Serena

Serena is one of Europe's leading investment funds, with €1bn under management. Founded in 2008 by Xavier Lorphelin, Marc Fournier, and Philippe Hayat, Serena finances and supports innovative start-ups from pre-seed to Series A, with initial checks ranging from €500k to €15m. Focus sectors include AI, SaaS, Climate Tech, Internet Infrastructure, and Impact. The portfolio includes successful exits such as The Fork (acquired by Tripadvisor), Aramis Auto (acquired by Peugeot), Cheerz (acquired by Cewe), iBanFirst (acquired by the Marlin fund) and Dataiku. They have invested in nearly 100 companies, including Malt, Electra, Descartes Underwriting, Accenta, and Lifen. Born of the profound conviction that a venture capital fund should be at the service of its portfolio companies, Serena has set up the largest operational support team in Europe, comprised of 7 former top-level entrepreneurs. Added to this is the Serena Squad, a community of 600 C-levels who can be mobilized rapidly to meet the day-to-day challenges faced by entrepreneurs. Serena has contributed to the recruitment of 40% of the management of portfolio companies by 2023. In 2023, Serena obtained the status 'Société à Mission', paying particular attention to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion challenges. Protecting biodiversity and combating climate change is also part of their DNA: 25% of Serena's employees are facilitators of the Fresque du Climat.