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IRD Invest

40 rue Eugène Jacquet, Marcq-en-Baroeul, Nord, 59700, France

Overview

IRD assists start-ups, SMEs, and mid-sized businesses in their development. They help clients achieve their goals and accelerate their transitions.

Total investments
4
Lead investments
1
Investments · 12mo
2
Active investors
1
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Investment portfolio

  • Extensee

    Participated · Equity · Oct 2025

    Founded in late 2023 by four co-founders, Extensee positions itself as “the airline of drones,” delivering comprehensive mission services such as sensitive-site protection, infrastructure inspection and communication-route security. Originally based in Paris, the company has relocated its headquarters to Lille to anchor itself in the rapidly growing drone ecosystem of Hauts-de-France. Extensee is already working with notable partners including Airbus and the European Defence Agency, underscoring early commercial traction. The startup is pursuing the European LUC certification to broaden the scope of its drone operations. Proceeds from its recent financing will fund certification completion, expand operational capacity, and support market deployment in France and internationally. By combining regulatory compliance, operational infrastructure and service diversification, Extensee seeks to become a key player in the European drone services market.

  • NxtFood

    Participated · Equity · Sep 2025

    Founded in 2019, NxtFood produces plant-based chicken, beef, and pork alternatives made from locally grown wheat and pea proteins. Its 20-plus SKUs are distributed in all major French food retailers and more than 10,000 foodservice outlets, making it one of the country’s fastest-growing alt-meat startups. Revenue rose from €1 million in 2022 to €9.2 million in 2023, and the company expects to reach €17.4 million in 2024. NxtFood operates a high-moisture-extrusion facility in Vitry-en-Artois and plans to triple its footprint to 12,000 m². The fresh capital will also fund additional R&D and accelerate sales and co-manufacturing partnerships across Europe. Management targets profitability within 12–18 months and emphasizes short ingredient lists, balanced nutrition, and clean labels to meet consumer demand.

  • Nestor

    Participated · Equity · Apr 2024

    Nestor helps professional customers protect data, documents and client information, positioning security, privacy and regulatory compliance as core offerings. The company counts a wide range of corporate and institutional clients, including BPCE Assurances, Decathlon, Crédit Agricole Nord de France and Groupe Caisse des Dépôts, among others highlighted in its announcement. Leadership under president Antonia BOVA is credited with steering the company through recent growth and product development. Financially, Nestor reported that revenue doubled and annual recurring revenue (ARR) tripled over the past year. Management and investors frame recent capital conversion as validation of strategy and a catalyst for further commercial acceleration. The company plans to use the renewed investor confidence to continue scaling and to attract additional investors as it expands its customer base.

  • Ausha

    Led · Equity · Mar 2020

    Ausha provides a platform that allows users to host podcasts and increase their visibility. The company serves customers such as Libération, BNP Paribas and Décathlon and today hosts more than 2,500 radio stations in 120 countries. Founded in 2018 by Maxime Piquette, Ausha is a French company focused on podcast hosting and distribution. The platform continues to be developed to improve hosting and visibility features. The company intends to use the new funds to consolidate its presence in France and expand across Europe. The financing will support continued product development and regional growth.

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