18 biotech firms in France you should watch in 2025

France’s biotech sector continues to evolve, mixing a powerful tutorial basis with a rising variety of startups tackling various illness areas. Whereas funding stays a big hurdle, notably for early-stage firms, initiatives just like the France 2030 plan are serving to to bridge the hole, guaranteeing that promising improvements have a pathway to improvement.

The ecosystem is characterised by its variety, with firms engaged on the whole lot, from regenerative therapies to synthetic intelligence (AI)-driven diagnostics and drug improvement. The variety can also be felt within the mixture of startups and extra established firms.

With out additional ado, listed here are 18 French biotech firms to control in 2025.

Bioptimus

• Based: 2024
• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Focus: Creating AI basis fashions for multiscale organic information

Bioptimus is a French startup aiming to create AI fashions that may interpret advanced organic information throughout varied scales, from molecules to total organisms. In November 2024, the corporate launched H-optimus-0, an open-source AI mannequin skilled on over 500,000 histopathology slides, totaling tons of of thousands and thousands of photos. This mannequin has demonstrated robust efficiency in duties like figuring out cancerous cells and detecting genetic abnormalities in tumors.

Bioptimus raised $35 million in seed funding in early 2024, with investments from Sofinnova Companions, Bpifrance Massive Enterprise, and others. In February 2025, the corporate introduced it had reached a complete funding milestone of $76 million, together with a $41 million injection led by Cathay Innovation. This funding helps the event of a brand new multiscale, multimodal AI basis mannequin for biology, anticipated to launch in 2025.

Brenus Pharma

• Based: 2014
• Headquarters: Lyon, France
• Focus: Allogeneic immunotherapies concentrating on tumor resistance in stable tumors

Brenus Pharma is creating off-the-shelf most cancers immunotherapies designed to handle therapy resistance and relapse in stable tumors. Its proprietary Stimulated Tumor Cell (STC) platform generates allogeneic most cancers cell vaccines that mimic the evolving nature of tumors, aiming to coach the immune system to acknowledge and fight resistant most cancers cells.

The corporate’s lead candidate, STC-1010, targets metastatic colorectal most cancers (mCRC), notably the microsatellite secure (MSS) subtype, which constitutes about 95% of mCRC instances and is often unresponsive to present immunotherapies. Preclinical research have demonstrated STC-1010’s capacity to activate dendritic cells and CD8⁺ T cells, resulting in important anti-tumor exercise throughout varied fashions. 

In September 2024, Brenus Pharma secured $25 million in a sequence A financing spherical to assist the medical improvement of STC-1010 and advance a second candidate, STC-1020, concentrating on one other stable tumor indication. 

The corporate plans to provoke a section 1/2 medical trial for STC-1010 in sufferers with unresectable or metastatic MSS and MSI-H colorectal most cancers throughout websites in France, Belgium, and the U.S.

Brenus Pharma’s strategy has additionally been acknowledged with the “Biotech of the 12 months” award on the HealthTech 2024 Awards.

Brink Therapeutics

• Based: 2024
• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Focus: Creating programmable recombinases for exact gene enhancing.

Brink Therapeutics is a Paris-based biotech startup creating programmable recombinases, enzymes able to exact DNA modifications with out introducing double-strand breaks. This strategy goals to supply a safer and extra environment friendly various to conventional gene-editing instruments like CRISPR-Cas9.

In April 2025, Brink secured $4 million in seed funding led by Kurma Companions and Breega, with participation from Kima Ventures and Plug and Play Ventures. The funding helps the corporate’s objective to validate 5 recombinases by 2026, demonstrating their efficacy in human cells.

Brink’s expertise combines directed evolution, metagenomic exploration, and AI-driven design to develop recombinases tailor-made for therapeutic purposes. The preliminary focus is on enhancing CAR-T cell therapies for hematological cancers, with plans to develop into therapies for stable tumors and uncommon genetic illnesses.

Cilcare

• Based: 2014
• Headquarters: Montpellier, France
• Focus: Creating therapies and diagnostics for cochlear synaptopathy and associated auditory issues

Cilcare is advancing therapies for cochlear synaptopathy, usually termed “hidden listening to loss,” which impacts the synaptic connections between inside ear hair cells and auditory nerve fibers. This situation results in difficulties in understanding speech amidst background noise and isn’t detectable via customary audiograms.

