The Stage is Set

By 2015, French Tech stood at an inflection point. The foundations were laid: successful role models existed, funding was improving, talent was interested, government was supportive, and cultural attitudes had shifted. The ecosystem had moved from non-existence through awkward adolescence to the verge of maturity.

The struggles of the transition period—the brain drain, the failed attempts to copy Silicon Valley, the regulatory frustrations—had been necessary learning experiences. France had discovered it couldn't simply import another country's innovation model. It needed to build something authentically French that could still compete globally.

As one entrepreneur reflected: "We spent 15 years trying to be Silicon Valley. Then we realized we needed to be the best version of ourselves—taking our strengths in engineering, design, and social consciousness, and building something new."

The stage was set for French Tech's renaissance. The next chapter would see whether France could fulfill the promise that the transition period had painstakingly built. The entrepreneurs were ready, the ecosystem was forming, and the world was about to discover that innovation could speak with a French accent.# Chapter 4: The Modern Renaissance (2015-present)

The transformation was palpable. In June 2017, as President Emmanuel Macron cut the ribbon at Station F, something had fundamentally changed in French Tech. The massive startup campus—housing 1,000 startups under one roof in a renovated train station—was more than a building. It was a declaration: France was ready to compete on the global tech stage.

"Five years ago, people laughed when we said Paris would become Europe's startup capital," Xavier Niel told the assembled crowd. "No one's laughing now."

The numbers backed up his confidence. From 2015 to 2024, French startup funding grew from €1.8 billion to over €13 billion annually. The number of unicorns exploded from 3 to 30. International tech giants—Google, Facebook, Microsoft—expanded their Paris offices and R&D centers. Most remarkably, French Tech began reversing the brain drain, attracting talent from London, Berlin, and even Silicon Valley.