With the first days of spring upon us, the sunny weather at the British Embassy in France was ideal for an event devoted to tech and innovation, organised in partnership with Maddyness and London & Partners. A whole host of players from both sides of the Channel accepted the invitation, including Eric Feunteun, COO of Software République, who was particularly interested in the event as his company “has a Europe-wide focus, and the UK tech ecosystem is among the best in the world.”
The warm weather also hinted at good times ahead for the growing trade between the two countries. “We want to capitalise on an exceptional 2023 in terms of relations between France and the UK, which included a bilateral summit, a state visit, and trade exceeding £100 billion. In fact, France has become our fourth biggest trading partner,” said Menna Rawlings, the British ambassador to France, in her opening speech at the event.
While the UK is home to many nationalities from all four corners of the globe, the French community is one of the largest, with almost 300,000 expatriates. “The UK is a gateway to the international arena, because as well as the potential of its domestic market, it opens doors to the English language and the rest of the world to which the country is connected,” says Clara Chappaz, director of La Mission French Tech.
Among the 120 French startups in the French Tech Next40/120 program, 34 already have offices in the UK, including Zeplug and Contentsquare.
This is also the case for CMA CGM, which has just opened Zebox UK, an international startup gas pedal in Manchester. “The combination of a supportive ecosystem, access to talent, a strategic location, government support, and thriving sectors makes Manchester an attractive destination for startups looking for investment and growth opportunities,” says Gwen Salley, managing director of Zebox.
Thanks to this major event as part of the Bienvenue au Royaume des Audacieux campaign (“Welcome to the Audacious Kingdom”), British and French tech players were able to exchange views on their respective potential. They also heard inspiring contributions from Clara Chappaz, director of La Mission French Tech, Philippe Tibi, chairman of the Executive Committee of the Tibi Initiative, and Brent Hoberman, one of the UK’s tech pioneers and co-founder of Founders Forum.
Alongside the main speeches, interactive sessions focused on some of the UK’s strong points, including fashion with the Fashion Innovation Agency, virtual reality with Emperia, and immersive experiences with Aircards. This field is enjoying exponential growth in the UK, with a 600% increase in the number of companies working on the subject over the last decade. That is why Charles Kergaravat, CMO of Apizee, attended the conference and is interested in the UK, which he says “shares the same stakes in the race towards AI, requiring the right mix of AI and humanity.”
The Commercial Department of the British Embassy in Paris provides support to French companies wishing to set up in the UK. Click here to find out more.
