Orange Ventures launches a €30 million investment vehicle dedicated to funding start-ups in the fields of the environment, inclusion, and CareTech

Orange Ventures Impact is aligned with the Orange Engage 2025 strategic plan and enhances the overall strategy of Orange Ventures, the Orange venture capital investment subsidiary which manages €350 million of funds, 30 million of which will be allocated to this new vehicle.

Orange Ventures Impact will target young French and European start-ups in their seed stage or with proven development potential. These start-ups must help new responsible economic models with a positive impact on the environment, inclusion or CareTech to emerge, fields which are not currently covered by Orange Ventures.

Each project will be subject to a precise analysis via the definition of specific impact indicators, in addition to the financial analysis usually conducted for venture capital. This new vehicle will initially invest between €750,000 and €3 million in each round of financing.

The young start-ups selected will receive ‘à la carte’ support that will set them apart, which is part of Orange Ventures’ DNA. The aim will be to multiply their potential with structured access to the Orange Group’s international ecosystems, enable them to benefit from internal expertise and, where relevant, to form agile sales partnerships enabling Group customers to benefit from their innovations.

In alignment with the Engage 2025 strategic plan ambitions, special attention will be given to monitoring the overall impact of the future Orange Ventures Impact portfolio over time. Indicators such as the number of people helped, the jobs created in the sustainable economy and the number of tons of CO² avoided will be used if relevant. They will enhance the Orange Group’s commitments in connection with the international framework of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for which the Orange Group intends to measure its contribution.

Start-ups that are interested can submit their project on the Orange Ventures website.

At this announcement, Jérôme Berger, Chairman and Managing Partner of Orange Ventures declared: “Within the Orange Group, we are convinced that there is no economic performance without social and environmental exemplarity. By launching Orange Ventures Impact, without sacrificing any part of our ambition for financial performance, we are pleased to allocate €30 million to start-ups which, due to their development stage or business sector, had not been captured in Orange Ventures’ current investment proposition, but whose positive impact on the environment, inclusion or help to individuals will be especially strong.”

About Orange Ventures
With €350 million in funds, Orange Ventures is dedicated to investing in innovative startups in Orange’s strategic fields of interest (Networks & IT, Digital Companies, Cybersecurity and Fintech) and beyond (Content and gaming, Consumer platforms, E-health). Orange Ventures also deploys initiatives dedicated to the Africa-Middle East region. Supported by the Orange Group, Orange Ventures offers the startups in which it invests access to the Group’s expertise and the possibility to put in place synergies with the Orange Group’s many sales units and its 262 million customers spread across 26 countries. For more information, visit ventures.orange.com or follow us on Twitter @Orange_DV

Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications carriers with a turnover of €42.3 billion in 2020 and 142,000 employees as at March 31, 2021, of whom 82,000 are in France. The Group has a total customer base of 262 million customers worldwide at March 31, 2021, including 217 million mobile customers and 22 million fixed broadband customers. The Group is present in 26 countries. Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies, under the brand Orange Business Services. In December 2019, the Group presented its new ‘Engage 2025’ strategic plan, which, guided by social and environmental accountability, aims to reinvent its operator model. While accelerating in growth areas and placing data and AI at the heart of its innovation model, the Group will be an attractive and responsible employer, adapted to emerging professions.

Orange is listed on Euronext Paris (symbol ORA) and on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol ORAN).

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