START IN FRANCE

What START IN FRANCE does

Start in France (legal entity Start in France SAS, headquartered in France) is a micro-entity advisory and ecosystem-navigation platform that helps international startups and founders establish operations in the French market. The company was co-founded by Ondrej Svoboda and Vincent following Startup Safari Berlin in November 2016, with the first Startup SAFARI Paris event held in March 2017; the nonprofit Start in France Association (RNA: W751257937) was created in 2020 after COVID-19 forced cancellation of the 4th Startup SAFARI edition, structurally separating collective-interest activities from the commercial consulting arm.

The platform is built around six curated directories covering the full founder establishment journey: recruitment agencies with multicultural capabilities, financing sources (investment funds, public funds, crowdfunding platforms such as Kiss Kiss Bank Bank, and business angels), networking clubs and associations, French incubators and accelerators (including Station F, The Family, Paris&Co, Numa, Day One, The Village by CA, and The French Tech), a startup events calendar, and third-party professional services (legal, accounting, HR, communication/PR). A separately described Events Calendar Aggregator pulls listings from Les Echos Entrepreneurs, Eventbrite, Maddyness, and Start & Up. The underlying technology is a web-based content and listings platform with no disclosed AI/ML components and no mobile app.

The commercial business model combines quote-based advisory accompaniment (scheduled via Calendly) with directory and platform services, described as a mix of professional-services fees and recurring subscription revenue. The company maintains a multi-channel marketing approach spanning content (blog, articles), the annual Startup SAFARI event, a newsletter, and social media on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. The team consists of 1-10 employees and the organization is privately held with no disclosed investors, parent entity, or funding history.

Name

START IN FRANCE

Legal name

Start in France SAS

Website

https://startinfrance.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Start in France is a micro-entity advisory and directory platform that helps international startups and founders establish operations in France through curated listings of recruitment, funding, networking, incubator, events, and third-party professional services, supplemented by personalized consulting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Advisory and Market Entry Consulting

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSANAAAM

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated)

Financial & Insurance/Private Equity & Venture Capital/Venture Capital Firms

SECONDARYFSANAAAH

Venture Studios / Company Builders

Financial & Insurance/Private Equity & Venture Capital/Venture Capital Firms

SECONDARYBPAGAKAH

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

Keywords

• Startup advisory services
• Market entry consulting
• Ecosystem navigation
• Startup incubation support
• Funding directories

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advisory and Consulting Services: The company provides consulting services to help startups establish in France, offering personalized accompaniment and guidance through the implementation process.
2. Directory and Platform Services: Operates directories for recruitment, funding, networking, incubation, events, and third-party services that connect startups with service providers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Start in France helps international startups establish themselves in France through curated directories covering events, recruitment, financing, networking, incubators, and third-party professional services (legal, accounting, HR, communication/PR). It complements these directories with personalized advisory accompaniment that connects entrepreneurs with appropriate ecosystem interlocutors, alongside the Startup SAFARI Paris event series. The primary revenue driver is consulting/advisory services to founders and startups entering the French market.