In December 2024, Cilcare accomplished a €40 million ($45 million) sequence A funding spherical to assist two section 2a medical trials for his or her lead candidate, CIL001, concentrating on cochlear synaptopathy in sufferers with kind 2 diabetes and people with neurodegenerative issues like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s illnesses.

Cilcare can also be conducting the SAPHIR observational examine to discover the hyperlink between listening to impairments and neurodegenerative illnesses. The examine goals to develop auditory biomarkers for early detection and improved administration of such situations.

Moreover, Cilcare has entered right into a collaborative analysis settlement with Shionogi to develop therapies for listening to loss, integrating Shionogi’s drug discovery experience with Cilcare’s specialised information in auditory issues.

Coave Therapeutics

• Based: 2015
• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Focus: Gene therapies for ocular and central nervous system (CNS) illnesses

Coave Therapeutics is creating gene therapies concentrating on inherited retinal issues and neurodegenerative illnesses. Its lead candidate, HORA-PDE6b, is an AAV5-based gene remedy designed to deal with retinitis pigmentosa brought on by bi-allelic mutations within the PDE6B gene. In a section 1/2 trial, sufferers receiving the upper dose exhibited enhancements in visible acuity and retinal sensitivity, with a positive security profile. 

Coave’s proprietary ALIGATER (Superior Vectors-Ligand Conjugates) platform enhances the concentrating on and efficacy of gene therapies by chemically modifying adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids or lipid nanoparticles. This expertise has proven improved transduction and biodistribution within the CNS and ocular tissues throughout varied species.

In January 2025, Coave closed a €32 million ($36 million) spherical to advance its ALIGATER platform and pipeline. 

Corteria Prescribed drugs

• Based: 2021
• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Focus: Creating therapies for particular coronary heart failure subpopulations

Corteria Prescribed drugs is concentrating on underserved segments of coronary heart failure. Its lead candidate, COR-1167, is a once-daily subcutaneous CRF2 agonist designed to deal with worsening coronary heart failure (WHF). In March 2024, the French biotech initiated a section 1 examine to evaluate the security and tolerability of COR-1167 in each wholesome volunteers and sufferers with persistent coronary heart failure.

The corporate has already raised substantial funding, together with a €65 million ($70.7 million) sequence A financing spherical co-led by OrbiMed, a U.S. funding agency, and Jeito Capital, a number one funding agency based mostly in Europe. 

The France-based biotech firm’s analysis pipeline includes progressive and first-in-class therapies. 

Past COR-1167, Corteria’s pipeline contains:

• COR-1389: An extended-acting CRF2 agonist for proper coronary heart failure and doubtlessly different cardiometabolic illnesses.
• COR-2007: An AVP-neutralizing monoclonal antibody aimed toward treating acute coronary heart failure with hyponatremia.

DiogenX

• Based: 2020
• Headquarters: Marseille, France
• Focus: Regenerative therapies for kind 1 diabetes

DiogenX is engaged on regenerative therapies aimed toward restoring insulin manufacturing in sufferers with kind 1 diabetes (T1D). The French biotech’s lead candidate, DGX-01, is a recombinant protein designed to stimulate the regeneration of insulin-producing beta cells by modulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. 

In Could 2023, DiogenX raised €27.5 million ($31.4 million) in a sequence A financing spherical led by Boehringer Ingelheim Enterprise Fund and Roche Enterprise Fund, with participation from Eli Lilly and Firm, Omnes, JDRF T1D Fund, and AdBio companions. This funding is getting used to advance DGX-01 into medical improvement.

At present, DGX-01 is present process IND-enabling research. If profitable, DGX-01 may develop into the primary off-the-shelf, disease-modifying remedy for symptomatic T1D sufferers, providing a possible various to lifelong insulin remedy.

Eligo Bioscience

• Based: 2014
• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Focus: In vivo gene enhancing of the microbiome utilizing CRISPR-based applied sciences

Eligo Bioscience is pioneering a novel class of genetic medicines that allow the exact enhancing of bacterial genes throughout the human microbiome. Its proprietary platform, Eligobiotics, makes use of engineered bacteriophage-derived particles to ship artificial DNA payloads, similar to CRISPR-Cas methods, immediately into particular bacterial populations. This strategy permits for focused modulation of the microbiome with out disrupting useful micro organism.

