Welcome to French Tech Updates! Your weekly source of startup, VC, and tech news and insights. I’m James, a startup-obsessed American living in Paris.

This week I’m trying something new… ✨

…and I want to know if you like it.

Out of all the sections in this newsletter the funding recap takes by far the longest to source, verify, and write. There are also many other fine publications doing this same thing every week.

So, rather than repeat their efforts, today I’m experimenting with a different approach.

In this edition of the newsletter I’ve still listed each company that announced a new fundraise—along with the amount raised, their industry, and links to their website and an article with more information. But, I haven’t added additional details beyond that.

If this approach sticks, I’ll use the time it saves to bring you more trend deep dives, startup features, interviews, and original research. 

This is as much your newsletter as it is mine though, so I want to know what you think of this change. Do you like it 👍, hate it 👎, or don’t care either way 🤷‍♂️? Let me know by replying to this email. Even a simple emoji is useful.

And with that, let’s dive into this week’s update!

What’s new this week in 🇫🇷

• 🤑 New French VC fund 199 Ventures is ready to invest: according to Fund co-founder Gaultier Brun, they plan to back 15 companies this year with checks from €50 - €200K.

• 🤖 3 AI companies based at Station F were acquired last month: recent acquirers include Apple, Hugging Face, and H.

• 🇪🇺 The EU is investing €140M across 4 key areas: including generative AI for public administration and agriculture, workforce up-skilling, and the expansion of Digital Innovation Hubs.

🌍 Headlines from around the world

• ⚖️ US Department of Justice aims to break up Google’s browser and search businesses (NPR)

• 💰 Trading platform eToro targets $4 billion valuation for their IPO (Reuters)

• 🧃 More and more VCs are investing in non-VC things (NYT)

• 🦉 Duolingo adds 148 new courses created with AI (TechCrunch)

• 📱 Sam Altman’s Tools for Humanity released a mobile device to differentiate humans from AI (TechCrunch) – as a Blade Runner fan this is especially interesting

• 🛡️ Microsoft vows to protect European operations from Trump (FT)

• 🕵️ Tesla opened a secret search for a new CEO…or did they? (Politico)

• 💬 Meta rolls out standalone AI app (Meta)

New Funding 💶

11 companies announced €126.5M in new funding last week including €270K by Cooloc (PropTech).

I’m trying a new format this week. Do you like it 👍, hate it 👎, couldn’t care either way 🤷‍♂️? Let me know by replying to this email!

Upcoming Events 🗓

• GOSIM Open Source AI Conference – May 6-7

• {Tech: Paris} AI Hackathon – May 24

• Road to the US: Lessons From Repeat Founders – June 10

• VivaTech – June 11-14

• Startup World Cup Paris – June 12

• The Paris AI Conference 2025 – June 16

Interesting Jobs 👩‍💻

• 🫡 Chief of Staff @ Shipup

• 📈 Growth Marketing Manager @ Lago (YC ‘21)

• 🖲️ Project Manager @ Quandela

• 🎓 Growth Intern @ Sunday

• 🛠️ Program Manager @ ManoMano

• 🛍️ Head of Sales @ Veesual

• 🧠 Data Acquisition Director @ Bioptimus

• 📊 Director of Product Marketing @ Dataiku

• 💸 Head of Marketing @ Lydia

• 📸 Head of Growth @ BeReal

What Else I’m Reading 📚

• Why even try if you have AI? (The New Yorker)

• Reinventing VC from the ground up for impact ft. France Digitale founder Marie Ekeland (Impact Supporters)

Newsletter Recommendations 🫶