PRESS RELEASE
French Tech Côte d'Azur and the CAPENERGIES competitiveness cluster: a strategic partnership serving the region's innovative companies
Élodie Bondi Co-President of French Tech Côte d'Azur
and Annaïk Juhuette Jouenne, Managing Director of the Capenergies cluster
Nice, Thursday 27 November - On the occasion of the «Le Plongeoir» event, organised on 27 November, the French Tech Côte d'Azur Région Sud, organiser of the event, and the CAPENERGIES competitiveness cluster are announcing the signing of a structured collaboration aimed at supporting and amplifying innovation on the Côte d'Azur and the Sud-Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.
This alliance draws on the complementary strengths of two committed players:
- La French Tech Côte d'Azur Southern Region, a collective movement dedicated to start-ups, scale-ups and the region's digital ecosystem, whose mission is to identify, support and accelerate the region's innovative businesses, with the aim of creating «Tech Champions»;
- CAPENERGIES, This cluster is a benchmark in the energy transition (building, industry, mobility, infrastructure), facilitating the emergence of innovative projects and supporting their financing and development to accelerate the energy transition in the regions.
Three strategic areas of cooperation
- Accelerating the growth of innovative companies in the region
The 2 partners will be pooling their expertise, networks and resources to support businesses. The aim is to support companies, particularly those in the scale-up phase:
- La French Tech Côte d'Azur will mobilise its ecosystem of start-ups, its acceleration programmes and its hypergrowth drive;
- CAPENERGIES will contribute its ability to certify innovative projects, its network of financial backers and its support for industrialisation.
The aim is to identify high-potential scale-ups, structure dedicated growth programmes and help them reach new levels.
- Improving access to European funding projects
The partnership also aims to make it easier for local businesses to take part in calls for European projects.
- CAPENERGIES already heavily involved in a number of projects, will be making available its intelligence and expertise in putting together dossiers and setting up consortia;
- La French Tech Côte d'Azur, through its network and local presence, can mobilise local start-ups and scale-ups, help them connect with European schemes and accelerate their participation in these programmes.
Together, the two organisations aim to create a real bridge between the Côte d'Azur ecosystem and European schemes, maximising companies' chances of success.
- Boost networking and promote the ecosystem
This third area will focus on the organisation of events, business meetings and themed workshops designed to strengthen collaboration between start-ups, SMEs, major groups, institutions and funding bodies.
- La French Tech Côte d'Azur drives a tech ecosystem (start-ups, investors, decision-makers) and promotes the attractiveness of the region;
- CAPENERGIES brings together more than 500 members, organises themed clubs (solar, hydrogen, sustainable mobility, Europe) and BtoB meetings between public/private contractors.
This synergy will multiply the opportunities for high added-value collaborations.
A strategic partnership for the region
- By combining the agility and dynamism of French Tech with CAPENERGIES' capacity for industrialisation, financing and structuring, the region has a unique lever to propel its innovative companies forward;
- The convergence of the two organisations means we can capitalise on a strong regional ecosystem;
- Against a global backdrop of energy and digital transition, this partnership will enable us to respond to major challenges (decarbonisation, sovereignty, technological innovation) while supporting regional economic growth.
A concrete outlook for 2026
- Launch of a joint scale-up support programme«, specifically dedicated to fast-growing start-ups/SMEs;
- Co-hosting a «Europe hub» to map relevant European calls for projects, facilitate the creation of consortia, and train companies in European thinking;
- Organisation of joint networking events (workshops, forums, pitch days) bringing together members of both organisations.
About Capenergies
The Capenergies cluster facilitates the emergence of innovative projects and supports their financing and development to accelerate the Energy Transition in the regions. It works for the benefit of low-carbon energy sectors and its members based in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Corsica, Guadeloupe and the Principality of Monaco.
The cluster brings together a dynamic network of nearly 520 members - major industrial groups, companies, including a majority of SMEs and start-ups, research and training centres, local authorities and financiers - specialising in energy and related uses. It has links with more than 300 partners in France and Europe.
The cluster supports the growth of companies and the development of regional projects, through a range of services and by organising business meetings with public and private contractors. It facilitates the recruitment and upskilling of members' employees, enabling them to access new markets and adapt to the specific challenges of the energy sector.
To find out more, click here: https://www.capenergies.fr
About French Tech Côte d'Azur
The French Tech Côte d'Azur Région Sud is the French Tech capital of the Côte d'Azur region, bringing together start-ups, investors, major groups, SMEs, researchers and support players to accelerate the emergence and growth of technological champions.
It leads a collective movement of entrepreneurs committed to innovation, internationalisation and job creation in the region, in conjunction with the national French Tech programmes.
To find out more, click here: https://www.frenchtechcotedazur.fr/