Product overview

START IN FRANCE is a consulting and advisory company that helps international startups establish themselves in France. The company offers a suite of directories and catalogs covering recruitment services, funding/financing opportunities, professional networking, incubators, startup events, and third-party professional services (legal, accounting, HR, communication). Their primary offering is a comprehensive ecosystem navigation platform with personalized advisory accompaniment services, connecting entrepreneurs with the essential resources needed to launch and grow their startups in the French market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recruitment Services Directory A catalog of recruitment agencies and services to help startups find multicultural profiles that bridge home and French markets, including guidance on selecting the right recruiter and communicating offers. Targeted at international founders recruiting in France.
• Funding Directory A catalog of financing opportunities in France including investment funds, public funds, crowdfunding platforms (e.g., Kiss Kiss Bank Bank), and business angels to help startups finance their establishment in the country.
• Networking Catalog A catalog of professional networks in France including networking clubs, associations, social networks, self-help networks for women, and institutional networks to help entrepreneurs connect within the French ecosystem.
• Incubator Catalog A catalog of French incubators (including Station F, The Family, Paris&Co, Numa, Day One, The Village by CA, The French Tech) to help startups accelerate their projects with accompaniment, community integration, access to resources, and peer networking.
• Events Calendar A calendar of startup events and trade shows in France to help entrepreneurs network, probe market dynamics, meet investors and partners, and test their pitches. Sources include Les Echos Entrepreneurs, Eventbrite, Maddyness, and Start & Up.
• Third-Party Services Catalog A catalog of multicultural and tailored third-party professional services including legal, accounting, human resources, and communication/PR services to prepare startups for their integration in France.
• Startup Advisory and Accompaniment Personalized consulting and accompaniment services that help international startups optimize and save time when implementing their business in France, connecting them with appropriate ecosystem interlocutors based on their needs. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.
• Startup SAFARI Paris Event Series Annual Startup SAFARI Paris event that brings together entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem players, providing direct access to the French startup ecosystem through in-person events, networking, and market-probing opportunities.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Third-Party Service Providers (Legal, Accounting, HR, Communication/PR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe company maintains partnerships with various third-party service providers including legal departments, accounting firms, HR services, and communication/PR agencies to offer comprehensive support for startups establishing in France.
• Incubators and AcceleratorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaintains directory partnerships with French incubators including Station F, The Family, Paris&Co, Numa, Day One, The Village by CA, and The French Tech to help startups find appropriate incubation support.
• Networking Organizations and ClubscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with networking clubs and organizations including The Galion Project, Nelson (CCI Paris), Insurtech France, Pépite France, Synintra, Techfugees, and SINGA to facilitate startup networking in France.
• Recruitment AgenciescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides directory of recruitment agencies specializing in multicultural profiles that can bridge markets, helping startups build teams in France.
• Investment Funds and Financing PlatformscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with various financing sources including investment funds, public funds, crowdfunding platforms (Kiss Kiss Bank Bank), and Business Angels to help startups secure funding.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Numa: European tech startup accelerator with Paris presence. Listed as a Start in France partner incubator and offers comparable founder support, events, and ecosystem navigation across Europe.
• Station F: The world's largest startup campus located in Paris. Directly comparable as a flagship French ecosystem hub that Start in France lists as a partner incubator and that serves international founders entering France.
• Paris&Co: Paris economic development agency's incubator and innovation platform. Listed as a Start in France partner and operates overlapping incubator-directory and ecosystem-connection services for founders.
• The Family: Paris-based startup support organization providing education, community, and connections for European founders. Listed as a Start in France partner incubator and addresses the same international founder entry journey.
• The Village by CA: Crédit Agricole's startup accelerator network across France. Listed as a Start in France partner and competes in the same incubator / ecosystem-connector category.

Emerging players

• EURA Nova: European innovation hub and corporate-startup connector. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler helping startups navigate European markets, though with a more R&D and corporate-partnership focus than Start in France.

Broad incumbents

• Choose Paris Region: Paris Region's economic development agency attracting foreign companies and startups. Directly comparable mission of guiding international businesses into France, with much larger institutional backing.
• La French Tech: Government-backed ecosystem movement supporting French startups including international founders. Listed as a Start in France partner and offers overlapping ecosystem navigation and event programming.
• Business France: French government agency supporting international companies establishing in France. Overlaps directly with Start in France's market-entry guidance but operates at vastly greater scale with public funding.
• Bpifrance Le Hub: French public investment bank's startup support arm. Provides free funding directories, events, and ecosystem connections that partially substitute for Start in France's offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQfVo0NHN5opUivSOYyPBhA
• Facebookfacebook.com/startinfrance
• Instagraminstagram.com/startinfrance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/start-in-france

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 START IN FRANCE