Launch of PSL Innovation Fund

As PSL is emerging as one of the best European universities, the creation of PSL Innovation Fund strengthens the support we give to our start-ups and the impact of our technology transfer initiatives

PSL, born from the clustering of prestigious academic and research institutions, is a research university focused on innovation and inter-disciplinarity located in the very heart of Paris. PSL ecosystem is increasingly dynamic thanks to the growing number of start-ups created by students and researchers and to the creation of support structures such as incubators or fab-labs that are active within PSL’s perimeter. These initiatives create a strong momentum around technology transfer. PSL Innovation Fund was created to support this momentum by relying on Elaia Partners’ and Auriga Partners’ affinities with research and scientific excellence. This initiative is the result of both PSL Valorisation’s specific model which is supported by the CGI and Elaia Partners’ willingness to strengthen its investments in disruptive innovation and its ties with the public research ecosystem.

Investment sectors will include Computer Science, Life Sciences and all the other domains of excellence from PSL such as Energy, Physics of Materials, Healthcare, Cognitive Sciences, Social Sciences or  Finance. PSL Innovation Fund will invest both at pre-seed and seed stages, in disruptive deep tech innovations and will create a privileged relationship with the project owners from the early development of the company.

After a call for expression of interest regarding this strategic project, PSL decided to partner with Elaia Partners and Auriga Partners, which Life Sciences team will bring to the table their expertise in this domain. Marc Mézard, president of PSL, states: “As PSL is emerging as one of the best European universities, the creation of PSL Innovation Fund strengthens the support we give to our start-ups and the impact of our technology transfer initiatives. PSL is glad to partner with two recognized venture capital firms for this pioneering project.”

Xavier Lazarus, partner at Elaia Partners, explains: “In a time when most sectors are being digitalized, a new wave of disruptive technological innovations is emerging, especially in France, where academic excellence enables innovative ideas and breakthrough technologies to come out from public research institutions. It seemed critical for us to get as close as possible to inventors, to support them in the process of turning ideas into successful start-ups.”

In order to manage this new line of funds, Elaia Partners recently welcomed Anne-Sophie Carrese as a new partner. Her track record as an engineer and investor close to traditional industrial sectors (Energy, Automotive, Aeronautics, etc.) comes as a key addition to the partnership’s skillset. Ecole Polytechnique graduate, Anne-Sophie Carrese was previously Investment Director at Bpifrance Investissement, in charge of managing Ecotechnologies, a fund she structured in 2012. She was responsible for the investments in companies such as Actility, McPhy Energy, EZ-Wheel, Aledia and Safety Line.