France’s VC scene tends to favour familiar faces from elite circles, often overlooking entrepreneurs from diverse regions, rural areas, and underrepresented backgrounds, even though they have great potential. This bias keeps innovation stuck in the usual hubs.
Time4 is a pre-seed and seed fund alliance comprising daphni, Les Déterminés, Live for Good (through Entrepreneurs for Good), and HEC Paris. It tackles this issue by finding and funding “atypical” founders all across France.
Just one year after launching, it reached a €50M first close (with a €100M target), supported by MGEN, Bpifrance, Covéa, BNP Paribas, Christine Kolb, Lenny Vercruysse, and Philippe Oddo (FIDAT Ventures).
The fund plans to invest between €100K and €1M in about 60 startups that show both economic success and social impact.
Unlock France’s full innovation potential by funding role models from overlooked regions.
Time4 isn’t led by a single founder. It’s a partnership: daphni brings the VC know-how, Les Déterminés scouts talent on the ground (over 2,500 entrepreneurs from priority areas), Live for Good accelerates impact (850+ alumni, nearly half from diverse backgrounds), and HEC Paris opens up its academic network.
Operations are now led by Samir Matki, who previously worked with Impact Partners and the Occitanie sovereign fund.
And it’s not just about tech. Time4 takes an inclusive approach, investing €100K to €1M and offering a 24-month tailored acceleration program: think mentoring, operations bootcamps, peer campuses, and VC-Ready prep, all in partnership with JPMorgan Chase.
The fund’s strengths lie in hyper-local sourcing, from urban neighbourhoods to rural Occitanie, and a diversity mandate that welcomes founders outside QPV, RSA recipients, and those with disabilities. The alliance also supports safer scaling.
Unlike elite Paris-focused funds like Elaia or Kima, which are tech-heavy and network-driven, Time4 competes with impact VCs such as XAnge and Bpifrance’s diversity programs. What sets Time4 apart is its territory-agnostic scouting and focus on role models.
The early portfolio includes Leviathan Dynamics (deeptech decarbonation from La Courneuve), Wish One (gravel bikes from Aveyron), Flotte (eco-friendly rainwear from Seine-Saint-Denis), and Cominty (enterprise AI OS).
So, what’s next?
Time4 is now aiming for a €100M final close, with plans to fund 60 startups and expand the VC Ready program to support 200 diverse founders. The team wants to expand its 24-month support by adding more mentorship, co-development campuses, and clubs, while building a strong peer community.
After the investments, the focus shifts to international visibility and high-profile exits, because inspiring the next wave of founders is what it’s all about.
