The Venture Codex

Participated · Seed · Feb 2026

Founded in 2019 in Nantes, France, Eclore Actuators produces protective bellows for industrial robots that are five times more durable than conventional covers, lasting up to a year instead of the typical two months. The durability comes from a proprietary manufacturing process that forms the folds from a single continuous piece, eliminating glued or welded joints that usually constitute weak points. The 11-person startup recently moved into a 700 m² factory on the outskirts of Nantes to scale production. Eclore targets two complementary industrial markets: retrofitting robots already in service for quick, near-term sales, and supplying SCARA and other robot manufacturers for long-term, recurring revenue; it has already secured a series-production contract with Swiss manufacturer Stäubli and is negotiating with multiple Japanese robotics giants. Beyond industry, the company is prototyping its membrane technology as a directional “airbag” to eject drones or payloads for defense applications, with commercialization expected in about two years. Management expects industrial sales to account for more than 80 % of revenue over the next five years, while the fresh capital will fund increased production capacity and international commercial expansion, particularly in Japan.

Participated · Equity · Oct 2025

Founded in 2020 in Lorient, Seaber designs and builds compact autonomous underwater vehicles (micro-AUVs) that can dive to 300 metres and operate for 8–10 hours while carrying interchangeable payloads such as cameras, sonars and scientific sensors. The 20-person company controls both hardware and software, enabling rapid deployment and high modularity. In less than three years, it has industrialised its first model and sold more than 100 units on every continent, serving oceanography, water-quality monitoring and defense customers. Management reports that revenue has been doubling annually and is aiming for €8 million of sales in 2025 and 100 drones sold per year globally by 2030. Growth is further supported by strategic partnerships, including a collaboration with U.S. water-management giant Xylem on the EcoMapper Nano. Fresh capital will fund accelerated international expansion and deeper penetration of scientific and defense markets.

Participated · Equity · Feb 2024

Aerix Systems, founded in 2020, builds the AXS Micro, a small, highly agile aerial robot with a 40 cm wingspan, 4 kg weight and a top speed of 200 km/h. The machine can fly on its edge or back, execute abrupt direction changes and operate in winds up to 100 km/h. Aerix targets defense counter‑drone use—particularly against FPV drones—and industrial inspection on hard‑to‑reach sites. After a €1.6 million raise in 2024, the company secured an additional €5 million to industrialize production. Its immediate plan is to launch manufacturing at a rate of several hundred units per month. The new funding is intended to support that production ramp.

Participated · Seed · Dec 2023

Inspeere develops DATIS, a patented data-protection solution that encrypts, fragments and disperses data across a secure network to protect digital assets. DATIS originates from research by co‑founder and technical director Olivier Dalle in the CNRS–University of Côte d’Azur joint laboratory. The product stacks Linux and OpenZFS with encryption, compression, snapshots, replication, P2P/dispersed techniques and erasure coding (practical EC deployments cited as 4+2 or 6+2), and runs on edge appliances called Datis boxes. The Datis network can be used by local backup software via NFS, SMB or S3, and the solution is GDPR and NIS2 compliant while aligning with green/ESG objectives by avoiding dedicated secondary storage purchases. Following a €600,000 seed round, Inspeere plans to expand market presence by partnering with IT resellers and distributors and targeting VSEs/SMEs, local authorities and verticals such as real-estate chains, law firms, pharmacies and clinics. The company is small with a limited team but aims to grow through reseller partnerships and signed deals in targeted sectors.