Our story
START Paris exists because a few people kept turning up, asking questions and making things happen before anyone asked them to.
START Paris began with a simple idea: Paris deserved a place where ambitious students could meet the startup ecosystem directly, and stand in the room with it instead of reading about it. Getting there meant going to events that weren't meant for students, asking for opportunities nobody had offered, and learning from people who had already built communities elsewhere in the START Network.
December 2023
Approved as the Paris chapter
After months of conversations with chapter leaders in other cities, and with founders and organisers around Paris, START Paris was officially recognised as the Paris chapter of the international START Network.
May 2024
The launch: an opening ceremony with the ecosystem in the room
The first event brought European startups, international companies presenting their products and partners from across Paris together with the students who had signed up to be there.
VivaTech 2024
A way into one of Europe's largest tech conferences
Working with partners, START Paris gave VivaTech tickets to students and community members. For many of them it was a first direct look at the startup world.
2025
A pitch competition, hackathons, Youth of Europe and Station F
In February we held the 2025 edition of Road to START Summit, our pitch competition. In May we co-hosted the first {Tech: Paris} AI Hackathon. In June, during VivaTech, we organised the first Youth of Europe evening. In September we ran a four-hour Agentic AI Hackathon with Junction, and in October we joined EWOR and EuroTech Federation for an evening at Station F.
2026
Deeptech pitches, then five events in four days
The year opened with the deeptech edition of Road to START Summit. In June, around VivaTech, we ran five events in four days: France × Germany Collide at Station F, How to Dream Again, a morning run at La Villette, Youth of Europe v2 and a launch night at 42 Paris.
The spirit behind it
START Paris wasn't built on credentials. It was built by showing up at events, talking to people, asking questions and going after opportunities that were far from certain.
That is still how it works. Anyone who joins can pick up the story: take the initiative, build a project, meet ambitious people and create an opportunity that didn't exist before.
Join us