Thierry François

Thierry François is a Partner at Akiles Ventures based in Paris, Île-de-France, where he primarily focuses on early-stage technology investments. Before joining the firm in 2023, he held investment roles at Elaia Partners and Kima Ventures, building a portfolio that includes technology companies such as Payfit and Ledger. He currently manages funds with over €100 million in assets under management and recently led an equity investment in the artificial intelligence startup Phenix during the first quarter of 2025. François holds engineering degrees from École Polytechnique and Stanford University, providing a strong technical foundation for his venture capital career and public engagements like his June 2025 VivaTech appearance. His current professional focus centers on identifying early-stage investment opportunities across the deep tech, artificial intelligence, financial technology, and enterprise software sectors within the broader European startup ecosystem.