The Choose France 2025 summit, a traditional event for international investment, took on an unprecedented format this year. On November 17, 2025, the Élysée Palace hosted a new version of the event, exclusively celebrating French companies that chose to invest in France in 2025. This highly anticipated event brought together business leaders. Here’s an analysis by the experts at AURIS Finance, a consulting firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions.
Highlighting investments made in France by French companies
The goal of this France-focused edition of the Choose France 2025 Summit was clear: to showcase investments made in the country by French companies – a strong political signal aimed at anchoring growth within the domestic market.
Key figures from a high-level meeting
In 2025, the total value of investments decided, realized, or announced through Choose France reached €30.4 billion. The Île-de-France region accounted for the largest share of investments, followed closely by Grand Est and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. During the November 17 summit, 141 companies that chose to invest in France were represented, including 34% large corporations, 29% SMEs, 23% startups, and 14% mid-sized enterprises.
A Diversity of Sectors and Projects
Among the 151 projects highlighted, 22 focused on energy, the environment, and green industries; 20 on digital technology; 16 on healthcare; 16 on chemicals and materials; and 15 on agri-food. For tech sector leaders, three priorities emerged during the summit:
- The urgent need for France to accelerate in artificial intelligence, recognized as a major driver of productivity.
- Significant efforts must be made in healthcare and bioproduction.
- Strengthening industrial sovereignty is more crucial than ever.
High expectations from investors
The companies present at the Élysée expressed very concrete demands. At a time when the national budget struggles to gain consensus in the Assembly, business leaders are calling for fiscal stability. Amid squeezed margins and geopolitical uncertainties, they are urging clear rules and a defined timeline for reforms. Energy costs remain a critical issue for many sectors, particularly chemicals, metallurgy, and bioproduction. Many leaders are also advocating for faster access to factory modernization grants and simplified green transition mechanisms. Better alignment between public investment and operational needs is also desired.
Is France gaining momentum?
Another major topic discussed at the summit was France’s attractiveness. The 2025 assessment is mixed. On one hand, international investors remain cautious and are avoiding a country perceived as politically unstable. On the other hand, French Tech companies stand out: in September 2025, 66 funding rounds enabled French startups to raise €2.41 billion – a record figure, returning to the high levels of 2023, largely driven by Mistral AI’s fundraising.
Our experts by your side
With Choose France 2025, the French Edition, the government has demonstrated its support for innovative French companies. However, of the €30.4 billion in announced investments, only €9.2 billion will fund entirely new projects. The remaining €21.2 billion covers investments already announced by companies over the past 12 months. In a context of dwindling funding, innovative companies continue to attract investors – provided they knock on the right doors. The experts at AURIS Finance specialize by sector. We support you in your search for financing.
