On June 20, the FrenchTech Train took 16 start-ups from Perpignan, Montpellier and Toulouse to meet the ecosystems of Barcelona and Madrid. Driven by Pyrénées Méditerranée Invest, the initiative, which aims to promote a collective of Mediterranean start-ups, is also a prelude to the French Tech label, which the Catalan urban community is aiming for in 2018.
The 60-strong delegation set off from Perpignan on two privatized trains, stopping off in Barcelona on the way to Madrid. The day included the inevitable pitch competition, the presence of business coaches and institutional representatives around the start-ups, and plenty of networking, via meetings with the French Tech communities of Barcelona and Madrid. The FrenchTech Train took on board 2 of the founders of the ShippingBo logistics solution from Labège, near Toulouse.
There were also heads of digital companies based in “Northern Catalonia”, such as web agency Nematis, Flipr, fablab SquaregoLab, “alternative” marketplace Gôôd, mobile application development studio ISeeU.
The Barcelona-Madrid route was reserved for pitches – in 2 minutes flat – to investors, banks and institutions. The three winners were announced during the evening in a Madrid hotel, in the presence of the President of the Franco-Spanish Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the French Ambassador to Spain.
The Jury’s Prize was awarded to Pack Editions, from Saint-Laurent de la Salanque, which geolocates shops using Bluetooth beacons.
The Prix du Train went to Le Soler-based start-up Odesy, designer of connected objects for children, which won a prize at Perpignan’s Startup Weekend in March.
The Coup de Coeur prize goes to Barcelona-based Daysk, a co-working space platform, and a Special Mention to Madrid-based Knowlii (a traveler connection platform).