Socheat Chhay

Paris-based VC Breega hits first close of $75M Africa fund to back pre-seed and seed startups #paris-based-vc-breega-75m-africa-fund

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The Venture market is very weird right now and it sometimes feels like we are in the hottest and coldest fundraising market ever at the same time. Time to invest or time to wait? I’ve tried to summarize my understanding of what’s happening in a blogpost. 

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The #Paris2024 Olympics set a new benchmark by committing to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 50%, setting a new standard for large-scale events, far exceeding the average emissions of the London (2012) and Rio (2016) Games. By targeting every source of emissions and rallying all the parties involved, they're attempting to prove that another model can work. Paris 2024 focused on reducing emissions in three categories: transportation (34%), operations (33%), and construction (33%). Since it'll be over before we know it, they are already sharing their tools & methodology to allow others to step up their environmental transition game (pun intended) as it relates to major events. They are applying the ARO approach - avoid, reduce, offset - and of note: added two stages (forecast and mobilization). Breakdown: 🌏 Anticipate: They developed a tool to measure carbon footprint in order to gauge choices made since the bidding phase. 🌎 Avoid - They use 95% existing/temporary infrastructure and are only using facilities that can be used after the games are over. 🌏 Reduce - Accurately identified emission sources + proposed solutions activity-wide: low-carbon structures, renewable energy, sustainable catering, etc. 🌍 Offset - Takes into account the broadest component: the indirect impact of the games (e.g: travel by spectators). All emissions the can't be avoided are offset by projects designed to benefit all 5 continents. Early projects in place since 2021. 🌏 Mobilize: They plan to harness the potential of sport as an effective driver of the environmental transition and rally everyone (employees, partners, the sport movement, and also citizens) in the process. And I love this: They launched their own "climate coach" an app to measure your own personal + professional carbon footprint. Paris 2024 - Comité d'organisation des Jeux Olympiques et Paralympiques de 2024 #GoalSetting #Decarbonization #Sustainability #Coalition

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📣 Major Update for French Founders and VC Firms! 🚀 Versible eu We have built a full database of all the private funds investing in #Seed, #SeriesA, and #SeriesB across nearly every sector in the #French ecosystem. As part of our mission, we are developing the next generation of venture capital management software. Our goal is to streamline the fundraising process and enhance investor relations for founders and investors throughout Europe. Each of our initiatives aims to shine a spotlight on the hardworking individuals who are shaping the future of the world. Stay tuned for Monday 27th. #Venturecapital #Seed #Lafrenchtech #LegalTech #Agriculture #Mobility #Deeptech #FoodTech #InsurTech #BioTech #HealthTech #Realestate #Web3

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Eight years ago today Marie-Alexandrine Burrows and I set up Vertical Future with a full debenture on all our assets and a loan thanks to HSBC, two toddlers to support, and were essentially "all in" to build a business that can make a difference. There have been so many highs and extreme lows to comment on, but I'll cover some of them. Extreme lows have included a rapidly changing market, through to delivering our first project during COVID, tough supply chains, a market crash that lasted literally years whilst you have to at the same time fundraise, rising interest rates, bad debtors, losing some key staff along the way, and all of the stress that goes with all this. Our "highs" come from many people organisations, and places. Through the hard work and commitment of our team (and their families), starting with Darren James, Jennifer Bromley and Sebastien Chenhalls-Walker and later on Adam Proctor and Mark Pickering, our dedicated investors, mentors and external supporters, the customers that have kept confidence in us leading to further work together, and our future customers (watch this space for some big updates soon!), the World Economic Forum, World Green Economy Organization (WGEO) and finally Innovate UK who have recognised the high-quality of our systems and science, we are today in a great position and are very optimistic about the future. Thank you to ALL those I've mentioned, anyone I may have forgotten, and the more recent supporters of VF from Unreasonable where I met some amazing people. There's still lots to do but what a journey it has been so far! 2 more years until the decade mark and we'll be sure to throw a big celebration then, and I'm sure that through everyone's continued commitment, there will be fewer lows and a lot of extreme highs! The video below doesn't begin to show the story of Vertical Future to date (with all the good stuff AND bad stuff any start-up/scale-up experiences), but I think it's the best and most up-to-date representation of our work to date. Good luck to everyone out there building a business, especially those across our sector - this is not a market for one company to dominate (it's simply too big), so we should all support each other. Now time for a nice Sunday lunch with the family to celebrate... good day all! #verticalfarming #CEA #agriculture #technology #change #climatechange #expansion #innovation #scaleup #global https://lnkd.in/ec3kSrcR

