Startup

Are you an innovative startup and planning to set up in France or Europe to boost your development?

Eastern France offers a very favorable environment for start-ups wishing to set up in the area. There are many support schemes, from incubation to acceleration of your business, especially if your project is innovative. We offer a comprehensive support network, in which all the players know each other and work together to make your project successful. Because each project is unique, tailor-made support is offered.

Many innovative startups have chosen Eastern France!

Our territory offers startups the best conditions to succeed. Its central location in Europe and its highly developed infrastructure guarantee easy mobility. Many world reknown research centers and higher education institutions garantee access to well-qualified workforce.

These assets have helped us attract outstanding entrepreneurs that chose Eastern France to develop their startups:

Supporting the development of your startup on our territory

Contact persons dedicated to your project within our team

We can efficiently help you set up and boost your innovative startup in Eastern France by offering you a complete, tailor-made, and free “welcome package” with our various partners.

Contact our team to speed up your implementation in our territory!

Your contacts at Invest Eastern France

A network of “incubators of excellence” in Eastern France

To promote innovation and to facilitate the process of startup creation and development, the Eastern France Region (Grand Est) has created 8 “Incubators of excellence”

Quest for change 

Quest for change is a network of “incubators of excellence” which supports innovatve project holders, whether local or international, established in Eastern France. The sectors covered include : health, digital, industry, deep-tech, space, ESS, culture, etc.

For some of these sectors, including health, industry, and greentechs, the incubator offers a dedicated incubation program. An application is to be submitted and nearly 100 selected outstanding companies are incubated each year within the network.

Located in the Grand Est region, 5 incubators of excellence members of Quest for Change (Innovact, Quai Alpha, Rimbaud’Tech, Semia, The Pool) will guide you step by step through a common, sequenced, and proven incubation methodology. Their common objective is to support and boost innovation in the territories. They accompany entrepreneurs to lead them as quickly as possible to the profitability of their project. They rely on pragmatic, responsive, and impartial support.

Incubateur lorrain

The ’Incubateur Lorrain supports researchers, teacher-researchers, and doctoral students in Lorraine, as well as students who decide to pursue the path of entrepreneurship.

The Grand Nancy innovation incubator

Grand Nancy innovation offers packaged, partnership-based support services well adapted to the challenges of startups established in the Grand Nancy area.

Technopôle de l’Aube

The technopôle de l’Aube is an interface specialized in innovation engineering. Located in Troyes, it has a startup incubator connected to university laboratories and a student incubator spanning across the territory’s higher education establishments.

Scal’E-Nov, the startup accelerator in Eastern France

For innovative startups that have already reached a certain maturity (proven economic model demonstrating a tangible growth trajectory), an acceleration program is offered within our Grand E-Nov+ agency, supported by the Scal’ E-Nov team.
After a selection process, a dozen startups benefit for 3 years from targeted expertise and growth monitoring and dedicated financing with the objective of Go-To-Market and fundraising. Foreign companies, wishing to set up in Eastern France, can also apply thanks to a “fast-track” scheme.

Numerous real-eastate solutions throughout the territory

In addition to these regional or public schemes, there are private support structures, such as the Village by CA located in 3 areas of Eastern France. Our team can also help you identify and guide you through the many locations dedicated to hosting startups (coworking, buildings dedicated to start-ups. . .), do not hesitate to contact us!

An innovative and unifying ecosystem

Clusters of Competitiveness in Eastern France

Eastern France actively supports its companies’ R&D by generating and funding collaborative projects and partnerships. It has six competitiveness clusters certified by the State (Biovalley France, Véhicule du Futur, Build&Connect, Hydreos, Materalia, Bioeconomy for change).

The support network of French Tech Est

La French Tech, a collective brand promoting the ecosystem of French startups in France and abroad, is committed to the promotion of startups. La French Tech Est has several local branches, with themes such as FoodTech in Nancy or MedTech in Alsace.

The French Tech Visa system also facilitates visa procedures for nationals of foreign startups.

Technology Transfer Acceleration Societies (SATT)

Initiated by SATT Conectus, SATT Sayens, and SATT Nord with the support of Eastern France Region (Grand Est), the Team-to-market.fr® program facilitates the creation and take-off of deep-tech start-ups resulting from public research. This initiative aims to identify entrepreneurship-driven candidates and talent specializing in the creation and development of deep tech companies. Objective: to bring together, around researchers-inventors, all the necessary skills to facilitate a successful transition to the market of their scientific visions.