Forging new strategic alliances: Sophia Antipolis & VentureWaves

IASP member Sophia Antipolis (France) has initiated a forward-looking collaboration with VentureWaves, setting the stage for a significant advancement in venture building and innovation.

Philippe Mariani, Head of International Relations and Cooperation, and Sylvain Rouget, Head of Development for Sophia Antipolis Foundation, recently held a pivotal meeting with VentureWaves CEO & Co-founder Preslav Panayotov and COO Nikolay Nedyalkov. This strategic meeting was in view of establishing a powerful alliance designed to significantly scale innovation within the park.

Based in San Francisco, VentureWaves is recognized as the world's largest community of venture builders and brings unparalleled resources to the table, including over $1.6 trillion in managed assets and an extensive network of venture studios and investors worldwide. This partnership is forged by a shared vision to tackle critical sector challenges—including AI, cybersecurity, defense, and biotechnology—through agile, high-speed venture-building models. The prospective alliance aims to create a dynamic ecosystem focused on establishing ventures tailored for corporate clients, further solidifying Sophia Antipolis's standing as a global innovation hub, especially as it prepares to host the IASP World Conference in 2026.

Key objectives of this strategic engagement include building high-growth ventures across diverse priority sectors, leveraging VentureWaves' expertise and facilities for rapid scaling, establishing a dedicated investment fund, and collaborating on funding initiatives and investment conferences to drive ecosystem expansion. This collective effort is designed to attract foreign direct investment and generate high-quality jobs within the Sophia Antipolis region.

The alliance will explore dynamic collaboration models, such as embedded venture studios, sector-specific rapid innovation labs, integrated funding infrastructure, and virtual collaboration platforms.

This initiative marks an important step forward—congratulations to Sophia Antipolis for continuing to advance innovation and strategic partnerships in the region.