The corporate’s lead program, EB005, is a topical CRISPR-based remedy aimed toward treating reasonable to extreme pimples vulgaris by selectively eliminating pro-inflammatory strains of Cutibacterium acnes whereas preserving the wholesome pores and skin microbiome. In December 2023, Eligo raised $30 million in a sequence B funding spherical led by Sanofi Ventures.

In Could 2025, Eligo was additionally awarded a $5 million grant from the French authorities’s France 2030 initiative to speed up the event of its topical gene-delivery platform for immuno-dermatology purposes. This funding helps the scaling up of bioproduction processes in partnership with Biose Industries and the growth of Eligo’s pipeline into different persistent inflammatory pores and skin illnesses. 

Eligo’s pipeline additionally contains EB003, an oral CRISPR-based remedy concentrating on Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli to stop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). 

Enterome

• Based: 2011
• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Focus: Microbiome-derived peptide immunotherapies for most cancers and inflammatory illnesses

Enterome is likely one of the few firms leveraging the human microbiome not as a biomarker supply, however as the premise for therapeutic improvement. Its proprietary OncoMimics platform makes use of bacterial peptides that intently resemble tumor-associated antigens, aiming to stimulate focused immune responses with out the necessity for patient-specific customization.

The corporate’s lead candidate, EO2401, has proven encouraging information in glioblastoma. Within the section 2 ROSALIE examine, sufferers receiving EO2401 with nivolumab and bevacizumab achieved a median general survival of 14.5 months, a significant end result on this aggressive most cancers setting. In the meantime, EO2463, one other OncoMimics-based immunotherapy, is being studied in indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Interim information offered at ASCO 2024 highlighted a 78% full response price when mixed with lenalidomide and rituximab.

Enterome can also be testing EO4010 in metastatic colorectal most cancers and EO2040 in sufferers with minimal residual illness, reflecting its broader ambition to use microbiome-derived peptides throughout a number of tumor sorts. Past oncology, the corporate is collaborating with Nestlé Well being Science to develop EndoMimics, a brand new class of molecules mimicking human cytokines for inflammatory illnesses like inflammatory bowel illness (IBD) and meals allergic reactions.

Enyo Pharma

• Based: 2014
• Headquarters: Lyon, France
• Focus: Creating FXR agonists for uncommon and persistent kidney illnesses

ENYO Pharma specializes within the improvement of therapies for kidney illnesses characterised by fibrosis and irritation. Its lead asset, Vonafexor, is an artificial, non-steroidal farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist designed for once-daily oral administration. Vonafexor reveals each fibrolytic and anti inflammatory properties, making it a promising candidate for treating varied renal situations.

In January 2024, ENYO Pharma secured €39 million ($44 million) in a sequence C financing spherical co-led by OrbiMed and Morningside Ventures, with participation from current buyers together with Andera Companions and Bpifrance. This funding helps the continued section 2 ALPESTRIA-1 medical trial, which evaluates Vonafexor in sufferers with Alport syndrome, a uncommon genetic kidney dysfunction. 

Vonafexor has demonstrated potential past Alport syndrome. Within the section 2 LIVIFY examine involving sufferers with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and impaired kidney operate, Vonafexor confirmed enhancements in renal biomarkers, suggesting broader applicability in persistent kidney illnesses.

Moreover, ENYO Pharma is creating EYP-651, one other FXR agonist at present in section 2 trials for persistent kidney illness. EYP-651 targets mitochondrial NEET proteins and is being investigated for its potential advantages in diabetic kidney illness and MASH-related renal impairment.

ImCheck Therapeutics

• Based: 2015
• Headquarters: Marseille, France
• Focus: γ9δ2 T-cell activation by way of butyrophilin-targeting antibodies for oncology and infectious illnesses

Imcheck Therapeutics is trying to develop into a outstanding participant within the area of most cancers immunotherapy. Its strategy consists of activating gamma-delta T cells. Its lead candidate, ICT01, is a monoclonal antibody designed to activate γ9δ2 T cells, aiming to reinforce anti-tumor immune responses.

In section 1/2, ICT01 mixed with azacitidine and venetoclax demonstrated a 96% composite full remission price in newly recognized acute myeloid leukemia (AML) sufferers unfit for intensive chemotherapy, together with these with high-risk genetic mutations. The therapy was well-tolerated, with adversarial occasions in keeping with identified profiles of azacitidine and venetoclax. 

