc companies survive 5 years after creation (vs. 50% for unsupported project carriers)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers15 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

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• RETIS (Réseau Français de l'Innovation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1987RETIS is the French network of territorial innovation ecosystems. Hélioparc has been a member for over 30 years and had its technopole label renewed in 2023. RETIS President Olivier Farreng also serves as Hélioparc's Director General, deepening the connection. The network connects Hélioparc to other technopoles and innovation structures across France.
• ADI Nouvelle-Aquitaine (Agence de Développement et d'Innovation Nouvelle-Aquitaine)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerADI NA is the regional development and innovation agency of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Hélioparc collaborates with ADI on co-created regional tools including TIPI535 (tourism incubator) and Impulsion (sport innovation incubator), and refers projects for ADI acceleration programs.
• Pôle AVENIAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPôle AVENIA is the geosciences competitiveness cluster. Together with TotalEnergies and 60+ structures, it forms the geosciences filament that Hélioparc animates as one of its three strategic sectors. AVENIA anchors the geosciences ecosystem at the technopole.
• TotalEnergies (via CSTJF Pau)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerTotalEnergies operates its CSTJF research center in Pau and is a key anchor tenant and partner in the geosciences cluster. The company is listed as both an institutional partner and a financial supporter, contributing to the energy and geosciences innovation ecosystem at Hélioparc.
• IAPau (Intelligence Artificielle Pau)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAPau is the local AI network bringing together AI researchers, companies, and skills in the Pau region. It is one of the three strategic sectoral filaments animated by Hélioparc alongside geosciences and greentech.
• French Tech Pau BéarncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Tech Pau Béarn community was launched in 2019. It federates startups and innovative companies in the Béarn region around national French Tech initiatives and support programs.
• Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour (UPPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe University of Pau and the Adour Countries is the primary academic partner. UPPA provides research expertise, student talent, and technology transfer opportunities. L'EntrePau, the university's business incubator, operates within the Hélioparc ecosystem.
• SIRENA Program (NA Technopoles)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSIRENA is a regional acceleration program run by NA Technopoles (the Nouvelle-Aquitaine technopoles network). Hélioparc participates as a referral and host site for SIRENA program participants in the Pau region.
• Tourisme Lab Nouvelle-AquitaineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-created with ADI, Unitec, and La Rochelle Technopole. TIPI535 is the regional tourism innovation incubator. Hélioparc refers qualifying projects and hosts tourism startups in alignment with this tool.
• Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie Pau BéarnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe local chamber of commerce provides business development support, networking events, and cross-referrals with Hélioparc for companies in the Pau Béarn territory.
• Pâtisserie Béroi (local artisan)minorOthersLocal artisan pastry chef whose products are served at Le 87 restaurant's snack and brasserie spaces, demonstrating the technopole's commitment to local sourcing.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bordeaux Technopole: Southwestern French technopole operating innovation sites, incubator programs, and a member of the RETIS network. Highly comparable in mission, structure, and target market (regional tech companies and startups) to Hélioparc.
• Station F: World's largest startup campus, based in Paris. Operates a similar model combining workspace, incubation programs, and a corporate partner ecosystem; comparable as a technology park/incubator serving French tech founders, though at vastly greater scale and in a primary metro.
• Sophia Antipolis: One of Europe's largest science and technology parks on the French Riviera, hosting 1,400+ companies and 36,000+ employees. Comparable as a multi-tenant technology park combining workspace, research partners, and corporate tenants, though at materially larger scale.
• EuraTechnologies: Major French tech incubator and accelerator in Lille, hosting 300+ startups across a dedicated campus. Directly comparable as a regional technology park combining workspace, incubation, and corporate partnerships targeting innovative companies.
• Toulouse Tech Park (TPE-TPME / Nubbo): Southwestern French technology park and incubator in Toulouse, offering workspace and programs for innovative companies. Comparable in mission and operating model, with an overlap in regional deeptech/aerospace founder base.
• NUMA Paris: Paris-based innovation hub offering incubation, acceleration, and corporate innovation programs. Comparable as a French tech incubator providing structured programs and community, but lacks the same scale of physical workspace and sectoral specialization.
• Atlanpole: RETIS-member technopole in Nantes/Angers serving the Pays de la Loire region with incubation, workspace, and innovation support. Directly comparable as a French regional technopole with similar incubation-to-business-hotel pipeline.

Emerging players

• Estia Entreprendre: Technology park and business incubator on the Basque Coast (Bidart) in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, supporting tech and industrial startups. Comparable as a regional Southwestern French incubator with similar program structure, though smaller in scale than Hélioparc.

Broad incumbents

• La French Tech Paris-Saclay: National French Tech ecosystem with strong concentration around the Paris-Saclay research and innovation cluster. Comparable as a curated innovation campus with university and corporate partners, but operates at a much larger national scale.

Others

• CEA Tech / Leti (Grenoble): CEA's technology research division operates a large technology campus in Grenoble with research-industry transfer and startup support. Comparable as a French deeptech campus operator with strong industrial partners, but anchored on public research rather than independent incubation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/helioparc?lang=fr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/technopole-h-lioparc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Technopole Hélioparc - Pau