From Lab to Market: How we transform scientific innovations into deeptech startups
Technofounders is a startup studio specialized in creating, financing, and accelerating industrial deeptech projects in Europe. With a unique approach combining scientific expertise, entrepreneurial vision, and investment capacity, we support researchers and entrepreneurs in transforming breakthrough technologies into high-potential companies. Our model has already enabled the creation of 15 companies with an impressive success rate of 75%, and we continue to invest in key sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, materials, energy, and AI.
Our vision is clear: we only invest in deeptech projects, at the Pre-seed or Seed stage, that contribute to solving a major challenge for our society.
Our action is structured around three major pillars:
- Better patient care (Healthcare)
- Better environmental preservation (Agriculture, Materials & Chemistry, Energy)
- Strengthening our sovereignty (Security & Space, Electronics & AI)
How does our process for commercializing research technologies work?
Our approach to creating deeptech companies follows a precise and methodical path, designed to maximize the chances of success for high-potential scientific projects.
The process begins from the valorization phase, when the innovation is still at the proof-of-concept stage in the laboratory (TRL 3 to 6). Our team identifies promising technologies in collaboration with our top-tier academic partners and technology transfer organizations.
We then conduct a rigorous evaluation based on three main pre-qualification criteria:
- Strong and protectable technology
- A potential market greater than €500M
- Alignment with our investment themes
After this initial validation, we enter the feasibility phase, during which we analyze the technology in depth and engage with the Research team to define the best possible company structure.
What is the exact role of researchers in creating a startup with Technofounders?
As a researcher, your involvement can take different forms depending on your aspirations and availability:
- Scientific Support or Advisory: You can maintain your academic position while providing your scientific expertise to the project
- Executive Role: If you wish to fully invest yourself in the entrepreneurial adventure, you can join the future startup as a member of the management team
In either case, your contribution is valued through capital participation (directly or through your TTO) and you benefit from a secure framework to explore the commercial potential of your technology.
Our operational and financial support at each stage
How much do you invest and at what stages?
Our investment model covers the entire journey of creating and developing the company:
- Feasibility Phase: We invest between €100k and €300k to develop the first POC, clarify the use case and business model, and form the ideal management team.
- Pre-Seed Phase: After creating the company, we invest up to €1M alongside other co-investors, complemented by non-dilutive funding (iLAB, InnovUp…).
- Seed Phase and beyond: Our investment capacity goes up to €8M per project, with the entry of strategic co-investors and the pursuit of complementary non-dilutive funding (ADD, First Factory, PMUp, loans…).
How does your support differ from other incubators or investment funds?
Our approach stands out through several key aspects:
- Support from creation promoting project acceleration, with:
- Venture Partners: experienced profiles dedicated to the project in the Pre-Seed phase
- Operating Partners: industry experts to operationally support the teams
- Partners: experienced entrepreneurs to guide the management team
- Shared support functions: Legal, Finance, HR
- A turnkey and de-risked creation for Research teams, whether they wish to be operational in the project or not
- An ability to guide and manage technical maturation to maximize chances of success from the Seed phase
- A precise definition of the business model, market access strategy, and technical roadmap
- A substantial investment capacity of up to €8M per project, with initial investment from the maturation stage
What support services do you offer to startups in your portfolio?
Our shared services cover four essential areas:
1. Specialized legal support
- Negotiation with TTOs
- Intellectual property and company creation
- Corporate operations (capital increases, convertible bonds, BSA-AIR)
- Management package (BSPCE, BSA)
- General secretariat (AGOA, Cap table, KYC)
2. Complete financial direction
- Support in R&D monitoring (CIR, JEI, grants)
- Transition to industrialization
- Cash management, reporting, management control
- Non-dilutive funding (loans and grants)
3. Financing support
- Financing structuring
- Access to a network of qualified Deeptech investors
- Support in roadshows and negotiations
4. HR support
- Operational aspects of HR (payroll, onboarding, offboarding)
- Access to preferential rates
Our unique approach combines substantial financial investment with intensive operational support. We don't just provide funds; we directly involve ourselves in building and accelerating the project.
What are the steps to submit a project?
If you are a researcher or entrepreneur with promising deeptech technology, here’s how to engage in collaboration with Technofounders:
- Initial contact: Present your technology and its disruptive potential to us
- Preliminary discussions: NDA-protected discussions to evaluate alignment with our criteria
- Pre-qualification phase: In-depth evaluation of the technology, market, and impact potential
- Launch decision: If your project meets our criteria, we begin the feasibility phase
Each project is unique, and our experienced team will know how to adapt our process to your specificities.
To learn more