Past hematologic malignancies, ImCheck is exploring ICT01 together with pembrolizumab for stable tumors, together with refractory melanoma and urothelial carcinoma.

Mnemo Therapeutics

• Based: 2019
• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Focus: Subsequent-generation CAR-T therapies concentrating on epigenetically derived tumor-specific antigens

Mnemo Therapeutics is creating a novel class of CAR-T therapies aimed toward overcoming the restrictions of present therapies, notably in stable tumors. Its proprietary platform, EnfiniT, integrates antigen discovery and T-cell engineering to reinforce the specificity and persistence of CAR-T cells.

A key innovation of EnfiniT is the identification of E-antigens-tumor-specific antigens arising from aberrant splicing between exons and transposable parts. These antigens are absent in wholesome tissues, providing a promising avenue for focused therapies with diminished off-tumor results. 

The corporate’s final funding was a considerable €75 million ($90 million) sequence A financing spherical in June 2021, led by Casdin Capital and Sofinnova Companions, with participation from Redmile Group, Emerson Collective, and Alexandria Enterprise Investments.

Nanobiotix

• Based: 2003
• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Focus: Nanoparticle-based radioenhancers for stable tumors

Nanobiotix is creating NBTXR3 (also called JNJ-1900), a radioenhancer designed to enhance the effectiveness of radiotherapy in stable tumors. The remedy includes injecting hafnium oxide nanoparticles immediately into tumors. When activated by radiation, these particles intensify tumor cell destruction and will assist set off a broader anti-tumor immune response.

The corporate struck a significant cope with Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen unit in 2023, licensing the worldwide rights to co-develop and commercialize NBTXR3. In March 2025, the settlement was up to date: Janssen agreed to take over practically all remaining improvement prices for the continued section 3 NANORAY-312 trial in head and neck most cancers, easing Nanobiotix’s monetary burden and increasing its money runway into mid-2026. 

Current medical updates present momentum. In pancreatic most cancers, a section 1 examine reported a median general survival of 23 months in sufferers handled with NBTXR3, alongside a positive security profile. In the meantime, in non-small cell lung most cancers (NSCLC), one other section 1 trial discovered that re-irradiation with NBTXR3 led to a 12-month native progression-free survival price of 64% and general survival price of 83%.

OSE Immunotherapeutics

• Based: 2012
• Headquarters: Nantes, France
• Focus: First-in-class immunotherapies in immuno-oncology and immuno-inflammation

OSE Immunotherapeutics develops therapies that modulate the immune system to deal with most cancers and persistent inflammatory illnesses. 

In immuno-oncology, its lead asset Tedopi, a neoepitope-based most cancers vaccine, is in a section 3 trial for HLA-A2 constructive non-small cell lung most cancers (NSCLC) sufferers who’ve progressed after checkpoint inhibitor remedy. Moreover, a section 2 trial evaluating Tedopi together with nivolumab for superior pancreatic most cancers has proven promising outcomes, with constructive topline information reported in March 2025. 

In immuno-inflammation, lusvertikimab (OSE-127), an anti-IL-7 receptor monoclonal antibody, has demonstrated constructive ends in a section 2 trial for reasonable to extreme ulcerative colitis. 

OSE has additionally partnered with Boehringer Ingelheim to develop SIRPα inhibitors. At ASCO 2025, Boehringer offered early medical information on BI 765063 and BI 770371, each displaying manageable security profiles and preliminary indicators of anti-tumor exercise in sufferers with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Past its medical packages, OSE is main a consortium to develop novel mRNA therapeutics beneath the HexARN mission, supported by €1.3 million ($1.48 million) in funding from Bpifrance and the Pays de la Loire Area. The initiative goals to handle challenges in RNA-based therapies, together with supply and manufacturing scalability.

Owkin

• Based: 2016
• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Focus: AI-driven precision medication 

Owkin is working on the intersection of machine studying and medical analysis. It makes use of AI to investigate massive, multimodal datasets, similar to pathology photos, genomics, and medical data, to assist establish new drug targets, stratify sufferers, and enhance trial outcomes.

In 2025, the corporate launched Ok Navigator, a generative AI instrument designed to assist biomedical analysis groups. The instrument provides entry to MOSAIC Window, a spatial omics dataset constructed in-house, and goals to hurry up information interpretation and speculation era for most cancers analysis.

