One of the most exciting companies in the world right now is Mistral, an artificial intelligence start-up based in Paris. In just one year it has gone from an idea in the minds of its founders to a well-funded company able to compete with the likes of OpenAI.
Some of the best international technical talent in the world, including former senior figures from Nvidia and Tesla, are now choosing to start their companies in Paris. Last month, the French tech conference VivaTech attracted more than 165,000 visitors — a new record.
These are all signs that the French tech ecosystem has reached an inflection point. We are a long way away from the (once referred to) stuffy, insular France of a decade ago, when you could count the number of thrilling start-ups on one hand.