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The French government is spearheading a renewed push to integrate the European Union's fragmented capital markets to revive the bloc's flourishing startup ecosystem and reduce their dependence on U.S. venture capital funds. Complicated local regulations and oversight have prevented the EU from developing deep, unified capital markets on par with the U.S. This forces promising European startups to inevitably turn to U.S. VCs and IPO markets as they scale, representing a missed wealth creation opportunity for the bloc. French officials argue that reviving the long-stalled EU capital markets union must be a top priority. This would harmonize financial rules and oversight across the 27-nation bloc, providing startups access to larger pools of integrated risk capital. While the majority of the nations are on board, at least in principle, several governments remain reluctant to cede regulatory control of their financial markets. Another proposed solution involves getting public sector investors, such as the European Investment Bank (EIB), more involved in riskier startup bets.

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🚀 Here are some of the early-stage VC investments I've seen over the past week fueling innovation in sectors like AI, medtech, and sustainability across 🇪🇺 Europe 🇪🇺. Beyond Aero: The French aerospace startup raised $20 million to develop hydrogen-powered electric jets. The funding round was co-led by Giant Ventures and French sovereign fund Bpifrance, with participation from Initialized Capital, Female Founders Fund, and 7percent Ventures Ventures. Hertility, Co-founded by Dr Helen O'Neill, Hertility Health has raised $15.7 million to date, including angel investor actress Emma Watson, and is currently seeking an additional $20 million to advance its mission of improving women's reproductive health through at-home testing and data-driven diagnostics. Wobby: An Antwerp-based AI-powered information platform, #Wobby secured €1.1 million in seed funding. This investment from, Shaping Impact Group, Si3 fund, V Ventures Llc and imec.istart, will support its expansion into new European markets and its initial entry into the U.S. market. Foodsi: Warsaw-based Foodsi raised €1.2 million to combat food waste in restaurants and stores. The funding round was led by CofounderZone, with participation from several angel investors. Aignostics: Based in Berlin, #Aignostics secured €31.4 million in a Series B funding round to enhance precision medicine through AI. The round was led by Wellington Partners and Evotec, with participation from existing investors Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund and HTGF | High-Tech Gründerfonds. GlassFlow: A Berlin-based startup, GlassFlow secured €4.43 million to enable Python developers to build event-driven data pipelines. The seed funding round was led by Earlybird Venture Capital, with participation from 42CAP and several angel investors. Modash Tallinn-based Modash, a creator partnerships platform, secured $12 million in a Series A funding round. The investment aims to accelerate the company's growth and expand its market reach. Scalpel, A London-based medtech startup, Scalpel AI raised £3.8 million in a funding round led by Mercia Ventures. The company specialises in developing AI-driven solutions for surgical procedures.

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I’m pleased to have contributed to Arianee’s position paper, "From A Production-Based to A Service-Based Economy: The Role of Tokenization in Decoupling Growth." This insightful paper tackles a topic close to my heart. This paper outlines numerous practical strategies for companies to progress on tackling overproduction while creating new economic opportunities. Thank you Arianee, Pierre-Nicolas Hurstel and of course my friend Francois Souchet for the opportunity to collaborate. #circulareconomy #technology #circularbusinessmodels #sustainability

