Pierre Fort and all his team had a crush on KMØ. This is why the first Village by CA in Alsace Vosges will be located in Mulhouse ! But what is a Village by CA ? Read this interview to learn more.
You are the General Manager of Crédit Agricole Alsace Vosges, what is your background ?
My background is essentially ” Crédit Agricole “. I have held management positions in three regional banks at : Annecy, Dijon and Grenoble. Before that, I was at the General Inspection and Accounting Department in Paris, and before that, in Rome, this time at Société Générale.
I have been General Manager of the Crédit Agricole Alsace Vosges for two and a half years, in a region that I did not know, Alsace, and I take great pleasure here.
Pierre Fort © Photo : Laurent REA
Introduce us to the Village by CA in Mulhouse. Who is it for ?
The Village by CA is first and foremost a network of 27 villages throughout France, since the creation of the 1st village in 2014 in Paris. It is the first network of startup gas pedals in the regions. We have already supported nearly 600 startups. We want to develop this network internationally as well. We are in contact with other gas pedals in Europe, Asia and North America.
The Village is for startups in acceleration phaseThis is complementary to the KMØ ecosystem where other structures are planned for the pre-incubation and incubation of startups ! We help startups by offering them the best conditions for success These include: personalized support, expert advice, training workshops, events and networking to develop their business.
The Village is also intended for partner companies and other innovation players, who can both contribute their experience and come and get inspired. It’s a win-win ecosystem. Innovation requires diversity. And KMØ allows this mix and diversity.
In Mulhouse, we aim to support between 10 and 15 startups for up to 24 months. We will launch the first call for applications very soon. The selected projects will be consistent with KMØ’s specificities (connected objects, industry of the future) and with Crédit Agricole’s priorities (agri-food, housing, health and aging, energy transition…).
Why did you choose KMØ to set up the Village in Mulhouse (and the 1st in the region !) ?
The redevelopment of an industrial wasteland in the heart of the city, the choice of digital technology as a specificity and the ecosystem planned within KMØ have attracted the support of many public and private actors. We were seduced by the ecosystem itself, its diversity, its dynamics. For these reasons, the Crédit Agricole Alsace Vosges joined the operation by investing from the start in the structure that carries the real estate. So we are both tenants for the Village and investors.
KMØ will bring a lot to the territory, especially in terms of value creation. We will be able to contribute to this ecosystem, which combines training, research and economic activity. This ecosystem has a common benefit, that’s what’s very strong, and that’s what startups will benefit from.
The strong local roots and the creation of jobs in the region are decisive elements for Crédit Agricole. And the Village itself is part of this dynamic. We are not a disconnected startup gas pedal : there is a proximity on the ground which for me is essential for development.
Beyond the ecosystem, this beautiful place has been the cradle of well known factories, and will hopefully become a new cradle for new renowned companies.
What will the Village by CA bring to KMØ and its occupants ? And vice versa ?
At KMØ, we bring, if I may say so, the 4th stage of the rocket, after training, pre-incubation, and incubation of startups. This is the acceleration phase !
The Village by CA will bring to KMØ’s occupants the power of its network and its experience in supporting startups. In Mulhouse, I sense a real desire on the part of companies to encourage the emergence of startups, in the interest of both the startups and the companies.
Our will is to make the startups benefit from the animations, conferences and other contributions that we will be able to propose, but also to make our partners and the whole KMØ ecosystem benefit from it !
It is an ecosystem where each one feeds off the other. The Village will feed off the players already in place and bring its own brick. For Mulhouse, Alsace, the Grand Est, we can all work together to create added value, wealth and jobs.
Personally, what do you like about the KMØ ecosystem ?
This common will between private partners, companies, consultants, teachers, and public partners : there is this conjunction of initiatives and will to create added value for the Mulhouse area and the Grand Est. This is quite rare !
Especially since we are not recreating something that exists elsewhere, it is a unique ecosystem.
As a mutualist regional bank, Crédit Agricole Alsace Vosges is completely in line with KMØ’s values and dynamics. I am therefore very happy about this collective adventure that is starting, and about the prospect of the Village by CA’s installation from February 2019 in the Fonderie district.
Thank you !
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