France has earned its reputation as the "startup nation" — a moniker proudly championed by President Macron — but for international tech companies looking to expand into the European market, France presents both tremendous opportunity and unique challenges. To understand what it really takes to succeed in France, I sat down with Yves de Beauregard, our France country manager who has spent 15 years — for us (well over overall) — helping tech companies navigate the complexities of the French market.
Definitely watch our conversation for the true vibes of Yves, but I also shared some highlights below.
France isn't just another European market to check off your expansion list. The country has developed a deep engineering culture that has produced powerhouses like Airbus and Mistral AI. This creates a market that inherently understands and appreciates sophisticated technology solutions. There are simply a lot of engineers in France, and that engineering mindset — optimistic about technology and eager to solve problems — permeates the business landscape.
But this raises an important question: if France produces so many strong tech companies, is it harder for outsiders to break in? The answer might surprise you.
According to Yves, success in France isn't about being French (though you better speak it!) — it's about timing and positioning. Entering a market where you're the third or fourth player makes success extremely difficult. Being first means you'll need to evangelize and build demand, which can add three to six months to your sales process. The sweet spot? Being number two. You can leverage the groundwork laid by your predecessor while still capturing significant market share and avoid the expensive education phase.
The key lesson here is avoiding the crowded middle of the pack where differentiation becomes nearly impossible and every deal turns into a price war.
One of Yves' most instructive examples comes from a FinTech company that revolutionized point-of-sale solutions for small merchants. While traditional providers sold or rented their systems through banks that targeted large and mid-sized accounts, this company pursued a “blue ocean strategy” to establish a completely new market by way of nano and micro merchants who were too small or seasonal for banks to serve.
The challenge? These tiny transactions made direct sales economically impossible. The solution was building an extensive indirect sales network through distributors and resellers. But this wasn't a simple matter of signing a few partnership agreements.
Yves and his team studied 80 different reseller chains. Starting with just four — Metro and three office suppliers — they methodically expanded to 20 resellers over 18 months. Eventually, they built strong relationships with the five biggest players and signed four major consumer electronics chains. Each retailer required a customized approach based on their business model, risk appetite and market positioning.
Working with French retailers revealed fascinating differences even within the same company across borders. Metro Germany wanted specific margins and marketing budgets in separate buckets, giving the vendor control over marketing execution. Metro France required everything rolled into one percentage on the product, taking full control of marketing decisions.
The expansion strategies varied by brick-and-mortar giant too:
The lesson? Even multinational retailers operate differently in France, and you need local expertise to navigate these nuances.
When I asked if companies could manage French retail relationships remotely from the UK or U.S., Yves was unequivocal: you need boots on the ground.
First, there's the practical reality of availability. Category managers juggling 100 projects won't wait for someone in a different timezone to wake up. When they call, you need to be ready. But the deeper requirement is cultural. Business lunches in France aren't just meals — they're where real relationships get built.
There's a third critical reason for being local: what headquarters decides and what happens in stores can be very different. Independent store managers have significant autonomy over merchandising, inventory and promotion. You need to visit stores, see how your products are actually displayed and build relationships at every level of the organization.
Yves shared a story that perfectly captures the entrepreneurial hustle required in new markets. At the VivaTech trade show, he noticed the CEO of Carrefour — a company with 400,000 employees whose category manager had been ghosting him for four months — stepping off stage after a presentation. Yves approached him with a quick elevator pitch about their point-of-sale solution. Someone behind the CEO took notes.
The next day, the category manager who had ignored him for months suddenly called to apologize and move things forward. The lesson? When you're launching in a new market, you can't be passive. You need to create opportunities, be bold and follow through relentlessly.
Companies have several paths to establish a French presence, each with tradeoffs:
So how long does it really take to gain traction in France? Yves outlined a realistic timeline starting from September to avoid the summer slowdown:
Getting that foundation client — your first French reference customer — often requires making an exceptionally good deal with extra service and support. But once you have that testimonial, especially from a respected French company, everything accelerates.
Many companies default to launching in the UK first because of language and cultural familiarity. But if everyone lands in the UK first, that market becomes crowded quickly. Being the fifth player in the UK might be worse than being the first or second in France, Germany, Spain or Italy.
The smart approach is analyzing your specific business — your ideal customer profile, your competitive landscape, your product's natural fit — and mapping that across Europe objectively. Maybe France is your best market. Maybe it's the Nordics or Poland or Turkey. But make the decision based on where you can win, not just where it feels comfortable to start.
France is a challenging market to crack, but the rewards are substantial. Once you break through the initial barriers and prove your value, French customers are loyal. Success requires local presence, cultural fluency, patience and an entrepreneurial spirit.
The companies that thrive in France are those that respect the market's uniqueness. As Yves proves, decades helping tech companies succeed in France has taught one core lesson: there are no shortcuts, but there is a clear path forward for those willing to do the work. If you’re looking to expand your sales into France, get in touch with me or Yves to see how he can help.
