Microsoft launches its European Environmental Start-up Accelerator at Station F
An initiative in a context where 56% of French people think that digital technology can help reduce our environmental footprint
OpinionWay survey for Microsoft France
Issy-les-Moulineaux, 10th November 2021 – As part of its environmental commitments, Microsoft is launching its Environmental Start-up Accelerator at Station F in Paris, France, for which
applications are open starting today. This new program is an accelerator designed for European start-ups working to find solutions to reduce and offset carbon emissions. The initiative is launched
in partnership with Station F, Capgemini, Perfesco (EDF Group), Suez, Elaia, Citizen Capital, Time for the Planet, Loamics and ADEME.
Microsoft dévoile à cette occasion les résultats d’un sondage OpinionWay inédit qui révèle que plus d’un Français sur deux pensent que le numérique peut aider à réduire notre empreinte
écologique et qui pointe le rôle attendu des entreprises dans cette transition.
Environmental Start-up Accelerator: call for applications starts today and lasts until December 10, for a 6-month program starting January 202
- The Environmental Start-up Accelerator is a 6-month acceleration program designed to host 7 to 10 European start-ups working to reduce and offset carbon emissions. The selected start-ups will receive technical and financial support from Microsoft and its partners. The selected structures will benefit from training sessions and workshops organized by entrepreneurs and developers to present the latest technologies designed by Microsoft, as well as mentoring from executives with research, engineering and entrepreneurship backgrounds.
Capgemini will offer each startup up to 20 days of consulting to help them test and validate their proof of concept.
Perfesco (EDF Group) will accompany start-ups during dedicated mentoring sessions to help them define their value proposition and business strategy, while Suez will offer dedicated workshops.
The investment funds Citizen Capital Partner and Elaia, as well as the mission-driven company Time For The Planet, will run specific workshops and give start-ups access to their teams during the acceleration phase, while also helping with the selection of start-ups itself.
Loamics will provide access to its unique platform for data processing and industrialization to facilitate artificial intelligence at scale during the accelerator programme period.
Finally, ADEME will provide access to its corporate offer, carbon calculator tools, and expert content from its library, and will participate in the selection jury.
STATION F will give them access to all the resources they may need to develop their business (community of investors, public administrations, mentoring offices, etc.).
The initiative is launching a call for applications today (November 10, 2021); start-ups wishing to develop a solution to reduce and/or offset carbon emissions have until December 10 to apply. The results will be announced the same month and the program will start in January 2022.
"This new Environmental Start-up Accelerator will allow us to guide young European companies in the realization of projects for the public good for the reduction of the carbon footprint of organizations. In this sense, we are continuing a long-standing effort in France and Europe to support promising start-ups through dedicated incubation or acceleration programs" said Corine de Bilbao, President of Microsoft France.
«We are very pleased to participate in this program by providing the experience of our consultants to support the selected start-ups in their development. Reducing carbon emissions is a priority challenge that we are addressing through concrete actions. » Hélène Chinal, Head of Transformation at Capgemini Southern & Central Europe.
« Microsoft has been a partner since the launch of STATION F, so it's a great pleasure for us to welcome this acceleration center to our premises, especially on a theme as important as the environment. » Roxanne Varza, Director, STATION F
« Today's initiative from Microsoft echoes the very reason we founded Time for the Planet: to raise funds to deploy 100 innovations against global warming. It's only natural that we joined the program. » Mehdi Coly, Co-Founder, Time for the planet
« We are convinced that it is necessary to support the birth of young companies to participate actively in the transformations necessary to meet the climate challenge with environmentally favourable services. » Jérémie Almosni, Direcror ADEME Ile de France
This initiative is part of Microsoft's commitment to the environment: to reduce its own environmental impact by becoming carbon neutral by 2030 and to empower businesses and other organizations to reduce their own environmental impact.
For 56% of the French, digital technology can help reduce our environmental footprint.
French people are themselves well aware of the importance of this subject, as demonstrated by a study conducted in partnership with the Opinion Way Institute1. Based on a sample of 1,051 French people, the study analyzes their perception of the impact of digital technology on the environment, their concerns and hopes on this subject, and identifies the players they feel have the most influence in this area
One out of two French people say they are concerned about digital pollution, especially millenials.
o 55% of French people say they are personally concerned about digital pollution, with a stronger concern among certain populations:
Millenials, intimately linked to digital: 61% of young people aged 18 to 24 and 62% of 25-34 years old are concerned about digital pollution, compared to 47%
of older people (65 years and older).
Working people in general are 60% to express concern, compared to 47% of retirees.
Companies, perceived as having a decisive role in the action against digital pollution
o Although the French feel partly responsible for digital pollution, they believe that it is companies that have a role to play. 68% of them consider that companies have more
power to reduce digital pollution, against 28% who believe more in the action of individuals. Despite some differences, all respondents, whatever their profile, seem to think
that companies are the ones who have the most power to act.
Digital technology: a useful tool to reduce pollution globally for 56% of French people
o Despite the recognition of the existence of digital pollution and its consequences, the French people do not reject digital technology in itself. They even perceive its benefits. For
56%, digital technology can help reduce our environmental footprint. 65% of 18 to 24 years old agree with this statement.
“The awareness of the French people about digital pollution had not yet been measured with precision. The results of this survey are particularly revealing » says Côme Perpère, Sustainability and Transformation Director, Microsoft France. « He points out that French people have very high expectations from businesses regarding digital pollution, but also that they see digital as a potential solution to climate change. We are hearing this call and are continuing our efforts at Microsoft to reduce our own footprint - which we have done to the tune of nearly 600,000 tons in the first year after our strong January 2020 commitment - but also to help all organizations reduce their environmental footprint through various levers: measurement tools, specific solutions for certain industries, and support for innovation.”
1 Survey conducted online from October 20 to 22, 2021 among a sample of 1,051 people, representative of the French working population aged 18 and over, constituted according to the quota method, based on the criteria of gender, age, socio-professional category, urban area and region of residence.