Community, Vision and an Ambitious Roadmap

On September 22nd, 2025, the French Tech Shanghai community gathered at the historic Villa Basset, home of the Consul General of France in Shanghai, for its annual Back-to-School event. The evening brought together more than 70 participants, entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, investors, partners, Team France as well as our friends from the German DC Hub, Benelux Chamber of Commerce and SwissNext, to reconnect after the summer break and to discuss the future of French Tech in Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta.

The event was honored by the presence of Mr. Joan Valadou, Consul General of France in Shanghai, who reaffirmed the importance of entrepreneurship, innovation, and cross-border collaboration as drivers of the bilateral relationship between France and China.

Celebrating Community Growth

Over the past year, French Tech Shanghai (FTSH) has consolidated its role as the central hub for French, Francophone, and Francophile entrepreneurs in the region. Since the launch of our new website beginning of August, 375 individuals, 41 certified startups/scale-ups (core and tech consulting), and 10 service partners (HR, marketing, legal) registered as members already, the ecosystem is thriving.

Through a busy calendar of activities, from 14 Connect events gathering over 350 attendees, to the flagship Tech for Good 2025 conference that welcomed 208 participants, FTSH has proven its ability to bring together entrepreneurs, corporates, and investors around meaningful conversations and opportunities.

Strategy for 2025–2026: Four Key Pillars

The bureau presented its strategic direction leading up to 2027, with the vision that “French startups and talents are key players in Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta’s technology-driven future.”

The mission is clear: “Support the growth of the French, Francophone & Francophile tech ecosystem through integration, visibility, and collaboration.”

To achieve this, FTSH will focus on four main priorities:

1. Federating the community around entrepreneurs and innovation.
2. Supporting startups with practical education (legal, fundraising), visibility, and networking.
3. Building bridges with corporates, investors, and Chinese counterparts.
4. Elevating visibility through flagship events, a new digital presence, and strong governance.

What’s Next: Roadmap Highlights

The 2025–2026 roadmap unveiled at Villa Basset reflects this ambition. Key initiatives include:

• Monthly Connect events, focused on quality panels and networking.
• A website relaunch and community census, to improve visibility and integration.
• Education sessions (“Learn”) on essential entrepreneur skills (fundraising, governance, startupper’s toolkit), in response to strong demand from entrepreneurs.
• The French Tech Shanghai Hackathon on January 15–16, 2026, co-organized with an incubator, bringing together 10–15 teams of engineers and entrepreneurs to work on AI and software challenges proposed by corporates (cash prize to win).
• The next Tech for Good conference on June 11, 2026, targeting 500 participants and expanding collaboration with the European tech-for-impact ecosystem.

Building Together

The Back-to-School event set the tone for a year of ambitious projects and deeper collaborations. French Tech Shanghai is calling on corporates, investors, and partners to engage with the community by supporting open innovation programs, sponsoring the Hackathon, and participating in flagship events.