Participated · Series A · Oct 2023

Launched in 2018 by François Vonthron and Antoine Yuen and originating from École Polytechnique, Poppins develops medical-device software targeting neurodevelopmental disorders, with a focus on dyslexia. Its core product is a video-game app designed to provide daily at-home exercises that complement, not replace, speech therapists. The company says the app enables more frequent at-home care and has demonstrated clinical benefits in trials, including a double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving over 6,000 families in France. Poppins was developed in collaboration with leading research teams and patient associations and is positioning the product for integration into care pathways. The startup cites a large unmet need in France — 1.3 million children with dyslexia and long waits for speech therapy — and frames its mission as increasing care capacity and early intervention. Financially, Poppins has now raised a total of €20 million. Poppins, founded in 2018 and spun out of the École Polytechnique, offers a CE-marked digital medical device delivered as a musical video game for children with specific learning disorders. The app is downloadable to tablets and smartphones and is based on five years of scientific research carried out with engineers from École Polytechnique and clinicians and speech therapists from La Timone hospital in Marseille, in collaboration with the Fédération Française des DY. The device was evaluated at home in a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial and to date has been made available via complementary health insurance plans that cover the therapy’s cost. Allianz France tested the device with children of 8,000 employees and has taken a stake in the company through its InnovAllianz fund. Poppins aims to roll out its digital therapeutic program at scale to reduce geographical and social barriers and to expand its research and clinical study program. With the new financing the company’s total funding stands at €12.9 million.

Participated · Seed · Feb 2021

Founded in 2019, Seyna operates as a licensed insurer that combines underwriting capacity with a software platform built specifically for insurance brokers and MGAs. Its tools let partners design bespoke insurance products, handle sales and policy administration, and monitor portfolios while remaining compliant with regulation. The company’s technology stack increasingly relies on generative AI to speed data processing, pricing, legal review and portfolio monitoring, giving brokers faster product launches and lower operating costs. Seyna has onboarded more than 100 brokers—including Verspieren, WTW, Meetch, Verlingue and Dalma—and now serves nearly two million policyholders across five European countries. Gross Written Premiums reached €91 million in 2024, and management projects the figure will surpass €125 million in 2025. With its “Horizon 2027” plan, Seyna will consolidate verticals, support brokers’ international expansion in markets such as Germany, Spain and Poland, and keep investing heavily in AI to enhance efficiency. The latest funding brings its total capital raised to €57 million, providing additional solvency headroom to absorb growing premium volumes while targeting top-tier profitability.

Participated · Equity · Feb 2020

Cityscoot, founded by Bertrand Fleurose in 2014, operates an electric moped‑sharing service in Paris, Nice, Milan and Rome. Users can book scooters through Cityscoot’s app with three clicks, and since October 2019 Paris commuters can also book and pay via the Uber app under a strategic partnership. The company has deployed a fleet of about 7,000 electric mopeds and plans to increase it to 8,000 following the recent funding. Cityscoot aims to open its service in two new European cities in 2020 and specifically planned a Barcelona debut in May 2020. The startup joined the Next40 club and described the financing as a proof of confidence in its ability to develop soft mobility in metropolitan areas. Competitive dynamics noted in the article include Coup’s exit from the market and Tier Mobility’s announced move into electric mopeds. Cityscoot operates an electric scooter-sharing service in Paris with roughly 1,600 scooters available. Users book via phone, unlock with a code, and each scooter includes a helmet in under-seat storage. The company leases its scooters and uses battery-swap cars to replace batteries before they die, making the business capital-intensive. Cityscoot reports about 70,000 clients, 7,000–9,000 rides per day, an average ride length of 15 minutes, roughly €3 revenue per ride (users pay €0.20 per minute with packs), and about 4–6 rides per scooter per day. It plans to expand to Nice and three other cities (including one in Switzerland and one in Italy) and aims to operate a fleet of 5,000 scooters by the end of 2018.