Startups worldwide can now apply to STATION F.
Hello Medium :)
Let me start by saying, we’ve got big things to announce over here at STATION F. Seriously BIG THINGS.
But first, let me backtrack.
I joined STATION F as Director back in October 2015 and things were very different at that time. The team was, well, *just me* (and Xavier, of course!) and we were calling ourselves silly things like « Halle Freyssinet » and an « incubator. » Yikes!
Now, a little over a year later and only a few months away from opening, I can tell you that things have changed. A LOT. For example, we have an incredible team of 13 people. They all come from startup land and have mastered the art of wearing construction helmets and using construction jargon in everyday conversation (try slipping “micropieux” or micropiles into a conversation). We have effectively changed our name to « STATION F » which means that just about everyone can say it. Oh, and we are no longer the world’s largest incubator but rather the world’s largest startup campus.
Oh, and did I mention the building? She’s beautiful.
A startup campus 34000m2…and counting.
You’re probably thinking to yourself, « what on earth is a startup campus? » Well, we are a 34,000m2 site (with more to come!) that is entirely dedicated to startups. We are far more than an incubator, in fact we house an entire startup ecosystem under one roof!
Our space, for anyone who doesn’t know already is in a historical monument in the center of Paris. The former train station-turned-work station is cut into 3 sections. In the first section, you’ll find a coffee shop open to the public, a fablab, various events areas including a 360-person auditorium, private offices, meeting rooms, on-site startup services and more. In the second section, you’ll find the startup zone, an area of over 3000 desks only accessible to startups. This zone is home to a number of startup programs — operated by external organizations as well as STATION F, but we’ll get to the details in a minute. And finally, in the third section, you’ll find a huge restaurant open 24–7 to the public with 4 kitchens and a bar. The capacity for this restaurant? 1000.
But this is not all our campus has to offer! In 2018 we’ll also be launching our housing extension that will be home to 600 entrepreneurs with additional on-site facilities.
Find Facebook, TechShop, vente-privee, Daphni, and more on campus.
While we’ve been working on building a killer space, we know that what matters most is the residents. We’re thrilled to announce that in the startup zone, you’ll be able to find the likes of Facebook, vente-privee, leading French business school HEC is also setting-up its startup activities in our space.
Outside of the startup zone, you’ll be able to find resident VC funds, including hot new Daphni, Kima Ventures, Ventech and more to come.
And finally, we are thrilled to announce that our on-site fablab will be operated by US-based TechShop.
We’ll be sharing more residents to come in the near future, so stay tuned.
Now accepting: STARTUPS.
That’s right ladies and gentlemen, applications are finally and officially open. Startups can apply directly to the STATION F Founders Program or to other programs we house on site.
STATION F Founders Program: startup recommended.
The Founder’s Program is our own on-site residency program. Startups can apply online for a full-time desk starting at €195/month.
Our program is built around the notion that 90% of entrepreneurs’ problems can be solved by other entrepreneurs. Therefore, we go out of our way to pick the best, most ambitious, intelligent entrepreneurs from around the world for our program. There are no BS mentors, no mandatory workshops. We don’t babysit you. Instead, everything we offer comes highly recommended and validated by — you guessed it — other founders.
Even our selection process also is done through an international network of high calibre entrepreneurs. We’ll be sharing details on our Selection Board later.
Apply now through February 5, 2017.
You want to apply? All you have to do to get started is fill out our online application. Do it quickly, space will fill up fast: www.stationf.co (not .com)
Did we mention we’re in Paris?
Yes the land of croissants is also the land of some seriously solid tech startups. Blablacar, Algolia, Zenly, Sigfox, Criteo, Withings…I mean I could go on for ages. And you know what, you could be next.
We are really looking forward to welcoming you all to STATION F early next year. It’s really a great time to come check out the local ecosystem.
Until then, feel free to get in touch with us for anything and everything at contact (at) stationf.co (not .com!)
