Staff Report
Founders Future, a prominent Paris-based venture capital firm managing approximately €300 million ($324 million), is opening its capital to investors in a move that sets the stage for an ambitious U.S. expansion. The firm has sold a 25% stake in its holding company to notable investors, including MACSF, the Dassault family, and the CMA CGM Group, among others.
Since its inception in 2018, Founders Future has garnered attention for its early-stage investments in startups such as Lydia, Alma, Taster, La Fourche, Riot, Swan, Yuka, and more. To date, the firm has invested in 110 companies across two early-stage funds and a growth fund. Founders Future is now looking toward significant growth, with an ambitious target to reach €1 billion in assets under management by 2030.
“We’re not just another VC firm with a few personal initiatives — we’re building a company,” said Marc Menasé, the firm’s founding partner. “Our roadmap to 2030 includes raising funds rapidly, and this capital increase gives us the resources we need to achieve these ambitions.”
The new capital injection will support Founders Future’s U.S. expansion, with plans to establish two offices — one on the East Coast and another on the West Coast. Menasé noted that European startups with strong product-market fit often experience substantial growth when they enter the U.S. market, with revenue multiplying two to three times after 36 months of operations. This, he believes, is due to greater access to capital and higher valuations in the U.S. market.
By expanding to the U.S., Founders Future intends to create a “transatlantic bridge,” helping European companies scale in the U.S. and American firms tap into the European market. The firm’s vision includes a new growth fund focused on U.S. investments, aimed at offering European limited partners opportunities to invest in American tech firms.
“We’ll start with modest goals, with investments ranging from $5 million to $10 million in growth rounds of at least $50 million,” Menasé said. While the fundraising for this fund hasn’t started yet, the firm is targeting a $250 million raise.
With its U.S. expansion underway, Founders Future hopes to foster stronger transatlantic ties and provide strategic support to both its European and American portfolio companies.
