French Tech 2030 promotion highlights eight strategic sectors

The third promotion of French Tech 2030 outlines the technological capabilities the French government wishes to develop in the country, focusing on eight strategic sectors: calculation, components, space communications, energy, health, and others. These sectors represent areas where the government aims to build national strengths through innovation and industrial application.

80 selected companies reflect the government’s industrial goals

The 80 laureates selected in the 2026 promotion highlight the government's goal of transforming scientific advantages into industrial production and orders. These companies occupy distinct positions in chains that condition the deployment of digital and industrial technologies, indicating a structured approach to developing these sectors.

Selected companies span a range of technological fields

The selected companies include ZML, which works on executing models on different hardware; Wise Integration, which develops energy conversion solutions; and Hexana, which designs a nuclear platform intended to provide heat and electricity. The 80 companies are spread across eight strategic sectors, with space bringing together 13 laureates, ahead of artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and health, with 11 companies each.

Regional distribution shows key innovation hubs

The map of the promotion reveals two major poles: Île-de-France hosts 42 head offices and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 14. On their own, these regions group 70% of the laureates. Other regions like Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur have six each, while Brittany and Nouvelle-Aquitaine have four each, showing a concentration of innovation in specific areas.

Laureates show strong R&D investment and patent activity

The laureates have filed 842 patents since their creation and dedicated 211 million euros to R&D in 2025. In addition, 60% are from public research or collaborate with it. This includes both startups created from laboratory work and those that work with public organizations.

Cailabs exemplifies the transition to industrial production

Cailabs provides an illustration of this transition. In September, the company indicated that its Factory 27 project in Rennes should allow it to produce up to 50 optical solar stations per year by 2028. It is also preparing an industrial implementation in the United States. The goal is to make the manufacturing reproducible, then deploy this model on other markets.

R&D investment exceeds revenue, showing growth momentum

The economic figures of the 2026 promotion give a measure of this effort: the 211 million euros of R&D expenses represent approximately 121% of the 175 million euros of cumulative revenue in 2025. This shows the focus on growth and development over immediate profitability, as research and industrialization require different financial commitments.

Laureates benefit from significant funding and support

The laureates have raised 1.5 billion euros since their creation. The support of French Tech aims in particular to facilitate access to existing devices and investors. Among the 80 companies, 41 are already supported by France 2030 and 12 have benefited from aid or investments from the European Innovation Council.

Partnerships with major companies help validate and scale technologies

Several relationships illustrate this access to the markets, another lever of the program: Inbolt in robotic automation at Stellantis, NPco for industrial simulation with Safran and EDF, or the collaborations of Mecaware with Renault and Verkor. These partnerships can provide a validation ground, a commercial reference, and revenue for the startups.

Regulatory support helps startups navigate complex environments

The Guichet Deeptech adds a regulatory lever. Open to deeptech startups beyond the laureates alone, it allows to signal a standard that blocks a project. This initiative helps startups navigate complex regulatory environments, ensuring their technologies meet necessary criteria for deployment and scaling.