France to support start-ups with €4 billion plan amid coronavirus crisis
Investments in early stage digital companies have boomed in France in recent years, helped by tax cuts and business-friendly measures put in place by President Emmanuel Macron, who has vowed to turn the country into a "start-up nation”.
"We're announcing a specific plan to support the liquidity of start-ups," O told French radio station Radio Classique. "In total it will be a plan for 4 billion (euros).”
The money injected by venture capital funds into French start-ups jumped 30% over the first three quarters of 2019 from a year earlier to 3.9 billion euros, according to Dealroom, a data provider.
The French government's liquidity plan for start-ups includes a short-term refinancing scheme (160 million euros), the early payment of some tax credits (1.5 billion), the accelerated payment of already-planned investments in the sector (150 million) and guarantees over cash flow costs (2 billion).
"Given the global economic situation, there's a risk that some investors may become wary," O said, adding that he would meet some venture capital funds this week in a bid to shore up their support for French startups. ($1 = 0.9244 euros)
March 27, 2020