Angers-based tech accelerator Cube, formerly known as Cube3, has closed a €700k funding round as it doubles down on its hybrid accelerator model that merges business support, financing, and media production.
The company has attracted investment from a diverse lineup of tech entrepreneurs, institutional backers, and digital creators, including Bpifrance, Banque Populaire Grand Ouest, Nicolas Bacca (co-founder of Ledger), Emmanuel Picot via his family office Marco&Co, entrepreneur and TV personality Jean-Pierre Nadir, and YouTuber Amixem.
“We are entrepreneurs who invest and engage alongside entrepreneurs. Our board brings together builders of unicorns, industries, and media with a simple method: surround ourselves with those who have succeeded to guide startups toward profitability and provide the visibility essential for their growth. Too many startups don’t die from a lack of cash, but from a lack of visibility,” says Valentin Demé, CEO and co-founder of Cube.
This year has been home to continued activity around accelerator and pre-accelerator programmes that provide context to today’s announcement.
Programmes such as EIT Jumpstarter have remained prominent, offering structured pre-acceleration support and access to up to €150k in prize funding for early-stage European founders.
Research like “From seed to success: European accelerator programmes” underline the breadth of more than 35 active accelerators across sectors including FinTech, sustainability, HealthTech and Web3, reflecting diversification in how support is delivered.
At an ecosystem level, our very own EU-Startups Summit 2025 highlighted shifting accelerator models, with operators discussing deeper operational involvement beyond short cohort programmes. Alongside this, corporate-backed initiatives referenced in EU-Startups’ 2025 overview of corporates supporting startups show established companies continuing to run accelerators focused on pilots and sector-specific validation rather than equity-heavy investment.
Against this backdrop, Cube’s €700k raise positions it within a 2025 European accelerator landscape that is experimenting with structure and value proposition. Analysis suggests that most programmes are evolving through format innovation, thematic focus and ecosystem partnerships, with Cube’s hybrid model – combining acceleration, investment and media exposure – representing one such variation.
“France has been a pioneer in structuring the tech and Web3 ecosystem. It is essential to maintain this position by fostering the emergence of strong companies capable of developing in harmony with the regulatory framework. Cube is fully contributing to this dynamic, with startups such as Dowgo, which we are helping to obtain approvals from De Gaulle Fleurance,” adds Anne Maréchal, former legal director of the AMF and partner lawyer at DGFLA, advisor to Cube.
Launched in 2023, Cube stands out in the European accelerator landscape by embedding content creation and media exposure directly into its model.
Startups receive strategic legal, HR, and regulatory support alongside visibility via in-house video production, which includes six studios and proprietary media formats like the Plan Cube and Spotlight shows. The latter, filmed inside a giant immersive cube, showcases emerging startups to juries including regional government figures, corporate innovation heads, and VCs, with €50k in prize funding on the line.
To date, Cube has supported 20 startups from over 300 applications (an acceptance rate of just 5%) and claims to have facilitated €7 million in total startup funding.
It also reports 35 million impressions across its media outputs, underlining its positioning at the intersection of Tech acceleration and the creator economy. Early episodes of Plan Cube have already catalysed €400k in startup investments.
Cube’s approach offers an alternative to traditional accelerators by actively investing in its portfolio companies while equipping them with resources and exposure usually out of reach for early-stage ventures.
Dowgo, one of Cube’s portfolio companies, has already benefited from this comprehensive model. “Cube has been a real accelerator for us. In one year, we have been able to build a solid network. Their strategic support, combined with a strong ability to raise visibility, has played a key role in the credibility and success of our project,” adds Oscar Dumant, CEO of Dowgo.
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2025/12/tv-personalities-and-youtubers-back-french-accelerator-cube-in-e700k-funding-round/
