Paris Region is historically the #1 location for Sport in France. It is here that professionals such as Kylian Mbappé, Teddy Riner, and Evan Fournier started their training. With more than 7M people practicing regular physical activities and 2.4M members of a sports club, Paris Region is the beating heart of French Sport.
In 2021, Paris was the #1 city in Europe for SportTech and the industry is currently booming with funding ahead of London and Berlin. With 600M€, Paris-based start-up Sorare is the flagship of this success.
Expert

Yann Masson
Healthcare, Life SciencesExpert
The Expert’s Analysis
The Paris Region has been named the 1st Sport City in 2023 by the BCW Agency. It has a long history of hosting international sporting events and is eagerly anticipating the Paris 2024 Olympics. The Paris Region has a unique concentration of professional clubs (9, the highest in Europe), which makes it the ideal place to develop and test innovations for fans, performance, sustainability, and more.
A thriving ecosystem
Paris Region’s SportTech ecosystem counts numerous success stories. Designed for sports amateurs, the Parisian startup Gymlib offers employees subscriptions to more than 4000 sports facilities, supporting companies improve the quality of life in the Region. For fans, Sorare offers a unique fantasy sport experience with an NFT-inspired card system. For sports professionals, VOGO commercializes video and audio solutions for referees, coaches, doctors, etc.
With 881M€ raised between 2018 and 2022, Paris is the second area in Europe with most VC funding for Sportech companies showcasing the dynamic of this ecosystem.
Key figures
Accelerate your business in Paris Region
Businesses operating in SportTech will find a number of incubators and accelerators to help them scale their Sport Business in Paris Region.
Le Tremplin was the 1st incubator dedicated to the sports business. It supports around 400 start-ups yearly and provides them with services focused on innovation in sports. Based at the Stade Jean-Bouin, the incubator offers coworking and open spaces, sports facilities, etc. Learn more.
Cluster Grand Paris-Sport aims to bring together stakeholders from the sports industry, research, education, training, health, innovation, and economy to build a new era for French Sport starting with Paris 2024.
The Cluster also has its own incubator to accelerate businesses related to data, IOT, fan experience, performance improvement, and much more. The incubator offers a 24-month program that helps companies build new skills, get funding, and develop their network. Learn more.
Seventure Partners is one of the leaders in venture capital in Europe, with €850 million in net commitment under management as of the end of 2020. This VC has launched an initiative called Sport & Performance Capital alongside BPCE and Caisse d’Epargne. This fund intends to finance companies within the sports and well-being sector. Learn more.
Willa is an association supporting female entrepreneur in their business project. In 2023, they launched “Les Sprinteuses”, a 6-month acceleration program dedicated to innovative projects in sport. Learn more.
Inspiring Sport Capital Inspiring Sport Capital is a Paris and London-based Private Equity company. Founded in 2014 and recognized as one of the pioneers and most influent in the Sports business investment ecosystem. Learn more.
Performance & Research
Insep: The National Institute for Sport, Expertise, and Performance (INSEP) is a unique institute located in the south of Paris with an impressive site of 28 hectares (around 69 acres). It is here that the best French athletes complete their training. Research activities are part of the INSEP’s mission with a focus on biomechanics, the psychology of the athlete and physiological stresses. Learn more.
IRMES: The Biomedical & Epidemiological Sports Research Institute established within the INSEP has developed a research program around 4 investigation themes: sport physiopathology, performance epidemiology, experimental physiology, and prevention through physical activities or sports. Learn more.
Institut des sciences du sport-santé de Paris: The Sport-Health Sciences Institute was created in Paris in 2019. It studies the biological, psychological, and social effects of physical activity, particularly relating to emotions, motor actions, and the contributions of technology to physical activity and sport... Learn more.
Paris Region major sporting events
Paris 2024: Paris will host the world’s biggest sports event: the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The event will gather more than 10M spectators and 4Bn viewers worldwide. Learn more.
Rugby World Cup 2023: France will host the 10th edition of the Rugby World Cup in 2023. The exhibition match between France and New Zealand will be set in St Denis as well as the final phases. Learn more.
Roland-Garros: Each year, Paris welcomes the French Open known as Roland Garros. The only clay court Grand Slam tournament and the most physical one for players. Learn more.
Schneider Electric Paris Marathon: The Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris is one of the most important marathons in the world. Tens of thousands of runners come each year to meet the mythical challenge. Learn more.
Vivatech. Paris, June. With 150,000+ attendees, 13,000 startups, 3,300 investors, VivaTech has become the biggest annual getaway in the world for innovation players from across the world. It brings together startups, corporates and VCs to ignite growth, business transformation and spark positive change. Its mission it to help startups and major corporate groups become digital champions, succeed in their digital transformation, and innovate together for the greater good. In 2023, Vivatech decided to team up with Global Sports Week for Future of Sport, a dedicated area for innovation in sport. Learn more.
SportUnlimTech. Paris, July. The aim of this event is to bring together all the public, private and associative players involved in innovation in sport. With stops in various French cities, the Paris edition is set to become a major event. The 3-day event is an opportunity to discover new innovations in performance, health, digitalization, sustainable development, fan experience, education, esports and more. Learn more.
The Paris Region also welcomes:
- The Tour de France (Cycling)
- The Grand Steeple Chase de Paris (Horse Riding)
- Qatar Airways Paris E-Prix (Formula E)
- Meeting de Paris (Athletic)
- Yearly NBA Games (Basketball)
- And many more…