EuraTechnologies raises €24 million to accelerate its development

Europe's largest startup incubator welcomes the Mulliez family (through the Mulliez Family Association - AFM) and Entreprises et Cités (via ECTech), among other private investors. All of EuraTechnologies' historical shareholders* are also participants in this funding round. The majority of shareholders obviously remains public, with the Lille European Metropolis as the reference shareholder.

Europe's largest startup incubator welcomes the Mulliez family (through the Mulliez Family Association - AFM) and Entreprises et Cités (via ECTech), among other private investors. All of EuraTechnologies' historical shareholders* are also participants in this funding round. The majority of shareholders obviously remains public, with the Lille European Metropolis as the reference shareholder.

Created in 2009, the incubator is considered a forerunner of French Tech and a model of brownfield rehabilitation. In 10 years, it has succeeded in its mission to support digital development and the creation of local and sustainable jobs: more than 6,500 created to date.  

Today, the incubator is embarking on a new strategic phase to better support all economic, environmental, and social transitions.  

This unprecedented operation will enable EuraTechnologies to deploy an ambitious roadmap, focusing on four areas: 

• Jobs:
  • EuraTechnologies will strengthen its team to offer more international and deeptech support to its startups.
  • In line with its main mission of helping create jobs, the incubator aims to create 3,000 additional permanent jobs on its sites by 2027, through the long-term success of the startups it supports and the companies in its ecosystem. 

• State-of-the-art equipment and collaboration:
  • EuraTechnologies will invest €10 million in state-of-the-art technological equipment, focusing on a few key sectors: Cybersecurity, AgTech, PropTech in particular.
  • EuraTechnologies aims to become a hub that brings together the world of research and deeptech startups for the region: on the one hand, by giving startups easy access to high tech equipment and, on the other hand, by making this equipment available to partners (R&D centers, universities, large groups, etc.).
  • One of the first planned investments is a cyber range for the Cyber Campus. 

• Environmental transition and NetZero commitment:
  • In response to two major transitions in place- the first concerning digital technology and the other the environment and energy - EuraTechnologies has made strong commitments and aims to become the 1 st NetZero incubator in Europe by 2030.
  • This ambition does not stop at the company level. EuraTechnologies wants to bring its entire ecosystem on board with this transition. All entrepreneurs will receive NetZero training and will have access to tools to accelerate their transition. 

• The opening of 10 countries in Eastern Europe and emerging ecosystems:
  • EuraTechnologies will open 10 incubators in Eastern European technology universities and in emerging digital ecosystems.
  • Halfway between Paris, London, Brussels and Amsterdam, EuraTechnologies aims to be the gateway to Western Europe for startups in these ecosystems. 

*EuraTechnologies' historical investors are the Lille European Metropolis, the Hautsde-France Region, the City of Lille, Crédit Agricole Nord de France, Caisse d'Epargne Hauts de France and Crédit Mutuel Nord Europe. 

Damien Castelain, President of the Lille European Metropolis  

The technological ecosystem of the metropolis is exceptional. With more than 300 projects supported per year, EuraTechnologies is the largest incubator in Europe. Having always been ambitious about the companies in our region, I want to involve the Metropolis in the EuraTechnologies capital increase to boost its momentum. 

Xavier Bertrand, President of the Hauts-de-France Region  

EuraTechnologies is a source of pride and a source of influence for our region throughout Europe. The Region will participate in the capital increase by investing close to five million euros to boost the job creation dynamic. 

Martine Aubry, former French Minister, and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of EuraTechnologies Our digital incubator in Lille, dear to its founder Pierre de Saintignon, is entering a new dimension, leading the way to an even more inclusive and environmentally friendly startup ecosystem. Since its creation, EuraTechnologies has become the largest startup incubator in Europe. This fundraising will extend this dynamic to new players. Opening the capital of this technological jewel to private investors will help accelerate digital transformation and create 3,000 additional jobs by 2027. I am delighted with this, and I have no hesitation in proposing that the City of Lille support this dynamic by investing more than €1 million. 

Eric Charpentier, Managing Director of Crédit Mutuel Nord Europe  

Crédit Mutuel Nord Europe has been a partner of EuraTechnologies since the beginning and is delighted to see the flagship of French Tech pursue its ambitious and promising growth strategy. After inaugurating the Wenov campus at the beginning of the year, Crédit Mutuel Nord Europe is renewing its support for EuraTechnologies by retaining a 5% stake in its capital. These strong commitments testify to our full confidence in the incubator's development trajectory. 

Barthélémy Guislain, Chairman of the Management Board of the Mulliez Family Association  

When EuraTechnologies' amazing adventure began, its founders (including Pierre de Saintignon) were already talking about the idea of integrating large companies from the region into their ecosystem. Since then, EuraTechnologies has become a European reference and the region's companies have developed significantly. These two paths are now coming together to accelerate the development of a promising ensemble. These reciprocal contributions will be tinged with a persistent spirit of innovation and an innate entrepreneurial dimension. This reflects the history of the territory and of those who have crafted its economy. 

Jean-Pierre Letartre, Chairman of Entreprises et Cités  

The challenges of transformation require strong cooperation between all players: large companies/SMEs/startups, public/private. Associating EuraTechnologies with local businesses is a great way to meet the challenges of transition and job creation, and that is the mission of Entreprises et Cités. 

Laurent Roubin, Chairman of the Management Board of the Caisse d'Epargne Hauts de France  

We are pleased to contribute to the acceleration of the development, transformation, and internationalization of EuraTechnologies, in the service of the environmental transition and the creation of sustainable jobs in our territory. Our commitment to the company since 2009 continues. 

Nicolas Brien, Chairman of the Board of EuraTechnologies  

We are honored to welcome new investors who support our ambitions and proud of the confidence that our historical shareholders are renewing with this round of financing. After the covid crisis, our startups are more mature and face new challenges, such as the shortage of talent in digital professions. We are betting on deeptech and will equip ourselves with state-of-the-art facilities so that startups can make technological leaps. In a technology ecosystem marked by Parisian centralism and mega-fundraising, EuraTechnologies will continue to cultivate its uniqueness. Located in a recognized eco-district and operating its programs in working-class neighborhoods, EuraTechnologies has shown that digital and ecological transitions can go hand in hand. Starting next year, EuraTechnologies will expand to ten countries to export our unique know-how in transforming brownfields into startup incubators.