Could Paris be the next Silicon Valley? The Podfather says ‘oui, oui’

The iPod and Nest creator thinks so

Tony Fadell. ( Zinneke, back/ OFFICIAL LEWEB PHOTOS, front)
Tony Fadell. ( Zinneke, back/ OFFICIAL LEWEB PHOTOS, front)

Tony Fadell, the man behind the iPod and Nest, is founding a tech investment firm in Paris and is giving the world one piece of free advice ahead of the company’s launch next month: move to Paris.

“Here it’s not as crazy-competitive,” Fadell told the Wall Street Journal. “Everyone is helping each other.”

Fadell’s new firm, Future Shape, will advise and invest in tech projects across industries ranging from agriculture to pharmaceuticals, fashion to biological science.

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Future Shape will run out of Station F, a newly-opened campus in Paris’ 13th arrondissement, which was crowned the biggest tech hub in the world upon its inauguration. Station F was founded by entrepreneur Xavier Niel who, like Fadell, says Paris is the place to be.

“Paris benefits from a great political environment right now,” said Niel to the Journal. “We have a young president who is start-up friendly. France has capital, tax-incentive measures for entrepreneurs and a great disruptive mind-set.”

Allons-y!

[WSJ] — E.K. Hudson

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