Technopole Hélioparc - Pau
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersPau, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
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.
Technopole Hélioparc - Pau firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Technopole Hélioparc - Pau industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Technopole Hélioparc - Pau is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pau
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Technopole Hélioparc - Pau business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Incubator workspace rental (free during incubation): Free office space provided during the incubation phase (up to 18 months) to support early-stage project development.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Incubation phase – free rental (up to 18 months) |
| Subscription | Annual | Pépinière (nursery) phase – preferential rate |
| Subscription | Annual | Business hotels – standard market rate |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Technopole Hélioparc - Pau product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Technopole Hélioparc - Pau
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Technopole Hélioparc - Pau technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Technopole Hélioparc - Pau partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- RETIS (Réseau Français de l'Innovation)coreRETIS 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)coreADI 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 AVENIAcorePôle 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)flagshipTotalEnergies 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)coreIAPau 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 BéarncoreFrench 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)coreThe 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)minorSIRENA 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-AquitaineminorCo-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 BéarnminorThe 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)minorLocal 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
Technopole Hélioparc - Pau competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
Technopole Hélioparc - Pau social profiles
Digital presenceTechnopole Hélioparc - Pau financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Technopole Hélioparc - Pau leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Technopole Hélioparc - Pau funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Technopole Hélioparc - Pau M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Technopole Hélioparc - Pau
What does Technopole Hélioparc - Pau do?
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.
Is Technopole Hélioparc - Pau a public or private company?
Technopole Hélioparc - Pau is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Technopole Hélioparc - Pau founded?
Technopole Hélioparc - Pau was founded in 1987. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Technopole Hélioparc - Pau based?
Technopole Hélioparc - Pau is headquartered in Pau, France, in the Europe region.
How does Technopole Hélioparc - Pau make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Incubator workspace rental (free during incubation) is the primary driver. The others are Pépinière (nursery) workspace rental, business hotel workspace rental, meeting room & event space rental and on-site restaurant services (Le 87).
Who are Technopole Hélioparc - Pau's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bordeaux Technopole, Station F, Sophia Antipolis, EuraTechnologies, Toulouse Tech Park (TPE-TPME / Nubbo), NUMA Paris and Atlanpole. Estia Entreprendre is listed as an emerging player. La French Tech Paris-Saclay is listed as a broad incumbent. CEA Tech / Leti (Grenoble) is listed as an others.
Does Technopole Hélioparc - Pau have an API?
No public API is recorded for Technopole Hélioparc - Pau.
What industry is Technopole Hélioparc - Pau in?
Technopole Hélioparc - Pau's product category is Business Incubation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPABAAAG, Space & Occupancy (MAC, Space Planning, Move Management), with a secondary code of IMAIAAAD, Workplace & Office Support Services (Reception/Mailroom/Porterage/Helpdesk). Its NAICS code is 5612 and its SIC code is 8744.