Having a space to attract technology companies is essential for conducting agreements and important business deals. These complexes could also be used to host events and serve as a center for technological exhibitions showcasing the latest advancements.
Motier Ventures recently unveiled an entrepreneurship center named La Maison. This technology investment firm is based in Paris and owns the Lafayette galleries, which are more focused on high-end fashion and design.
One of the ideas that has been considered is investing in emerging companies with future potential. In fact, over the past three years, they have invested in at least 85 companies, with a particular focus on those related to artificial intelligence, such as Dust and Mistral.
After several events where meetings were held with investors and founders in the French tech ecosystem, including some of the most relevant startups to date, there was a need for a suitable center to bring them together.
Part of the investment strategy aimed at making guests feel at home, as they could potentially become future business partners or key clients. La Maison embodies this concept faithfully, and it is expected that when it finally opens in 2025, it will bring together a dozen early-stage startups in need of timely support.
The planned facility is more than adequate, with three upper floors located just above the Lafayette Gourmet building, near the Garnier Opera. These floors will host strategic meetings, but there will also be a social-focused floor.
There is a fourth floor planned to function as an events hall for parties, cocktail gatherings, and hackathons, providing an ideal leisure space for a tech-themed day with presentations.
Guillaume Hounzé, founder of Motier Ventures, stated that Galeries Lafayette's desire was to provide substantial support to top brands. Conversely, with La Maison, one of the goals is to support exceptional teams by offering them a space to foster creativity, serve as a meeting and working place, while also sparking a reflection on the type of society we aim to build.
Previously, there was a tech center called The Family, initially established to host various emerging companies. Later on, the events space became the main attraction of the main plaza. However, with the unfortunate arrival of the pandemic, it had to be closed due to exceeding budget constraints.
This might be reminiscent of the early days of that firm, and many are considering La Maison to be the ideal space to gather people from all corners for small meetings.
In my opinion, it is a strategy that not only allows for meetings with entrepreneurs from all corners of the world but also serves to enrich one of the most iconic sites in Paris. I suppose that many technology events will be held there, and it will have the same significance as a visit to the Louvre, becoming an additional attraction for the city. It remains to be seen who and in what way access could be granted there, but undoubtedly, it will be a great incentive for the technology industry and the way it is considered looking towards the coming years. An ideal place.
Nicolas Essayan, a partner at Motier Ventures, mentioned in a statement that one of the purposes driving this project is to prepare a ground where tech entrepreneurs in artificial intelligence can feel supported, and the setting should be so inspiring that it becomes the perfect catalyst for connections.
- Title of the main image edited by code.
- Screenshots obtained from the official website of LaMaison.
- I have consulted information at techcrunch.com.
- Translated from Spanish to English with Hive Translator.