French Tech, more than just a label
Once seen as an ecosystem of agile, promising outsiders, French Tech is now the spearhead of the French economy. With its sixth promotion of the Next40/120 program, Mission French Tech has consecrated start-ups and scale-ups that have become mature, successful and ready to conquer global markets. By 2025, 120 of them will embody the country's technological, ecological and industrial future.
This is no longer a fad: these companies are transforming disruptive innovations into tangible services, local jobs and international growth drivers. They structure a long-term strategic vision for France's digital, economic and environmental sovereignty.
The challenge: identify, accelerate, solidify
Launched in 2019, the French Tech Next40/120 program has set itself an ambitious mission: to select each year the 120 most promising French start-ups, either through the confidence of their customers (fast-growing revenues), or through the confidence of their investors (major fundraising). It's a demanding process, backed by rigorous economic criteria and structuring CSR commitments.
Key figures for the Class of 2025 :
- 10 billion euros in cumulative revenues by 2024
- 35% of revenues generated internationally
- 93% of companies present abroad
- A record 29 DeepTech companies
- 20 industrial start-ups investing in France
The challenge is not just economic: it's political, strategic and civilizational. At a time when the world's powers are also clashing in the fields of AI, healthcare, energy and digital infrastructures, France cannot remain a spectator. And it isn't.
Strong, ambitious champions
From dream to reality: uses that can't be ignored
French Tech is no longer just about pitches at Station F. It's about Doctolib, which has redefined connected healthcare. Back Market, pioneer of refurbished tech, now a European giant. Blablacar, synonymous with shared mobility. Alan, Payfit, Swile, Qonto... These scale-ups have penetrated not only everyday uses, but also those of large corporations and government agencies.
The Next40 program isn't just a launch pad: it's a label of maturity. By 2025, a third of the winners will have exceeded €100 million in annual sales, with some, such as Voodoo, Brevo and Weezevent, already achieving profitability.
Artificial intelligence at the heart of French Tech strategy
In 2025, artificial intelligence is no longer just a buzzword, it's a structuring technological foundation for almost all the winning companies.
- 116 out of 120 companies say they are integrating AI into their day-to-day activities
- 35% make it the core of their value proposition
Some flagships of AI made in France:
- Mistral AI, with 600 M€ raised, partner of CMA CGM, Orange, Veolia...
- H, specialist in generative AI, €200 M raised
- Bioptimus, AI applied to medical research
- Gleamer, AI to aid radiological diagnosis
- Sekoia, AI in cybersecurity
- Electra, AI for optimizing the charging of electric vehicles
Not forgetting cross-functional uses: accounting automation at Spendesk, personalized user experience at Voodoo, AI assistant for doctors at Doctolib...
An industrial and regional French Tech
This is one of the major turning points of this promotion: French Tech 2025 is also about industry. Gone is the myth of the disembodied, ultra-urbanized start-up: replaced by scale-ups that open factories, hire locally and relocate strategic know-how.
Examples:
- Verkor builds a battery gigafactory in Dunkirk
- Innovafeed produces insect proteins on a large scale in the North of France
- ITEN invests in micro-batteries in Dardilly and Châlons-sur-Saône
- Corwave manufactures its heart pumps in Clichy, France
- Fairmat sets up a recycled materials plant in Nantes
These investments prove that tech and industry are not opposites, but complementary. They are part of a concrete ecological transition, with 6,300 jobs already created by the "green" companies in the selection.
International expansion: a clear ambition
Our influence doesn't stop at France's borders. In 2025 :
- 93% of winning companies have a significant international presence
- 35% of their average sales come from abroad
- 10 strategic markets are targeted: USA, Germany, UK, Japan...
Scale-ups like Qonto and Electra are already thriving here, demonstrating that innovation made in France can win over the world.
Strong commitments to equality, ecology and ethics
Entry into the French Tech Next40/120 program now imposes structuring ESG criteria:
- Mandatory carbon audit (to be carried out between 2022 and 2024)
- Index égalité pro ≥ 75, or a corrective action plan
- Integration into the "Je Choisis la French Tech" initiative, which promotes cooperation between start-ups and public or private players
The aim? To create a virtuous circle between economic performance and social impact.
A public policy that inspires
The success of the French Tech Next40/120 program is no accident. It is based on one year of tailor-made support, coordinated by :
A dedicated start-up manager
- A network of 60 French Tech correspondents in government ministries
- Economic diplomacy, visibility and international networking initiatives
- Co-development opportunities with major groups and public services
It's an agile, effective, structuring public policy. A model to follow.
French Tech no longer has anything to envy Silicon Valley
The French Tech Next40/120 class of 2025 embodies the spectacular evolution of an ecosystem that has become more robust, more diversified and more strategic than ever. French innovation is ready to change the world, and is already doing so.
Between AI, DeepTech, industry, ecology and sovereignty, these start-ups are paving the way for an ambitious, resilient, high-performance France. Tomorrow's world won't wait for us. Fortunately, neither will French Tech.
