With the rise of digital technologies and online commerce, the entrepreneurial landscape is in a state of flux. 2022 was a pivotal year for French Tech, with many dynamic startups raising record amounts of funds, increasing the number of unicorns (companies valued at 1 billion USD) in France.
Some of these companies have made a name for themselves, and could be considered as potential candidates for an IPO. Here is a ranking of 10 French startups that could offer a profitable investment once floated on the stock market.
BlaBlaCar
- Year of creation: 2006
- Sector: Carpooling
- Valuation: $2 billion
BlaBlaCar is a car-sharing platform which enables users to share car journeys to reduce costs and greenhouse gas emissions. The company was founded in 2006 in France and has become one of the largest car-sharing platforms in Europe. It has also expanded its activities to include long-distance buses and flights.
BlaBlaCar has succeeded in attracting major investors, such as Accel Partners and Index Ventures. In 2016the company announced that it had raised $100 million to finance its international expansion. BlaBlaCar, l'one of France's 27 unicorns, has also been cited as one of Europe's most promising startups. It could be a potential candidate for an IPO in the future.
Sorare
- Year of creation: 2018
- Sector: Tech
- Valuation: $4.3 billion
Sorare is a French start-up that has has created a global market for non-fungible soccer trading card (NFT) digital tokens.. Users can buy, sell and trade unique digital trading cards, which are stored on the Ethereum blockchain.
Founded in 2018 by Nicolas Julia, this company has raised raised several million dollars to finance its to finance its development. It has also secured partnerships with prestigious soccer such as Paris Saint-Germain, FC BarcelonaBayern Munich, etc. Sorare is considered one of the most innovative startups in the field of blockchain and NFT technology. It is increasingly popular with soccer fans and collectors worldwide. As a unicorn, it represents a potential candidate for a stock market listing in the next few years.
OVH
- Year of creation: 1999
- Sector: Cloud
- Valuation: $4 billion
OVH is a French cloud computing company which provides web hosting services, online storagededicated servers and domain name. It was founded in 1999 and has become one of the world's leading players in web hosting and cloud technology.
The company has succeeded in attracting major investorssuch as private equity firm KKR and investment bank Goldman Sachs. In 2020, the company announced that it had raised 250 million euros to finance its international expansion. Its unicorn status makes it a genuine candidate for a potential IPO.
Qonto
- Year of creation: 2016
- Sector: FinTech
- Valuation: $5 billion
Qonto is a French start-up that offers an innovative dedicated banking solution for businesses. It offers services such as current accounts, debit and credit cards, transfers, online payments and cash management tools. It was founded in 2016 and has successfully established a reputation for its ease of use, pricing transparency and security.
Thanks to investors such as the Accel Partners investment fund and Alven Capital, the company has successfully raised 60 million euros in 2020 to finance its international expansion. Qonto is considered one of the most promising most promising startups in the online banking sector and a unicorn valued at $5 billion.
ManoMano
- Year of creation: 2013
- Sector : E-commerce
- Valuation: $2.6 billion
ManoMano is a French e-commerce platform which focuses on sale of DIY, gardening and renovation products. Popular, it offers a wide selection of products ranging from gardening tools to building materials and electronic equipment.
It has become one of Europe's leading online retailers of DIY products, with 150 million in financing campaigns. In partnership with investment funds such as Accel Partners and the ISAI fund, the company has succeeded in becoming a unicorn. All these factors make it an ideal candidate for a future IPO..
Mirakl
- Year of creation: 2011
- Sector: B2B Marketplace
- Valuation: $3.5 billion
Mirakl is a startup that offers turnkey solution for companies wishing to create a marketplace to sell products or services. It takes care of all aspects of setting up, managing and optimizing an online marketplace, such as supplier management, logistics, payment management and more.
With a 300 million in fundraising by 2020the platform is currently valued at $3.5 billion. It has strong potential to enter the stock market, and is backed by major investors such as Accel Partners and the ISAI fund.
Contentsquare
- Year of creation: 2011
- Sector: Data analysis
- Valuation: $5.6 billion
Contentsquare specializes in data analysis for businesses. The latter enables professionals to understand how users interact with their website or mobile applications. It uses advanced analysis techniques to collect data on user behaviorsuch as clicks, scrolls, searches and purchases.
Thanks to a $500 billion fundraising campaignthis unicorn has achieved one of the biggest fund-raising campaigns in the history of French Tech. It plans to expand further internationally, and is one of the companies eagerly awaited for an IPO in the coming years.
Back Market
- Year of creation: 2014
- Sector : E-commerce
- Valuation: $5.7 billion
Founded in 2014 by Thibaud Hug de Larauze, Quentin Le Brouster and Vianney Vaute, Back Market is a e-commerce platform focusing on the sale of refurbished products. This includes products that have been returned or used, and then repaired, tested and certified for resale.
The startup offers a wide selection of electronic products such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, cameras, connected speakers and connected watches.
In 2021it achieves its unicorn status by raising 276 million euros in capital. Similarly, it has carried out a campaign worth 450 million euros, raising its value to $5.7 billion by 2022. Considered one of the major players in the refurbishing sector, Back Market has enormous potential to enter the stock market.
Doctolib
- Year of creation: 2013
- Sector: Health
- Valuation: $5.8 billion
Launched by Stanislas Niox-Château, Doctolib is an innovative medical appointment scheduling and management platform online for patients and healthcare professionals. It also offers teleconsultation tools for doctors, enabling patients to consult a doctor remotely. Visit 2022this unicorn has succeeded in fundraising of 500 million euros.
Doctolib is considered one of the most promising start-ups in the field of healthcare technology.. It is also backed by major partners and investors, making it a sure bet for an IPO in the coming years.
Payfit
- Year of creation: 2015
- Sector: FinTech and human resources
- Valuation: $2 billion
Set up by Firmin Zocchetto, Ghislain de Fontenay and Florian Fournier, Payfit offers a complete payroll and human resources management solution. The platform enables companies to manage employee payroll efficiently, reduce the costs and errors associated with manual payroll processes, and improve the employee experience by giving them access to their payroll information in real time.
Although in 2020, the company was held back by the COVID crisis, in 2021, it raised new funds to revitalize its activities. It is likewise one of the unicorns.
In addition to this non-exhaustive list of startups, there are many others with the potential to go public. After all, France today boasts 27 unicorns, all of which have the potential and appeal to launch on the stock market.
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