French Tech Next40/120
Launched in 2019 by the French Tech Mission, French Tech Next40/120 is a government support programme dedicated to the 120 most successful French start-ups with the potential to become world-class leaders. For one year, they will receive support tailored to their development challenges in France and abroad.
Created in 2019 by the French Tech Mission, the French Tech Next40/120 is above all a programme through which the State supports companies whose weight in tomorrow’s French economy will be even greater than it is today, due to the jobs and value they create, and their development beyond our borders. We will also support them in these commitments.
Programme description
Programme objective
Turn France’s 120 most successful start-ups into world-class leaders, with individual support on government-related issues (relations with government departments and ministries, regulatory and standards issues), encourage commercial development with private and public sector players (“Je choisis la French Tech”) and encourage the sharing of experience between peers and expertise in group formats on strategic issues such as international development, financing and setting up a local presence.
Based on objective criteria of economic performance (hypergrowth in revenues or funds raised), this programme gives France’s biggest start-ups a high profile both nationally and internationally. It promotes products and services that have become essential to our daily lives, as well as disruptive innovations that meet the major challenges of ecological transition, re-industrialisation and technological sovereignty.
The French Tech Next40/120 programme aims to provide individual and collective support on strategic issues such as international development, financing, recruitment, local presence, intellectual property and regulatory issues.
Download the press kit – Announcement of the 2024 French Tech Next40/120 laureates
Discover the 120 winning start-ups in the French Tech Next40/120 support programme. You’ll also find the selection criteria, their challenges as winners and the ambitions of the programme.
PDF – 1.06 MB
Service offer
The start-ups selected in the French Tech Next40/120 will benefit from a dedicated support programme for one year, operated by the French Tech Mission teams.
93% of the start-ups supported in 2022 consider that this programme has been an asset for the development of their business (survey carried out among the class of 2022 in December 2022).
This support is divided into four parts.
A dedicated start-up manager
Within the French Tech Mission, the start-up managers dedicated to the French Tech Next40/120 programme have a portfolio of companies. Their job is to identify the companies’ priority issues, activate the appropriate service offering and liaise with the network of French Tech Correspondents.
Improved visibility
Companies will be able to take part in initiatives designed to raise their profile, both in France and internationally, such as taking part in events, promoting French Tech Next40/120 in the media and taking part in international delegations via the French Tech Capitals and Communities network.
Support on regulatory and standards issues
The French Tech Mission will provide legal advice on regulatory and standards issues, and will also call on the programmes’ partners (Agence de l’innovation en santé, INPI, CNIL, etc.).
Events to share experience and expertise
Laureates have access to the French Tech Mission events on a range of issues including financing, recruitment, international development, ecological transition, external growth, parity, inclusion and diversity.
Tailor-made support from the French Tech Correspondents network
This network brings together 60 government departments and public services that are partners of the French Tech Mission, and have rallied round to contribute to the success of the start-ups supported by the Mission (Bpifrance, Business France, UGAP, Banque de France, Urssaf, AFNOR, DGFIP, etc).
Programme history
September 2019 Launch of the French Tech Next40/120 programme
Cédric O, Secretary of State for the Digital Economy, is launching this first programme to support and promote 120 young French companies considered to be promising and likely to become technological leaders.
February 2023 Announcement of the 2023 laureates
Unveiled at the Elysée Palace in February 2023 by President Emmanuel Macron and Digital Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, alongside Clara Chappaz, Director of Mission French Tech.
September 2024 Announcement of the 2024 laureates
The French Secretary of State for the Digital Economy, Marina Ferrari, has revealed the program’s new laureates.
Laureates 2024
This 5th promotion of the French Tech Next40/120 is distinguished above all by the very strong growth in revenues generated by the winning companies, and by the ever-increasing presence of GreenTech companies:
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The 120 companies making up the French Tech Next40/120 will have net sales of 10 billion in 2023, compared with 7.5 billion in 2022, an increase of 32.5% in one year.
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31 companies posted net sales in excess of 100 million euros last year, compared with 19 companies at the launch of the 2023 class.
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GreenTech is the main component of this selection. The French Tech Next40/120 2024 now includes 24 GreenTech companies (including 6 newcomers this year), representing 30% of the class.
Laureates Next40
Laureates French Tech 120
Download the press kit – Announcement of the 2024 French Tech Next40/120 laureates
Discover the 120 winning start-ups in the French Tech Next40/120 support programme. You’ll also find the selection criteria, their challenges as winners and the ambitions of the programme.
PDF – 888.39 KB
Key figures for laureates of 2024
up from 7,5 billion in 2022
generated by French Tech Next40/120 companies, 70% in France
have an international presence
in the French Tech Next40/120 (30% of the class of 2024)
A committed promotion of 2024
In addition to economic performance criteria, for the first time companies applying to the French Tech Next40/120 have been asked to respect commitments in terms of ecological transition and gender equality. These initial commitments pave the way for a more virtuous and gender-balanced ecosystem.
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Ecological transition: 100% of French Tech Next40/120 companies have carried out a carbon audit, and many start-ups have already taken steps to reduce their emissions.
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Parity: All the winners had to provide their professional equality index to apply for the French Tech Next40/120. More than a third of the class had particularly exemplary scores, above 90/100.
Selection criteria
Start-ups are selected for the programme based on objective criteria that allow us to assess the start-up’s growth potential, either by evaluating the confidence of its customers (revenue growth) or its investors (fundraising). This latter measure is particularly important for DeepTech start-ups that need substantial funding for their disruptive innovations and industrial set-up before the start of their commercialisation phase.
Selection criteria for the Next40, the 40 most successful start-ups
For the “sales growth” section, which assesses economic performance through customer confidence:
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At least 100 million euros in net sales in the last financial year, and at least 15% annual growth over 3 years (20 places, awarded in descending order of sales).
For the “fundraising” section, which evaluates economic performance in terms of investor confidence:
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Highest cumulative fundraising between January 2021 and April 2024 (20 places, awarded in descending order of amount).
Selection criteria for the French Tech 120, the 80 high-potential start-ups
The selection of the 80 start-ups to be added to the Next40 winners is based on the following criteria:
For the “sales growth” section:
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At least 10 million euros in sales and 15% average annual growth over 3 years (40 places, awarded in descending order of sales).
For the “fund-raising” section:
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Have the highest cumulative fundraising figures between January 2021 and April 2024 (40 places, awarded in descending order of amount).
Finally, all Next40 and French Tech 120 winners in the class of 2024 will be required to make the following commitments:
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On the ecological transition, by providing a carbon footprint between 2021 and 2024 as part of their application,
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On parity, by communicating their professional equality index. This index must score at least 75, or else be accompanied by an action plan to achieve it (the higher a company’s performance on the equality index, the more points it will receive, with a maximum of 100).
Testimonials
We’re delighted to be part of the French Tech 120 and to see our growth, expertise and innovation rewarded. We are contributing to the challenges of decarbonising businesses and our economy, and therefore our country’s sovereignty. So we’re all the more delighted that French Tech is taking up these issues.
Find out more about French Tech Next40/120 start-ups
All the data on the start-up ecosystem in the French Tech Next40/120 programme is brought together in this tool, designed for managers, investors and enthusiasts.
Ecosystem data
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