H7 brings together more than 500 members across 5,300 m² in the Confluence district (source: h-7.eu). Pulsalys has created more than 100 deeptech startups since 2013 (source: pulsalys.fr, Les Échos). emlyon venture labs reports 1,500 founders supported and 1,300 companies created over nearly 40 years (source: incub.em-lyon.com). These three organizations show the scale of the Lyon market: a density of programs comparable to the capital's, without the waiting list. This guide lists the startup incubators and accelerators in Lyon in 2026, compares their programs, and explains how to apply.
Lyon's startup ecosystem in 2026
Lyon is France's second-largest startup hub after Paris (source: Mission French Tech / Motherbase, 2025 overview). The metropolitan area has what matters to an early-stage founder: world-class research labs, a talent pool trained at EM Lyon, Centrale Lyon and INSA, and a cost of living that lets you get started without raising money and without rent eating your cash.
Lyon, France's No. 2 startup hub (key figures)
The Lyon startup market in numbers:
- H7: 5,300 m² and more than 500 members (startups, corporates, investors, education partners) in the Confluence district (source: h-7.eu).
- Pulsalys: more than 100 deeptech startups created since 2013, at a pace of one deeptech startup per month (source: pulsalys.fr, Les Échos).
- emlyon venture labs: 1,500 founders, 1,300 companies created, 12,000 direct jobs over nearly 40 years (source: incub.em-lyon.com).
- I-Factory: 6,500 m² on the LyonTech La Doua campus, the largest academic innovation space in the region, home to 14 partners and 400 staff (source: ifactory.universite-lyon.fr).
The leading sectors are healthcare (bioMérieux, Sanofi Pasteur, the Lyonbiopôle cluster), deeptech (technology transfer through Pulsalys), digital and fintech. Startups that set up here get direct access to research labs, lower real estate costs than in the capital, and a network where program managers all know each other.
French Tech One Lyon Saint-Étienne and the local network
French Tech One Lyon Saint-Étienne connects local startups to national and international networks. In 2024, the association helped identify entrepreneurs in the region and steer them toward innovation support organizations (source: French Tech STL 2024 activity report).
Three other initiatives complement French Tech:
- LYVE Lyon: the Métropole's support initiative, with more than 300 partners, three programs (EARLYVE, LYVE-UP, LYVE-IN) and a new hub in Vénissieux planned for 2026 (source: lyve-lyon.com).
- Centre d'Entrepreneuriat Lyon Saint-Étienne (CELSE): founded in 2020 and based at I-Factory, it brings together 26 staff and connects student entrepreneurs with the local business community (source: centre-entrepreneuriat.universite-lyon.fr).
- HUB612: a B2B fund and accelerator specializing in fintech, insurtech and SaaS, with more than 80 startups supported since 2016 and tickets from €50K to €1M (source: hub612.com).
Lyon's advantage is geographic: two hubs host most of the organizations in this guide. The LyonTech-La Doua campus houses I-Factory, Pulsalys and CELSE, so deeptech and student entrepreneurship; Confluence is home to H7 and the digital scene. A founder who books meetings at these two sites has covered most of the organizations in this guide.
Generalist incubators and accelerators
Generalist organizations are the entry point to the Lyon network. They welcome every sector and every stage, from idea to scale-up.
H7 (5,300 m², "Lyon's Station F", digital and innovation)
H7 is Lyon's flagship innovation hub. Opened in 2019 in the Confluence district, it spans 5,300 m² across three areas: coworking and offices, an event hall, and a food court open to the public (source: h-7.eu). Its 500+ members include startups, large companies, investors and education partners, and its tailored programs cover networking, mentoring and growth support.
H7 is built for tech and digital startups in their growth phase, as well as intrapreneurs and founders of innovative projects. You can find your first customers, your mentors and sometimes your investors in the same building. Applications are submitted online at h-7.eu; selection favors innovation, growth potential and fit with the existing community.
Lyon Start Up (generalist, rooted in the metro area)
Lyon Start Up is a free startup creation program run by French Tech One Lyon Saint-Étienne. It offers 70 hours of entrepreneurship training, pitch coaching, networking, and a pitch competition with a €10,000 prize (source: lyonstartup.com). The program runs over several months, training first and then support, and is open to employees, job seekers, students and retirees with a project.