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A "Carbon Markets for VCs" webinar ? Day in, day out I talk to VCs about carbon markets in general and what Homaio is building in particular. And while we're tackling a trillion dollar market, there is still a lot of confusion on what it's all about. Some common questions : 🤔 Difference between voluntary carbon markets and compliance carbon markets ; ⚙️ How these markets works, from overarching principles to the nitty-gritty details ; 🎭 Who are the players, what is the supply chain ; 🔮 Challenges and opportunities in the coming years 🚩 How can a VC take a foothold in the quickly expanding compliance carbon market I believe understanding these markets is fundamental if you want to seriously address climate tech. And there actually are tremendous VC opportunities in or around the compliance markets (go check out our friends at Kayrros, CBAMBOO, Estuaire who just raised a great round, OceanScore, Searoutes, for some examples) which are often overlooked for lack of clear knowledge. So lately I've been thinking of organizing a webinar on "Carbon Markets for VCs" in September, in English, summarizing everything I've learnt over the past few years. Before I spend any time on it, I want to get a sense of who would be interested (you have to be a VC, but open to any geography stage or focus-area). Good / bad idea ? 👍👎 Comment below if I can count you in or tag a VC who should brush up their carbon markets skills ! I'll send out a registration link if there is actual interest. (If you're not a VC, we published our Ultimate Guide to Carbon Markets : link in comments !) Timo Fleig Richard Würl Elisa Steccaglia Cyril Bertrand Mickaël Bellaïche

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🚀 How’s French Tech Doing in 2024? | Insights from the latest France Digitale x EY Barometer Reposted from: Joseph Landauer On September 11, 2024, France Digitale and EY released their annual report, and despite the tough economic climate, there’s plenty to be proud of! French startups are proving they’re ready to face the challenges head-on. Here are five key takeaways: 1️⃣ 15,000 startups are thriving in France, with 3,500 new ones launched in just the past year! So, who said French Tech was slowing down? 2️⃣ 1.3 million jobs created by these startups. Yes, you read that right. While hiring may slow down in 2024, we’re still pushing forward 💪. 3️⃣ Funding crunch: Big deals are happening, but smaller rounds are struggling. VCs are searching for ways to keep the ecosystem thriving. 4️⃣ Global reach: French startups are expanding fast, with 27% revenue growth internationally. Europe is our playground 🌍. 5️⃣ AI dominance: Whether it’s internal tools or product offerings, AI is everywhere. But competition with global giants is fierce 🤖. So, what’s next? French Tech is holding strong, but continued support from policymakers is crucial for future success. Innovation, taxation, and European regulations will be pivotal in the coming years. A big thank you to France Digitale and EY for this report! 🙏 Looking forward to seeing many of you at #FDDAY on September 18. Let’s keep pushing boundaries! 🙌 #FrenchTech #Innovation #Startups

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Soooo pretty much how French VC has always been. VC firms suing each other. LPs firing GPs. LPs taking funds back. VCs suing entrepreneurs. It's always been a dramatic scene. 🇫🇷 🐓🍷🥖 https://lnkd.in/eK8JbgDA #vc #venrurecapital #startups #entrepreneurs #entrepreneurship #tech #technology #innovation #money #business

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Tomorrow is Foodtech Forum 2024! How's your appetite for cool startups 😎 ? This forum is the premier meeting place for startups, scale-ups, established companies, investors, and professionals in retail and public meals. It's your chance to expand your network and engage with forward-thinking individuals shaping the future of food. Doesn't talking about foodtech gets you all hungry to find out more about all the startups within the foodtech field here in Skåne? Sure does hit those tastebuds right, so I'll be there, will you 😁 ? #foodtechforum2024 #foodtechinnovationnetwork #almiskåne #almi

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What you need to know this week in 🇫🇷 French Tech Updates: 🤦‍♂️ My thoughts on this tweet and the reactions it sparked 🤴 Why San Francisco is the Iron Throne of the startup world 🤖 Mistral reportedly raising again at a $5b valuation 💶 5 French startups who raised €22.75M Get the whole update here! https://lnkd.in/eaYbFT94 #startups #venturecapital #frenchtech #ai

