Start-up incubators and accelerators in Paris Region

The Paris Region, home to several thousand start-ups(*), brings together nearly 230 incubators and accelerators dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs. These can be generalist or specialized by sector of activity, and may or may not be affiliated with higher education institutions.

Promoting the creation and growth of start-ups

Incubators and accelerators are organizations dedicated to supporting project leaders with innovative ideas and early-stage companies in their development. They do so mainly by offering a wide range of services: individual or group tailored support, access to network resources (mentors, technical and business experts, former incubatees), connections with investors and partners, provision of equipment, capital investment, and accommodation, among others.

What is the difference between an incubator and an accelerator?

An incubator aims to turn an idea into reality, validate a concept, analyze demand, define a viable business model, and prepare an initial fundraising round. Incubation programmes generally last between six months and three years.

An accelerator focuses on speeding up the growth of a start-up through intensive, short-term programmes (generally lasting less than 12 months). Some of these programmes aim to support the scaling phase (revenue growth, fundraising) and to strengthen both the team members and the company’s visibility.

This interactive map, co-produced by the Regional Council https://www.iledefrance.fr/ , L'Institut Paris Region and Choose Paris Region https://www.chooseparisregion.org/, showcases the diversity of accelerators and incubators located in Paris Region, based on five territorial selection criteria: “theme/tag”, “sector”, “link to research”, “Innov’up certification”, and “member of the Paris Region incubator network”.

(*)8,790 start-ups in Paris Region according to INSEE compared with 21,600 start-ups according to the Dealroom website https://dealroom.co/ (Global Tech Ecosystem report 2026).