La French Tech & Beyond: Shaping France’s 25K Startup Boom w/ Fleur Pellerin, Korelya Capital

From shaping France’s digital transformation as a government minister to leading a €750 million investment fund, Fleur Pellerin is a force to be reckoned with.

In this episode, recorded in the heart of Paris, we sit down with Fleur, the founder of Korelya Capital, to explore her extraordinary journey—from her early days as an adopted child from Korea to breaking barriers in politics, tech, and venture capital.

Timestamps / Key Takeaways  

0:00 - Intro  

01:56 - Billion Dollar Questions  

03:44 - From an adopted child in Korea to a former minister of France; the influence of Fleur’s mother  

07:30 - The journey from business school to politics; her impact on digital, cultural, and communications policies in France  

10:22 - Three key factors behind La French Tech: Station F, policy initiatives, and ecosystem building  

12:23 - The state of the French startup ecosystem today; Bpifrance and the government's role in the investment industry  

15:11 - Fleur’s decision to transition into investing; building Korelya Capital  

17:59 - Growing global interest in Europe, particularly from Asia  

19:50 - Investment strategy: from tech to consumer brands, and backing Bolt  

24:24 - The challenge of limited exits in European and Asian markets  

26:48 - The role of family offices in the French investment landscape  

28:38 - Emerging trends, strategies, and structures shaping the industry  

30:21 - Lessons learned from mistakes and partnerships  

33:56 - A message for funders and capital allocators on funding women; incentives for driving positive change  

36:41 - One key takeaway for funders and founders worldwide

About Fleur

Fleur Pellerin is a French businesswoman, former civil servant and Socialist Party politician who served as a French government minister from 2012 to 2016

CEO & Founder of Korelya Capital, European VC Fund. French Junior Minister for SMEs, Innovation and the Digital Economy

FOLLOW FLEUR:

https://www.instagram.com/fleurpellerin/?hl=en

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleur_Pellerin

https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleurpellerin/

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