Owkin has additionally entered partnerships with a number of pharmaceutical firms, together with AstraZeneca, Sanofi, and Bristol Myers Squibb. One mission with AstraZeneca focuses on constructing an AI instrument to establish sufferers with breast most cancers who might carry gBRCA mutations.

The corporate has raised greater than $330 million thus far.

Polygon Therapeutics

• Based: 2021
• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Focus: Cardio-immunology therapies for acute cardiovascular occasions

Polygon Therapeutics is a French biotech firm creating therapies that concentrate on the immune system’s function in acute cardiovascular occasions, notably myocardial infarction (MI). 

Its lead candidate, PLG-101, is a human anti-CD8 monoclonal antibody designed to mitigate immune-mediated cardiac harm throughout reperfusion remedy. Preclinical research have proven {that a} single injection of PLG-101 throughout reperfusion can scale back infarct dimension by 60% and enhance coronary heart operate by 25%, with out noticed unintended effects.

The corporate plans to provoke first-in-human research of PLG-101 in 2025 throughout Europe and the USA. To assist this, Polygon secured €7.5 million ($8.6 million) in seed funding and has been acknowledged by packages similar to Innov’Up Chief PIA.

Sensorion

• Based: 2009
• Headquarters: Montpellier, France
• Focus: Gene therapies and small molecules concentrating on listening to loss

Sensorion is a French clinical-stage biotech firm creating therapies to revive and protect listening to. Its lead gene remedy program, SENS-501, targets otoferlin deficiency, a genetic mutation accountable for congenital listening to loss. In 2024, the corporate launched the Audiogene section 1/2 trial, administering SENS-501 by way of intra-cochlear injection to infants aged 6 to 31 months. Early information from the primary cohort confirmed good tolerability and inspiring behavioral enhancements. 

A second gene remedy program, GJB2-GT, is in preclinical improvement and targets mutations within the GJB2 gene, the commonest reason behind childhood deafness. 

The corporate additionally continues to develop SENS-401, an oral small molecule designed to guard inside ear tissue. It’s at present being evaluated in a section 2 trial for stopping cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in pediatric sufferers. 

SparingVision

• Based: 2016
• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Focus: Gene-agnostic therapies for inherited retinal illnesses

SparingVision is creating gene-agnostic therapies for inherited retinal illnesses (IRDs), with a major deal with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Its lead candidate, SPVN06, is designed to protect cone photoreceptors, aiming to sluggish or halt imaginative and prescient loss whatever the particular genetic mutation inflicting RP. SPVN06 delivers two proteins, rod-derived cone viability issue (RdCVF) and its lengthy type RdCVFL, by way of a single subretinal injection, offering neuroprotection and decreasing oxidative stress. 

The continuing section 1/2 medical trial has proven a positive security profile for SPVN06. In section 1, sufferers with superior RP tolerated the therapy effectively, with no severe adversarial occasions reported. A section 2 trial is at present enrolling sufferers with intermediate RP to additional assess security and efficacy. 

Past RP, SparingVision plans to provoke a section 2 trial of SPVN06 for geographic atrophy secondary to dry age-related macular degeneration (dAMD), following supportive suggestions from the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA).

The corporate can also be creating SPVN20, concentrating on later levels of rod-cone dystrophies, and has a strategic collaboration with Intellia Therapeutics to discover CRISPR-based genome enhancing for ocular illnesses. 

SparingVision’s newest funding spherical was a €75 million ($85.6 million) sequence B in 2022.

France, a powerful European participant

In 2024, France’s biotech business skilled sturdy personal fairness rounds supporting biotech corporations. Nevertheless, no new life science preliminary public choices (IPOs) had been recorded for French firms in 2023 or 2024, highlighting a potential problem in public market exits.

However authorities initiatives have nonetheless continued to assist the sector. For example, Bpifrance has invested €5.5 billion ($6.3 billion) in HealthTech since 2021, and has mobilized €2.3 billion ($2.3 billion) of public funding via the France 2030 Plan. In 2024, an extra €1.25 billion ($1.4 billion) was dedicated to assist the event of the sector.

Regardless of these efforts, challenges stay. A survey by France Biotech revealed that 88% of biotech leaders have been negatively impacted by 2024’s financial and political challenges, together with rising inflation and tighter financing situations.

The broad business is at present going through uncertainty and French biotechs are too. However with its robust footing within the European biotech panorama, maybe France may have some alternatives to step up within the years to come back.

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