Scientipole Ile-de-France Capital

Founded in 2006 and based in the Paris-Saclay area, west of Greater Paris, Scientipole Capital is an early-stage investor that finances technology startups from the Ile-de-France region. It presents itself as an early-stage seed tool for the Paris-Saclay cluster and draws on about ten years of experience there, according to its own account.

How it invests

Created in 2006, it is a holding that complies with the rules of the French financial markets authority and uses a special French tax status for venture capital companies, known as an SCR, with the stated aim of becoming an evergreen fund rather than one with a fixed end date. It puts money in either as equity or as convertible bonds, in a single round or several, and works alone or alongside other backers such as corporate funds, financial funds and business angels. Since January 2021 the management has rested with Auriga Partners.

Where the money goes

Three themes are named. The first is industry 4.0, meaning digital and industrial technologies for factories. The second is green technology that supports the energy and ecological transitions, for instance smart grids and smart cities. The third is health and medical technology, with drugs excluded. Its portfolio pages mention startups working on collaborative robot arms, a connected device for walking rehabilitation, drones for professional use, two-factor authentication, data for energy system specification, software performance tuning, CAD software for customising aircraft cabins, waste sorting and processing, and a real-time operating system for critical environments.

Hands-on involvement

The team says it stays close to each company for the length of the investment. It takes seats on boards of directors and supervisory boards to give operational guidance, and it draws on a network of experts for specialist advice. Support covers finance, sales, engineering, marketing, intellectual property and human resources.

Track record

By its own count, the firm has invested in 34 innovative technology startups in the region, 17 of them still growing, and has sold nine to European industrial or financial partners. Its site reports a recent sale of one portfolio company, Green Creative, to GC Invest.

Shareholders and the Saclay setting

Its shareholders are institutions with a stake in regional economic development: the Ile-de-France region, several regional banks (Banques Populaires, Credit Agricole and the Caisses d'Epargne of the region), Bpifrance, Revital Emploi, Malakoff Mederic and Alizé Innovation.

The firm points to the surrounding cluster as an advantage in finding projects. According to its text, Paris-Saclay holds around 15 percent of French academic research, with 12,000 researchers and 70,000 students, and was ranked among the world's top eight innovation clusters by MIT Technology Review. It is home to institutions such as Universite Paris-Saclay, Ecole Polytechnique, CentraleSupelec and the Ecole Normale Superieure, and to research centres of large companies, with a network of some 25,000 small and mid-sized companies around them. The team maintains links with incubators, accelerators, clusters, universities, banks and business angels in the area.

Scientipole Ile-de-France Capital, known as Scientipôle Capital, is an early-stage investor built on about ten years of experience in the Paris-Saclay area. It was created in 2006 as a venture capital company regulated by France's financial markets authority, with a long-term evergreen aim.

Products and services

• Early-stage investment: invests alone or alongside business angels and other funds, in equity or convertible bonds.
• Governance involvement: the team takes seats on boards and supervisory boards.
• Specialist support: advice on finance, sales, engineering, marketing, intellectual property and HR.
• Local ecosystem access: links to incubators, accelerators, universities and research centres.

Who it works with

Technology startups in the Ile-de-France region. Focus areas are digital and industrial technology for factories, green technology for energy transition and smart cities, and medical technology excluding drugs.

Key facts

• Founded: 2006
• Track record: 34 startups invested in, 9 sold to European partners
• Manager: Auriga Partners, since January 2021
• Shareholders: Ile-de-France region, regional banks and Bpifrance