French VC firm Founders Future plans US expansion

Tech Crunch - Mar 24th, 2025
Open on Tech Crunch

Founders Future, a Paris-based venture capital firm with €300 million in assets under management, has sold a 25% stake in its holding company to investors, including MACSF, the Dassault family, and CMA CGM Group. The firm aims to expand its presence to the U.S. with plans to open two new offices on the East and West Coasts. This move is part of a broader strategy to reach €1 billion in assets under management by 2030, which includes establishing a transatlantic bridge to facilitate growth for its portfolio companies. Founders Future is also setting up a U.S.-focused growth fund aimed at helping European limited partners invest in American tech companies.

The expansion highlights Founders Future's ambition to capitalize on the perceived advantages of the U.S. market, such as higher valuations and more exit opportunities for startups. The firm believes that having a European VC firm on the cap table can benefit American companies looking to expand into Europe. This strategic move reflects a growing trend of European venture capital firms seeking to establish a foothold in the U.S. market to tap into its larger, more dynamic ecosystem. The firm plans to begin with modest investment goals, participating in growth rounds of $50 million to $70 million, positioning itself as a key player in transatlantic tech investments.

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RATING

6.2
Moderately Fair
Read with skepticism

The article provides a detailed overview of Founders Future's strategic plans and ambitions, offering insights into the firm's goals for expansion and investment. It is well-written and structured, making it accessible to readers with an interest in the venture capital industry. However, the article relies heavily on statements from a single source, which limits its balance and source quality. While it addresses timely topics and trends, it lacks diverse perspectives and could benefit from more context and independent verification of claims.

Overall, the article effectively communicates Founders Future's plans but could improve in areas such as balance, source quality, and transparency to provide a more comprehensive and reliable analysis of the firm's strategies and their potential impact on the industry.

RATING DETAILS

7
Accuracy

The news story presents several key claims about Founders Future, a Paris-based VC firm, including its assets under management, sale of a stake in its holding company, and plans for expansion in the US. The claim about having €300 million in assets under management is specific and likely verifiable through financial disclosures or company announcements. However, the exact exchange rate used for the dollar conversion could affect the precision of the $324 million figure. The story also mentions the sale of a 25% stake to notable investors like MACSF, the Dassault family, and CMA CGM Group, which would require confirmation from these parties or legal filings.

The article outlines Founders Future's investment track record, naming specific companies like Lydia and Alma, which should be cross-checked with investment records or public announcements. The ambitious goal of reaching €1 billion in assets by 2030 is a forward-looking statement that hinges on future fundraising and market conditions, making it less verifiable at present. The US expansion plans, including office locations and hiring intentions, are concrete but would need verification through company press releases or local business registries.

Overall, the article's factual basis is strong, but it includes several forward-looking statements and speculative elements, particularly regarding the firm's future strategies and investor participation in new funds. This reduces the score slightly, as these claims depend on future developments and may not be fully verifiable at this time.

6
Balance

The article primarily focuses on the perspective of Founders Future and its founding partner, Marc Menasé, which gives it a somewhat one-sided view. It presents the company's goals and strategies without much input from independent experts or competitors in the VC space. This could lead to an imbalance, as it might not fully explore potential challenges or criticisms that could arise from such ambitious expansion plans.

While the article mentions the involvement of significant investors like MACSF and the Dassault family, it does not provide their perspectives or reasons for investing, which could offer a more balanced view of the transaction. Furthermore, the article could benefit from discussing the broader market context, such as trends in the VC industry or the competitive landscape in both Europe and the US, to provide readers with a more comprehensive understanding.

Overall, the article provides a detailed look at Founders Future's plans but lacks a diversity of viewpoints that would help readers assess the feasibility and potential risks associated with these plans.

7
Clarity

The article is generally well-written and structured, providing a coherent narrative of Founders Future's plans and ambitions. The language is clear and accessible, making it easy for readers to follow the company's strategic goals and the rationale behind them. The use of direct quotes from Marc Menasé adds depth and personal insight into the company's vision.

However, the article could improve in clarity by providing more background information on the VC industry and the specific challenges and opportunities Founders Future might face in its expansion efforts. Additionally, the article could benefit from a more detailed breakdown of the firm's investment track record, including specific examples of successful exits or notable achievements.

Overall, the article effectively communicates Founders Future's plans, but additional context and detail would enhance its clarity and help readers better understand the broader implications of the company's strategies.

5
Source quality

The article relies heavily on statements from Marc Menasé, Founders Future's founding partner, which provides direct insight into the company's plans but also introduces potential bias. While the story mentions significant investors like MACSF, the Dassault family, and CMA CGM Group, it does not include direct quotes or statements from these parties, which would enhance the credibility of the claims regarding their involvement.

The lack of external sources or independent verification of the claims made in the article limits its reliability. Including perspectives from industry analysts or market experts would strengthen the article by providing an independent assessment of Founders Future's strategies and the feasibility of their goals.

Overall, the article's reliance on a single primary source and the absence of corroborating voices or data from external sources reduce its score in this dimension.

6
Transparency

The article provides a clear overview of Founders Future's plans and ambitions, with detailed explanations of the company's goals and strategies. However, it lacks transparency in certain areas, such as the methodology behind the firm's ambitious goal of reaching €1 billion in assets under management by 2030 and the specific criteria for selecting the US office locations.

The story could benefit from more explicit disclosure of potential conflicts of interest, such as the relationship between Founders Future and the investors mentioned. Additionally, the article does not clarify the basis for some of the claims, such as the expected benefits of creating a transatlantic bridge for startups, which could be supported by data or case studies.

Overall, while the article outlines the company's plans in a straightforward manner, it could improve transparency by providing more context and clarifying the basis for its claims.

Sources

  1. https://dorian.fraser-moore.com/interfaces/days/
  2. https://www.foundersfuture.com/en/portefeuille
  3. https://anagora.org/@[email protected]/fotl
  4. https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/24/only-7-days-left-founders-and-vcs-save-300-on-techcrunch-all-stage-passes/
  5. https://scholarship.libraries.rutgers.edu/view/pdfCoverPage?instCode=01RUT_INST&filePid=13749171560004646&download=true