1 : France is top in the ranking of 500 technology companies with the strongest growth
The best-represented French companies
For the third consecutive year, French start-ups are the best represented in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 ranking.
This ranking includes the 500 technology companies in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region whose turnover has risen most in the past five years:
In 2013, 86 French companies were included in the ranking, compared to 71 from the United Kingdom, 52 from Sweden, 27 from Germany and 17 from Ireland.
The purpose of the ranking – which claims to be completely objective, since it is based on companies’ results – is to promote technology companies with the general public, but above all with the investment community.
Ymagis, top of the ranking
A small French company comes top of the ranking.
Ymagis, which specializes in cinema’s transition to digital technology, has grown by 60,000% in five years.
Created in 2007, the company quickly made its mark in several European countries with film producers, distributors and operators. It posted a turnover of €39.7 million in 2012, 38% of it outside France. Floated on the stock market (Euronext) in April, Ymagis raised €11.6 million.
Ymagis is far from being an exception. The human resources management software publisherTalentSoft holds seventh place in the ranking, with a growth rate of 9,457%.
And top in the 2012 ranking is none other than France’s Criteo, which specializes in targeted publicity and is quoted on NASDAQ, the American technology securities exchange, where Apple, Amazon and Google can also be found. Criteo then posted a growth rate of 202,000%.
“Ymagis, TalentSoft and Criteo are trees in a much lusher forest than people think! There’s real potential for development in the technology sector in France,” says Laurent Halfon, an associate at Deloitte.
What is the explanation for this French achievement?
According to the list of the top 500 start-ups with the strongest growth compiled by the firm Deloitte for the Europe/Middle East/Africa region, France is a fertile breeding ground for young talent in the digital economy. The ranking shows there is indeed an ecosystem supporting young, innovative companies in France.
France owes this success to its ability to train engineers with talent, succeed in niche markets with high added value and incorporate internationaldevelopment from the outset.
The strengths of these start-ups are the calibre of their management and their ability to develop internationally. Ymagis is established in three countries and has a commercial presence in eight more. Criteo achieves 90% of its turnover abroad and TalentSoftis present in 100 countries.