On the occasion of the launch of the first European Deeptech Week, Bpifrance takes stock of the annual Deeptech plan, dedicated to a resilient ecosystem ready to scale up.

On the occasion of the launch of the first European Deeptech Week, which will take place from March 16 to 20, Bpifrance reviews the results of the Deeptech Plan it carries out on behalf of the state. Since 2019, the fundamentals of the sector have continued to strengthen: the number of startups and the amounts invested have increased significantly, deeptech is increasingly integrated into the socio-economic world, and Paris has risen to the rank of the 3rd largest deeptech ecosystem globally. While 2025 was marked by record investments backed by some established values, the market remains selective. In a context where Europe is falling behind the United States despite a growing deeptech footprint, the European ecosystem has strong assets to scale up. It is with this in mind that Bpifrance is launching the European Deeptech Week.

Paul-François Fournier, Executive Director of Innovation at Bpifrance, stated that deeptech is no longer just a promise but now includes 50,000 jobs, €5 billion in turnover, and startups that are actively integrated into industrial value chains. To transform this momentum into European power, there is a need to attract new capital, bring startups and large groups closer, and think European from the start. This is the purpose behind the European Deeptech Week.

Fundamentals are on the rise, and the ecosystem is integrating into the French socio-economic world. Since the launch of the Deeptech Plan in 2019, the French ecosystem has strengthened significantly. The number of startups created each year has doubled, reaching 410 in 2025. Funding has tripled, reaching €4.1 billion, accounting for half of the French Tech funding. Paris is now the 3rd largest global deeptech ecosystem in terms of funds raised, behind the Bay Area and Boston.

The deeptech market saw record investments in 2025, driven by established values. However, the sector remains selective. A significant development in 2025 was the increased activity of large European technological companies in deeptech. Strategic investments observed include Dassault Aviation in Harmattan AI, Renault in Wandercraft, and Bosch, Nokia, and Nvidia in Scintil Photonics. These actions aim to innovate collaboratively, secure value chains, and renew production methods.

In terms of exits, 27 operations were carried out in 2025, including 3 buyouts by private equity funds. The acquisition of ImCheck by Ipsen, the consolidation of Affluent Medical, and the acquisition of Koyeb by Mistral AI confirm that deeptech now fuels industrial innovation strategies.

COVIDfaith

A strong emphasis on strategic sectors and the need for Europe to accelerate its pace. Geopolitical context is reshaping investment priorities. In France, 72% of the deeptech investments in 2025 were directed towards strategic technologies, compared to 25% in 2019. Four sectors are driving this trend: space, defense, and dual-tech, AI, cloud, and cybersecurity, semiconductors, and energy.

On a global scale, the United States saw an unprecedented increase in deeptech investments in 2025, especially in AI, capturing €137 billion. Europe reached €21.6 billion, and China €16.2 billion. France consolidates its position as the second actor on the continent, behind the United Kingdom and ahead of Germany.

Despite the growing gap, Europe has strong fundamentals, with €132 billion invested in deeptech since 2020 and 7,300 active university spinouts and 55 unicorns created on the continent.

The European ecosystem has strong assets to reinforce. Europe cannot copy the American or Chinese models but must build on its intrinsic characteristics: academic excellence, industrial density, and a strong public sector. Deeptech startups are the link between these pillars, but several levers need to be activated:

1. Connecting Europe. 2. Mobilizing private capital. 3. Bringing industry and startups closer.

In this context, Bpifrance is launching the European Deeptech Week.

Bpifrance’s actions in 2025

Since 2019, Bpifrance has deployed over €10 billion towards the deeptech ecosystem as part of France 2030. In 2025, despite a more selective market, this support remained strong:

– €796 million in financing to 1,080 beneficiaries – €414 million in equity investments (90 startups invested in or reinvested) – €293 million in funds of funds – 979 support missions – First investment in a non-French European startup (ICEYE, SAR radar earth surveillance) – Support for ecosystem development

European Deeptech Week: Building Europe’s technological competitiveness

From March 16 to 20, 2026, Bpifrance organizes the first European Deeptech Week in Paris, bringing together over 2,500 players from the European deeptech ecosystem for the first time. The event aims to build a collective movement to make European deeptech a driver of industrialization and technological competitiveness. The program includes various events and gatherings to foster collaboration and innovation within the deeptech sector.