The Franco-German startup network La French Tech Hamburg recently announced its official admission to the global La French Tech community. In this interview, the president of the Hamburg branch, Celia Pégeot-Möller, explains what sets La French Tech apart and what it has to offer to startups.
What is La French Tech?
Celia: La French Tech was launched in 2013 as an initiative of the French government to connect local innovation players in France and around the world – with the aim of supporting the growth of French startups and scale-ups, making locations more attractive and raising the international profile of the French tech scene.
The figures speak for themselves: French startups raised a total of 7.4 billion euros in 2025 – despite a venture capital market that has become more selective globally, France thus remains one of the leading tech hubs in Europe, particularly in the field of DeepTech. The La French Tech network currently comprises 125 communities in 57 countries, with over 1,100 volunteer board members worldwide, as well as more than 3,000 active startups and over 1,000 events per year.
How did La French Tech Hamburg come about, and who are the people behind it?
´Celia: La French Tech Hamburg was founded around a year and a half ago as a private initiative by founders, investors and other tech enthusiasts – with a clear vision: to build a genuine bridge between the French and German startup ecosystems from Hamburg and northern Germany. As an international metropolis with strong economic and innovative power, and at the same time close historical ties to France, Hamburg offers a solid foundation for this.
From the outset, the initiative was supported by Hamburg Invest and Startup City Hamburg – a clear signal that Franco-German cooperation is also strategically relevant for Hamburg as a business location. Today, the community includes numerous other partners: VC funds, business angel networks, startups, industrial companies and public institutions from both countries.
Eight French and German volunteer board members (Celia Pégeot-Möller, Lauriane Tiard-Caillaud, Christoph Oertel, Pauline Gauthier, Antoine Verger, Pierre Manière, Valerie von Lucke and Hugues Kirstetter), as well as numerous committed members from the local and French ecosystems, are actively shaping the community today.
What does La French Tech Hamburg do, and how can startups benefit from your work?
Celia: La French Tech Hamburg provides concrete access to networks, markets and partners in France, Europe and worldwide. This works both ways: French startups looking to tap into the German market find direct access to the Hamburg ecosystem through us. And Hamburg-based startups and investors gain access to the French market and the global French Tech network, which comprises over 3,000 startups across 57 countries. In concrete terms, this means:
Regular community events for members – networking, matchmaking, mutual visibility
Major public side events featuring industry experts and investors at key Hamburg events such as the Aircraft Interiors Expo or the SMM.
This represents real added value for the Hamburg ecosystem: we are opening a direct channel to France – to capital, talent, technologies and markets. And this is embedded within a strong network that also opens doors internationally.
Our next major event is on 29 June 2026 as part of Hamburg Sustainability Week: “Sustainable Tech in the Age of AI: Myth, Opportunity, or Necessity?” You can register for this here.
And you can find more information about La French Tech Hamburg on LinkedIn and our website.
