20 years of companies creation
INRIA fosters the creation and development of innovative companies by launching the "Born of INRIA" label

 

Paris, April 19, 2005

On the occasion of the celebration of twenty years of creation of innovative technology companies, the National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Automatic Control reasserts its intent to continue fostering innovation and value creation. The Institute was instrumental in creating next to eighty companies. It is launching the "Born of INRIA" label to contribute to the development of companies based on INRIA know-how and technology transfer.

A label for confidence at the service of business development

To keep growing, startups need to demonstrate the technological excellence of the products and services they offer, find funds to jump start their activity or accompany their growth and be recognized by national and international clients.

INRIA is leveraging its worldwide reputation in the field of new technology to meet this need with the launch of the "Born of INRIA" label. The objective is to invite investors and economic actors is to look with interest at the development potential of companies stemming from INRIA.

Company creation at INRIA, a proven model

INRIA has placed innovation at the heart of its strategic priorities and has developed a unique expertise in technology transfer. For twenty years, the Institute has been carrying out a pragmatic and dynamic policy in favor of company creation, which it considers to be a special means of transforming research into innovation.

In order to reinforce the creation and development of innovative technology companies, INRIA created INRIA-Transfert in 1998. INRIA-Transfert is an INRIA subsidiary that has developed a continuous and participative process of startup selection, accompaniment, qualification and evaluation. The concerned companies may or may not stem from INRIA and must be likely to develop technology created at INRIA. In collaboration with AXA Private Equity and CDC Entreprises, INRIA-Transfert initiated I-Source Gestion, the first French venture capital structure specializing in innovative company startup funding. The latter company manages four risk funds: I-Source 1 and 2, C-Source and T-Source.

Born of INRIA The creation of the "Born of INRIA" label marks a new step in the Institute's policy in favor of innovation and value creation, by contributing to the development of companies based on INRIA know-how and technology transfer.

Next to eighty such companies have been created as of today. Among these, forty-five are still active and most of the products and technology developed by the others is still producing value via integration into large groups or the creation of other companies - for example Distène and Esterel Technologies, both stemming from the first INRIA startup Simulog.

INRIA's development model and its success in company creation, with such success stories as Ilog ou Kelkoo, are proof that public research is capable of creating employment and providing added impetus to the French economic and social fabric.

INRIA is located in seven major French regions via its research units of Bordeaux, Grenoble, Lille, Nancy, Rennes, Rocquencourt, Saclay and Sophia-Antipolis. The Institute and its partners are participating in the development of regional economies.

"From research to innovative companies - Born of INRIA"
An anniversary publication for the press available upon demand

An anniversary night to celebrate twenty years of company creation In the evening of April 19, at the Maison des Arts et Métiers in Paris, INRIA will celebrate twenty years of company creation with 300 actors of the economic and new technology sectors: political decision makers, among which the Minister for Industry and the Minister for Research, research scientists from INRIA and its partners, entrepreneurs and venture capital professionals. The goal of the night is to exchange views on the ways of fostering value creation by supporting startup growth.

About INRIA

INRIA, the national institute for research in computer science and control, is dedicated to fundamental and applied research in information and communication science and technology (ICST). Throughout its six research units located in nine major regions (Aquitaine, Bretagne, Lorraine, Île-de-France, Nord Pas de Calais, Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes), the Institute has a workforce of 3,500, 2,700 of whom are scientists from INRIA and its partner organizations. INRIA has an annual budget of 135 million euros, 20% of which comes from its own research contracts and licences. The Institute plays a crucial role in five areas of research: communicating systems, cognitive systems, symbolic systems, numerical systems and biological systems.

INRIA develops many partnerships with industry and fosters technology transfer and company foundation in the field of ICST - some eighty companies have been founded. Startups are financed in particular by INRIA-Transfert, a subsidiary of INRIA that supports four startup funds.

INRIA's international collaborations are manifested through welcoming and recruiting foreign students and by significant research exchanges. Priority is given to geographical areas with strong economic potential - European Research Area, Asia and North America - while maintaining a continuing activity with South America, Africa and the Middle East.

For more information: http://www.inria.fr.

PDF Version of the Press Release

Press contacts:

Stratéus for INRIA Laurence Hermant Tel.: +33 1 40 41 56 11

INRIA Vincent Coronini Tel.: +33 1 39 63 57 29