Founders Future fueling growth in the French VC scene

Founders Future, a relatively new addition to the French VC landscape, has rapidly built an impressive portfolio of tech startups since its inception.

Launched in 2018 by serial entrepreneur Marc Menasé, Founders Future has made investments in roughly 100 different companies, including Lydia, Yuka, 900.care, Memo Bank, Waterdrop, Sharpist, Rentle, Taster, Stockly, omi studio, and Audi-On.

• Numbers Game: The startups backed by Founders Future collectively generate $268M (€250M) in revenue and have raised a total of $644M (€600M) while their combined valuation is a whopping $5.4B (€5B). As of now, Founders Future manages assets worth $216M (€200M). 💰

• Money, Money, Money: The funding for Founders Future doesn't come from public sources. Instead, the firm relies on successful entrepreneurs and family offices as its limited partners. 💼

• Founders Funds: Currently, the firm is in the process of raising up to $162M (€150M) across two different funds—Founders Future II and Founders Future Expansion. It has already achieved a first close of $80M (€75M). 💸

• Allocation: About 60% of the newly raised amount will be allocated to Founders Future II, focusing on backing startups at the seed stage. The remaining 40% will be invested via Founders Future Expansion, a new fund targeting post-Series A rounds for the firm's existing portfolio companies. 📊

• Disruptors: With Founders Future II, the firm intends to invest in 45 to 60 different startups, roughly translating to 12 to 15 investments annually. They seek to back disruptive startups in various sectors, such as retail, banking, insurance, food, real estate, and healthcare. It's also keen on supporting innovative startups operating in AI, climate, and the circular economy. 🚀

Investment amounts will vary based on the stage of the startup, with initial investments ranging from €250,000 to €3M for seed level startups, and larger checks from €1M to €7.5M for later-stage ventures through the expansion fund.