One-third of the Next40 2026 scale-up come from IP Paris

Technological excellence at the center of the 2026 selection

Launched in 2019, the French Tech Next40/120 programme supports France's most promising scale-ups as they expand nationally and internationally.

For the 2026 edition, the selection criteria have evolved to place greater emphasis on technological excellence, economic impact and contributions to strategic challenges such as industrial sovereignty, alongside financial performance.

This shift is reflected in the new cohort. Nearly one third of the selected companies come from the DeepTech sector, with strong representation in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology, robotics, space technologies and energy. These are precisely the fields in which IP Paris-affiliated companies have established a strong presence.

IP Paris companies selected for the 2026 Next40/120

IP Paris is represented in this year's selection through companies founded or developed by alumni of its member schools. While most were created by graduates of École polytechnique, the cohort also includes alumni from Télécom Paris and École nationale des ponts et chaussées, as well as companies supported by the IP Paris incubators.

This year, 8 companies linked to IP Paris joined the programme, including 3 directly in the Next40: AMI Labs, H Company and Pasqal. Energy Pool, Greenly, Jimmy, Moon Surgical and Yespark entered the French Tech 120.

The new cohort also reflects the growth trajectory of French scale-ups. Companies such as Brevo and Equativ, featured in previous editions, have now graduated from the programme after reaching a new stage of development.

IP Paris companies addressing major technological and societal challenges

Artificial intelligence is the most strongly represented field among the selected IP Paris scale-ups. Mistral AI, now France's first decacorn with a valuation exceeding €10 billion, has established itself as one of Europe's leading generative AI companies. Alongside it, AMI Labs (which recently signed a partnership agreement with IP Paris to strengthen collaboration between academic research and AI system development) H Company, Ekimetrics, ChapsVision and Shift Technology showcase the breadth of AI applications, from foundation models and autonomous agents to data analytics and enterprise solutions.

Quantum computing is another field prominently represented in this year's selection. Alice & Bob continues to develop its fault-tolerant quantum computer and welcomed NVIDIA as an investor in 2026. Pasqal, co-founded by Nobel Prize in Physics laureate and École polytechnique professor Alain Aspect, is deploying its neutral-atom quantum computers for research centres and industrial partners in France and abroad.

Robotics is represented by Exotec, whose autonomous robots are now deployed in more than 200 warehouses worldwide, and Wandercraft, developer of self-balancing exoskeletons for healthcare and industrial applications. In the space sector, Exotrail, based in Massy, designs orbital transfer vehicles for satellite deployment.

Several companies in this year's cohort have also joined the ranks of France's unicorns, including AMI Labs, Exotec, Mistral AI, Pasqal, PayFit, Pennylane, Shift Technology, Spendesk and Vestiaire Collective. Their inclusion reflects the remarkable trajectory of companies that, within just a few years of their creation, have become leading players in the French technology landscape.

Applications open for French Tech 2030

The French Tech Mission is responsible for implementing France's public policies supporting start-ups while strengthening the French innovation ecosystem both nationally and internationally.

Alongside the Next40/120 programme, applications are now open for the third edition of French Tech 2030, dedicated to companies developing strategic technologies. Applications remain open until 4 September 2026.