EPISODE · Feb 13, 2025 · 40 MIN
La French Tech & Beyond: Shaping France’s 25K Startup Boom w/ Fleur Pellerin, Korelya Capital
from Billion Dollar Moves™ with Sarah Chen-Spellings | Global Venture Capital · host Sarah Chen-Spellings
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/ - PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves FOLLOW SARAH: LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal
What this episode covers
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/ - PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://billiondollarmoves.com Watch on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/sarahchenglobal Join the community: https://sarah-chen.ck.page/billiondollarmoves FOLLOW SARAH: LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sarahchenglobal Instagram: https://instagram.com/sarahchenglobal Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchenglobal
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La French Tech & Beyond: Shaping France’s 25K Startup Boom w/ Fleur Pellerin, Korelya Capital
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