La French Tech Shanghai

What La French Tech Shanghai does

La French Tech Shanghai is a volunteer-led, non-profit community initiative operating under the official French Tech network — a French government initiative — to support French, francophone, and francophile tech entrepreneurs in the Yangtze River Delta (Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui). Its core product is a three-tier community membership platform (Friend, Core, and Partner, all free) combined with a recurring event program organized under three pillars: Connect (monthly networking), Learn (quarterly educational workshops on legal, financial, and technical topics, invitation-only), and Grow (ad-hoc conferences, investor meetings, and hackathons such as the annual Tech for Good conference and the AI Hackathon). The technical surface consists of a website-based ecosystem directory of certified startups, scale-ups, and service partners with WeChat-based community integration; no proprietary AI, data, or SaaS product is offered.

The organization earns no membership revenue — all tiers are free — and is funded primarily through event sponsorship from major French and multinational corporates (including Danone, L'Oréal China, Michelin, Forvia, Safran, Cathay Capital, Artefact, KaiOS, and Eco Green Energy) and institutional support from Business France, the French Consulate General in Shanghai, CCI France Chine, and the Service Économique Régional of the French Embassy. Operations are run by approximately 30 volunteers under an Executive Committee led by President Sebastien Codeville (appointed July 2025), with a CTO and two Community Leader roles, plus three agents embedded via the Regional Economic Service covering Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui.

Since the relaunch of its website in August 2025, the community has scaled to 375 registered individuals, 41 certified startups/scale-ups, and 10 service partners; the 2026-2028 French Tech Shanghai label was renewed by the French Ministry Delegate for AI and Digital Affairs in May 2026. The organization is not a venture-investable business — there is no parent company, no funding rounds, no revenue disclosure, and no traditional commercial product; its function is community orchestration and corporate-innovation bridging rather than monetized software or services.

Name

La French Tech Shanghai

Legal name

La French Tech Shanghai

Website

https://frenchtechshanghai.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

La French Tech Shanghai is a volunteer-led, non-profit community initiative under the official French Tech network, supporting French, francophone, and francophile tech entrepreneurs in Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta through free tiered membership, networking events, educational workshops, hackathons, and an ecosystem directory, funded by event sponsorships and institutional French government partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Community & Ecosystem Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

akta.pro primary industry

Community/Group Chat Platforms (BPAMACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Virtual/Hybrid Conference Production & Platform Management (THAHACAM), Virtual & Hybrid Event Platforms (Webinars, Virtual Venues, Event Hubs) (THAHAOAA)

Keywords

• Tech community building
• Startup ecosystem support
• Entrepreneur networking events
• French tech community
• Innovation community platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Shanghai

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: All memberships are free of charge. FRIEND membership is open to anyone interested in technology. CORE membership for entrepreneurs. PARTNER membership for corporates, investors, and enablers.
2. Event Sponsorship: Funding from corporate sponsors for flagship events such as Tech For Good conference and AI Hackathon. Sponsors include major corporations like Danone, L'Oréal China, Michelin, and institutional partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

La French Tech Shanghai operates a volunteer-led community platform supporting French, francophone, and francophile tech entrepreneurs in Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta region. The organization provides free tiered membership (Friend, Core, Partner), recurring event series under three pillars (Connect networking, Learn educational workshops, Grow conferences and hackathons including Tech for Good and AI Hackathon), and an online Ecosystem Directory listing member startups, scaleups, and service partners.

Product overview

La French Tech Shanghai operates as a community organization with a membership-based platform serving French, Francophone, and Francophile tech entrepreneurs in Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta. The organization provides three interconnected service layers: a membership platform with tiered access (Friend, Core, Partner), recurring event series organized under three pillars (Connect for networking, Learn for education, Grow for major conferences and hackathons), and an ecosystem directory enabling visibility for member companies. The platform focuses on community building, startup support, and corporate-innovation bridging rather than traditional software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 375 individuals, 41 certified startups/scale-ups, 10 service partners registered since website launch (August 2025)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Business France en Chine – Industries & TechscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional partner providing support for French companies' international development and exportation. Business France China has a bicultural team of 60 experts with 5 offices in China (Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Hong Kong). Runs the V.I.E international internship program.
• Service Économique Régional (SER)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional Economic Service of the French Embassy in Beijing, with Shanghai antenna covering Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui. Produces analyses on macro-economic and sectoral trends, particularly in technological innovation, and facilitates relations between French subsidiaries and local authorities.
• CCI France Chine (French Chamber of Commerce in China)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports French companies at every stage of their projects in China, promotes members' interests by lobbying economic decision makers, and leads the French business community through business events and networking platforms.
• Consulate General of France in ShanghaicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional support through presence at events such as Tech for Good and Back-to-School. Venue support at Villa Basset, home of the Consul General.
• S-Tron China (S创中国)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperational partner supporting events and initiatives. Host of S-Tron 2025 event where French Tech Shanghai team participated.
• Alibaba CloudmajorTechnology or IntegrationTechnical support provider for the AI Hackathon 2026. Hosted hackathon at Alibaba's Jing'an campus.
• NVIDIA Partner NetworkmajorTechnology or IntegrationAkila is part of the NVIDIA Partner Network, providing AI/digital twin platform capabilities.
• DeloittemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAkila is a strategic collaborator with Deloitte for digital twin and AI solutions.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-french-tech-shanghai

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 La French Tech Shanghai