The start-up nation appreciates Macron, but wants more

The young shoots, erected as a model by Emmanuel Macron with its slogan of "start-up nation", appreciate the action of the host of the Elysee, but want more for their companies to reach the top international ranks

"What I like in this slogan of the start-up nation" is that it "gives a direction, a vision: we talk about the future, not the past," says Martin Génot, serial entrepreneur and investor in startups.

With this slogan, Emmanuel Macron "pushes a generation of polytechnicians and HEC to take risks" to become an entrepreneur, and not to trade like ten years ago, emphasizes he

"The image of France has become extremely positive" abroad "on entrepreneurship, risk taking, success, the desire to embrace the technological revolution", welcomes his side Gaël Duval, boss of the young sprout JeChange.fr and creator of the French Touch Conference, a r network to help internationalization of start-ups

"Ministries ask us about calls for projects. There is a desire to have ambitious investments and not dusting. I find that the mobilization is still there, "welcomes his side Nathanael Ackerman, the hub France Artificial Intelligence that brings together entrepreneurs and researchers in the sector.

Jean-David Chamboredon, chairman of the investment fund specializes in tech Isai , and co-president of the federation of start-up companies France Digitale, draws a statement a little more contrasted.

"All the major transversal reforms (fiscal, social …) of the government are going in the right direction", considers he, evoking for example the single flat-rate levy on savings income of 30%.

"But we can not say that there have been decisive things for tech companies specifically," adds

The investor regrets in particular that the government has not sought to direct more savings, especially life insurance, to the young shoots of tech, to help them grow .

"There is a risk of missing domestic capital to support start-ups and + + scaleups +, growth phases of start-ups ", he regrets.

"If I am Mrs. Michu and I want to invest in technology, I can not, I do not have adequate savings vehicles", he regrets.

– Promoting French SMEs –

Thomas Fauré, boss of Whaller, a start-up that creates private social networks for companies, would also like the government to do more to promote the growth of start-ups.

"There is no glory in having an ecosystem of start-ups if they can not grow up, "he regrets. "I am not sure that we will achieve" the same dynamism "as Israel or South Korea," he warns.

In the sights of the young boss: the lack of measures to protect the young shoots of American giants, who hire French brains, buy the most promising start-ups, or take over public orders.

"We need a law to favor French SMEs", like the American Small Business Act, he says:

European rankings show that France is very dynamic for the creation of young shoots, but has a harder time growing them until they become international champions.

France has only a small handful of 69 unicorns (tech companies valued over a billion dollars) identified in Europe by the GP Bullhound investment bank.

But many entrepreneurs point out, the state of health of the country is not measured only by that of its young shoots.

Frank Gayraud, boss of Arcure, a company specializing in smart cameras, worries living conditions in difficult neighborhoods and the emergence of a "very unequal" society.

"I hope there is going to be an acknowledgment of the immense suffering that exists in France: we dance on a volcano," he says.