Philippe Collombel

🎉 Thrilled to share the first closing of our new fund Omnes Real Tech 2 at €112 million. 💡 We believe Europe’s deeptech moment is now. A new generation of world-class founders with European roots is building with speed, depth, and ambition, and more and more investors are aligning behind the conviction that Europe can lead in deeptech. We're proud to help power this movement and support the scale-up journey of the continent’s most promising technologies. 🔧 Omnes Real Tech 2 is built for the critical inflection point when breakthrough technologies must scale industrially and commercially. It builds on the journey we’ve taken alongside standout deeptech companies like Quantum Systems, The Exploration Company, Quandela, Sekoia.io, Unseenlabs and Proxima Fusion, now all widely recognised in their fields. 🛰️ We’ll continue backing ambitious companies in defense & security, quantum, new space, AI, semiconductors, and advanced materials, across Europe, with a conviction-led strategy and deep reserves to follow on over time. 🇩🇪 We’re kicking things off with a first investment in ARX Robotics, the German startup shaping the future of autonomous ground systems for defense. 📬 If you're building something bold, with pan-European ambition and industrial scale, we’d love to hear from you. Michel de Lempdes Renaud POULARD Fabien Collangettes François-Xavier Dedde Maia Falkå Paul Maurens #Deeptech #ScaleUp #EuropeTech #DefenseTech #Quantum #NewSpace

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Why I Don't Sign NDAs for Early-Stage Founders — And Why Founders Shouldn't Ask Your idea is your baby. I get it. But for VC, asking for an NDA before sharing that idea isn't protecting your future - it's limiting it. In my latest article, I break down why NDAs create more problems than they solve for founders seeking early-stage funding. I explain why VCs structurally cannot sign them (reviewing 1,500+ decks annually makes this impossible), why they signal inexperience rather than caution, and most importantly - why your execution matters infinitely more than your idea. If you're a founder worried about idea theft, this perspective might change how you approach investor conversations forever. I explain why trust is the real compounding currency in venture capital - not legal protection.

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I had the opportunity to chat with Antoine Tardif of Unite.AI on my journey as an entrepreneur and why I joined AI Squared. In the interview, we discussed one of the biggest challenges in AI today, moving from proof-of-concept stage to production where the business can extract value from AI insights. While most enterprises are still experimenting in the lab, AI Squared is focused on operationalizing AI by embedding insights directly into the systems teams already use like Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, Slack, ServiceNow, Qlik, and 50+ more. Building on our foundations from the United States Department of Defense we focus on delivering real outcomes at scale, with security, compliance, and trust built in. Backed by New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Ansa Capital, Ridgeline, Latimer Ventures and others and trusted by the DoD, intelligence community, and Fortune 500 enterprises, we’re accelerating adoption by making AI seamless, contextual, and actionable. Read the entire interview here: https://lnkd.in/ghywWUAk #EnterpriseAI #AIDeployment #AIEnablement #AIandGov #TechLeadership #AISquared #NationalSecurity #LastMileAI

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This is a startup AI tech stack. I see an acquirer's AI shopping list. Here's what each category looks like from an M&A perspective: MARKETING → Enterprises acquire proven CAC models faster than building attribution systems DEV TOOLS → Strategic buyers need developer velocity, not just code. PRODUCT TEAMS → Acquirers pay premiums for validated user research and proven product processes GTM & SALES → Enterprise buyers acquire repeatable sales systems and workflows PRODUCTIVITY → Strategic value in eliminating manual processes across entire enterprise operations COMPLIANCE → Regulatory moat acquisition priorities HR MANAGEMENT → Talent retention system targets CREATE AI AGENTS → Enterprise automation infrastructure plays LEGAL → Risk mitigation tool consolidation targets MANAGE PAYMENTS → Fintech integration acquisition opportunities BANKING → Financial services integration creates enterprise-wide dependency and switching costs FUNDRAISING → Capital efficiency intelligence gathering DESIGN TOOLS → Design systems that scale across enterprise brands and channels TEAM SYNCING → Communication tools create network effects and become impossible to replace VIBE CODING → Tools that drive developer happiness drive retention CUSTOMER SUPPORT → Service automation that scales customer success without scaling headcount CRM → enterprise intelligence to buy customer insight GENERATE CONTENT → content systems that replace bloated marketing teams AUTOMATIONS → workflows that eliminate operational overhead across entire enterprise functions DATABASES → Data infrastructure that reduces integration complexity Every category represents enterprise buyers systematically identifying which AI startups to acquire rather than build internally. 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 i5invest: We are a corporate development firm with access to 150K+ top decision-makers in Strategy, Business Development, and M&A. We provide innovative tech founders with insights, expertise, and access to our network to take their companies to the next level. #growth #tech #strategy #startups #artificialintelligence Source: New Economies

