The startup scene in France

Nice is connected to a wider Côte d’Azur innovation network: French Tech Côte d’Azur describes a regional network of startups, researchers, investors, and support partners, with an office in Nice. (Claim 87699) Nearby Sophia Antipolis describes an ecosystem linking private research and development, public laboratories, and education; its listed research areas include health, digital technology and engineering, telecommunications, physics, semiconductors, and agriculture and environment. (Claims 87700, 87701)

Université Côte d’Azur’s Start-Up DeepTech call requires a connection to research in an IdEx partner team and publishes grants of up to €200,000 across two €100,000 phases. (Claims 87705, 87707) The university states that applications are accepted on a rolling, year-round basis; this describes the published application schedule and does not establish present availability. (Claim 87706) UniCA Entreprendre serves students, researchers, and local professionals through university entrepreneurship services at a Nice campus. (Claim 87709)

On September 11, 2026, Université Côte d’Azur reported that MED’INNOV and Telecom Valley signed a partnership at Pôle Alpha in Sophia Antipolis to support technology transfer and deep-tech development. (Claim 87708) Nice Start(s) Up reports more than 140 startups and more than €100 million raised, without stating the measurement period. (Claim 87710) Dealroom’s Nice metro-area profile reports $1.1 billion in enterprise value for 2015–2025, 17 university spinouts, and six scaleups valued above $100 million; these are metro-area, publisher-reported figures. (Claims 87714, 87715)

Université Côte d’Azur listed March 22, 2026, as the application deadline for the 2026 ALIVE cohort for startups working on longevity and wellbeing, and scheduled the cohort through October 16, 2026; the published deadline has passed. (Claim 87718)