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☀️ day in Luxembourg at Impact Europe co-hosted with ImpactVC Insightful and heated discussions around the evolving sophistication in the Impact investing market Key take-aways included: ⚖️ Impact measurement: An accelerating trend towards proving out 'shared value' - how being impact focused is improving company performance and resilience Thoughtful articulation from Marie Ekeland on why impact investing provides strong risk-weighted returns when set against a backdrop of industries and companies needing to decarbonise over the next 20 years 💰 Impact linked carry: European Investment Fund (EIF) require it for managers who raise from them. Healthy discussion on the pro's and con's alongside a recognition that pragmatism is needed and impact needs to incorporate qualitative and quantitive factors Good to hear from Florian Erber on his experience implementing this in particular that deal leads have accountability for setting and working with portfolio companies on their impact metrics 3. Raising an impact fund: It's tough - even more so if you experiment with structure with many institutional funds, in particular development banks, having restrictions around their ability to invest in evergreen structures. It is great to see funds like AENU and 2050 look to educate the market around the benefits of evergreen structures and lay the foundations for this approach to become more mainstream 4. Impact exits: Impact first companies have a wider range of options for exit Lara Viada shared her experience of exiting a business to the Reposol foundation and their ability to super scale the impact post exit Thank you Ellie Broad Douglas Sloan Gianluca Gaggiotti Ines Mertens de Wilmars for inviting Eka Ventures

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🤨 What do I look for in co-founders ? 🤨 This is the question I get asked the most often, and I (finally) have a good answer! At Hexa, I partner with entrepreneurs ~3x/year, a CEO and CTO for each project— essentially “marrying” 6x/year to build the best partnerships. I look for 4 key traits in my co-founders ⤵️ ⚡️ Energy booster Building and growing a company is about convincing people to follow you—investors, clients, team members—and the person’s natural energy is a key factor in achieving this. I call these people exothermic: they move things around them simply by the energy they exude. How do I test this? I need to feel more energized at the end of a meeting with them than I did at the start. ⏰ Sense of urgency The higher the velocity in a startup, the faster it will grow. Having a deep need to act and get things done sets the fast-paced tempo I’m looking for. 🧑‍🏫 Thirst for self-improvement Founders who are constantly looking to improve by proactively seeking feedback and showing vulnerability have an endless strength to overcome the (inevitable) challenges of entrepreneurship. 🏋️‍♀️ Commitment Being a founder means making your company part of your top priorities, it’s a journey that’s all-consuming. If you believe you embody these traits and are ready to build a transformative company, let’s connect!

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New Civilization – Humanity, AI, and Nature in Harmony Welcome to this space for visionaries, creators, and changemakers who believe in shaping a future where humanity, artificial intelligence, and nature thrive together. Our Mission: We aim to create a manifesto for a new civilization—one rooted in sustainability, guided by ethical innovation, and centered on human well-being. Through interdisciplinary workshops, we seek to bridge divides, foster collaboration, and envision a future where technological progress and ecological balance go hand in hand. What We’re Building Together: Practical strategies to align AI and technology with human and ecological values Workshops and discussions to explore bold ideas for overcoming current societal fragmentation A network of forward-thinkers committed to turning visions into actionable change Why Join Us? Your voice is essential. Together, we can co-create solutions that redefine progress and inspire a truly harmonious way of living. Whether you’re an innovator, a researcher, a philosopher, an artist or a business professional with higher ambitions or just simply someone passionate about building a better future, your ideas can shape the direction of this project. Let’s move from vision to action—together. Are you ready? Let’s begin. Tomo Murakami Tomohisa Miyauchi Yuichi Terada Ilya Kulyatin James Haydon Jun Suto Carine de Meyere Taichi Sugiura Joerg Geier J3D.AI House of Collaboration Stan Stalnaker Rudolf Hilti Dr. Mario J. Mueller Brittany Arthur Berthold Baurek-Karlic Todd Porter Takashi Ikegami Hideo Rai Mimi Ishio Robyn Natsuko Shinozaki Marco Soranna Hiroko Hoshino Wakana Tanaka Miki Tsusaka Jun Tanaka Ade Famoti Ted Schmitt #NewAIEra #newcivilization #sustainability #natureandhumans #regeneration #newbusiness #ecology #pdiegroup #globalleaders

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💡 Watch this video, in which the importance of shareholder voting in tackling the climate crisis is perfectly articulated by Mark van Baal from Follow This | Shareholders change the world.

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