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📊 Alexandre Dewez of 20VC just published the 2025 edition of his annual State of the 🇫🇷 French Tech Ecosystem. 📝 Bottom line: • France’s tech ecosystem continues to showcase its strength and adaptability in 2024, with 518 funding rounds and €7.1 bn raised. • AI remains dominant, but climate tech, fintech/insurance, and vertical SaaS are gaining traction. • France is proving its place as Europe’s 3rd largest tech ecosystem, with Paris overtaking Berlin as the 2nd largest tech hub. As the landscape evolves, AI innovation, competitive funding, and a robust talent pipeline will continue to define its future. 🇫🇷 Paris: A Global AI Hub • Home to top-tier engineering schools (Polytechnique, ENS, Centrale) and a vibrant research ecosystem (Google DeepMind, Meta FAIR). • 5 French unicorns at the heart of the AI revolution: Dataiku, Hugging Face, Mistral, Owkin, Poolside. • AI startups are gaining traction, with Mistral achieving €30M ARR and Photoroom targeting $100M ARR. • AI is reshaping the trajectory of established unicorns like Alan and Doctolib. 🦄 45 Unicorns and Counting • 3 new unicorns in 2024: Pennylane, Pigment, Poolside. • 71% of French unicorns remain valued at $1bn+, demonstrating resilience. • 5 unicorns IPO-ready: Backmarket, Dataiku, Qonto, Doctolib, Contentsquare (€300M+ ARR, 20-30% YoY growth, close to profitability). • French startups are now reaching unicorn status faster (7.1 years on average; Mistral achieved it in just 8 months). 🌍 France Is A Competitive Investment Landscape • Attracting UK multi-stage funds (Accel, Index, Balderton), US players (Iconiq, Lightspeed), and pan-European investors (Speedinvest, Seedcamp). • Micro-funds like Kima, FSJ, and Yellow are key players at the pre-seed/seed stage. 🔄 The Flywheel Effect • 1.9k alumni from French unicorns are creating a new generation of entrepreneurs, fueling the ecosystem. 📈 Exits and IPO Challenges • 3 notable M&A deals above €200M: Preligens (Safran), BeReal (Voodoo), Lumapps (Bridgepoint). • Unconventional IPOs highlight the need for better public market dynamics in Europe, as seen with Believe’s return to private ownership. Link for the full report in the comment section.

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🌱 "Zero to One: The Pre-Seed Report" 📊 Today, Concept Ventures is excited to share “Zero to One: The Pre-Seed Report,” which reveals what we've felt on the ground for years: Europe's pre-seed ecosystem is stronger than ever before, with the UK 🇬🇧 firmly leading this charge. In a time when negativity dominates headlines, our data tells a different story - one of continued European growth and the likely home to many more of tomorrow's unicorns. Many of the UK's most iconic companies had modest and humble beginnings - all raising pre-seed rounds sub $2.5m (Wise, Revolut, Monzo Bank, Synthesia, and ElevenLabs). 🔍 Main findings from the data: • Total European pre-seed funding has nearly doubled in the last 5 years, from $263M in 2018 to $500m+ in 2024. •The UK 🇬🇧 dominates, attracting $0.33 of every $1 invested in European pre-seed funding - more than Germany 🇩🇪 and France 🇫🇷 combined. • Average UK pre-seed rounds have nearly doubled in size since 2018. • Two-thirds of UK pre-seed rounds now use SAFE instruments, giving founders greater flexibility. As the UK's largest dedicated pre-seed fund, we're bringing much-needed transparency to this critical but often overlooked stage -  Special thanks to Lauren Sauerland, who did the bulk of the work, as well as the brilliant investors who contributed to this report: Jamesin Seidel (Chapter One), Jasper Masemann (Cherry Ventures), Pietro Invernizzi (firedrop), Sam Endacott (firstminute capital), and the team at SeedLegals for their valuable data insights. Want to understand what pre-seed looks like in 2025? Curious about why the UK has established itself as Europe's pre-seed powerhouse? Read the full report in the comments below: https://lnkd.in/eZgUKDht

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