Top Parisian Startups To Watch In 2021
Ram Tumuluri “Along with the United Kingdom and Germany, the French ecosystem has gained momentum as an emerging startup powerhouse in Europe during the previous five years. The volume of venture capital funding raised by French entrepreneurs has been continuously increasing thanks to active government backing through Bpifrance. With this in mind, we took a thorough look at the French startup environment this year to introduce you to some of the most promising French startups to watch in 2021.”
Doctolib
Doctolib, founded in 2013, is an online platform that allows patients to make medical appointments with healthcare experts who pay a monthly fee to be included on the site. It has been a runaway success in a congested market, employing about 1,400 people over 40 offices in France and Germany. Doctolib now receives around 30 million online visits from patients every month.
Lydia
Lydia is a payment app that allows users to send money to each other quickly and easily, giving rise to the phrase “Je te fais un Lydia” (meaning “I’ll Lydia you”). They also accept debit cards and direct deposits, increasing its volume by 100 percent in 2020. Lydia now serves 4 million customers. In December 2020, the firm raised $86 million in its Series B investment, making it the largest fintech deal in France’s history.
Mirakl
Mirakl, which helps online businesses manage their markets on their websites, is one of many companies on this list benefiting from the increase and rise of e-commerce. Their customers include Office Depot and Carrefour. The business, which is part of the Next 40 Group and “Macron’s Tech For Good” initiative, raised $300 million in a funding round led by Permira in September 2020.
Molotov
With over 11 million members, Molotov is challenging the dominance of major players like Amazon Prime, Netflix, Disney Plus. They provide content with broadcast rights owned by television stations, but it was also one of the first firms to launch a product for children and students tailored to match a range of curriculums. Its viewership increased by more than 200 percent early in the pandemic. However, its major goal is on expansion rather than seeking short-term paying consumers for the time being.
Vestiaire Collective
Vestiaire Collective has established itself as a leader in the European sustainable and “circular fashion” industry. Balderton Capital, Condé Nast and Bpifrance have all invested in the Parisian startup. Vestiaire Collective became a unicorn shortly after receiving €178 million from Tiger Global Management, Eurazeo, Bpifrance, and Kering in March 2021.