It targets founders at the idea stage: you arrive with an ambition and leave with a structured project and a network.
1Kubator Lyon (national network, 200+ startups supported)
1Kubator was founded in Lyon in 2016 by Alexandre Fourtoy. The network has since expanded to more than 10 French cities (Nantes, Bordeaux, Rennes, Lille, Toulouse and others) with a consistent model: €25,000 in funding in exchange for equity, tailored support, and access to a national network of startups and mentors (source: independant.io, Bpifrance). Its portfolio includes more than 200 startups focused on digital and tech.
1Kubator is a fit for early-stage digital startups looking for first funding and structured support. Once incubated in Lyon, you gain access to the markets of every city in the network. Applications are submitted online at 1kubator.com, with rolling selection.
Manufactory / Jean Moulin Incubator (Université Lyon III)
Manufactory is the incubator of Université Jean Moulin Lyon III, dedicated to projects led by the university's students, PhD candidates and researchers. It supports company creation within an academic setting, with access to the university's research resources, and bridges academia and the market.
Deeptech and research programs
Lyon is one of France's leading deeptech hubs, thanks to its dense network of research labs and organizations specializing in technology transfer.
Pulsalys (SATT, tech transfer, deeptech, 100+ startups created)
Pulsalys is the technology transfer acceleration company (SATT) for the Lyon-Saint-Étienne area. Founded in 2013 under the French government's Investments for the Future Program, it turns scientific discoveries from Université de Lyon labs into companies (source: pulsalys.fr). It passed the milestone of 100 deeptech startups created in 2023, at a pace of one per month (source: Les Échos), had 11 winners in the 2024 innovation competitions, including 6 i-Lab, 2 i-PhD and 3 i-Nov, and has moved into I-Factory (source: satt.fr).
Support covers technology maturation, project scouting, entrepreneurial coaching and patent transfer. Funding comes through maturation investment and access to the French Tech Seed Fund via Bpifrance. Sectors include biotech, medtech, AI, cleantech, materials and quantum, with partnerships such as Materi'act (sustainable materials), Inserm Transfert (infectious diseases) and M2care (healthcare).
Pulsalys serves researchers and PhD candidates with an innovation that comes out of public research. If your project comes out of a lab and you want to turn it into a company, Pulsalys is your first point of contact.
EM Lyon Incubator / emlyon venture labs (1,300 companies created)
emlyon venture labs (formerly the EM Lyon incubator) is one of the oldest incubators in France. For nearly 40 years, it has supported entrepreneurs through specialized programs on its Lyon and Paris campuses: more than 1,500 founders supported, 1,300 companies created or taken over, and 12,000 direct jobs generated (source: incub.em-lyon.com, venturelabs.em-lyon.com).
Programs are organized by stage and sector. Startup Camp tests a project's feasibility; Numérique Booster supports digital and tech startups; sector accelerators cover food (Le Zesteur), education and HR (Ed.Job.Tech), sport (Sport.Tech) and deeptech (i-Lab); and a 6 to 12 month acceleration program runs at Station F in Paris.
emlyon venture labs welcomes entrepreneurs from all backgrounds, whether or not they are EM Lyon students.
Tech360 ECAM LaSalle (industry, IoT)
Tech360 is ECAM LaSalle's incubator in Lyon, specializing in high-potential tech startups. It offers strategic support, expert mentoring, access to advanced R&D facilities and a Fablab equipped with prototyping tools, with the option of an early-stage equity investment (source: tech360.fr). Sectors include industry, IoT and cutting-edge technologies.
Tech360 is designed for hardware and Industry 4.0 startups that need prototyping resources. The direct link with ECAM LaSalle gives you access to the school's industrial engineering expertise.
Impact and social economy incubators
Several Lyon organizations support founders who want to combine impact with economic viability.
Ronalpia (social economy, regional roots)
Ronalpia has supported social entrepreneurs in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes since 2013. The association selects and supports projects with strong social and environmental impact potential (source: ronalpia.fr): 265 social entrepreneurs supported since 2014, 7 incubators (Lyon, Grenoble, Saint-Étienne, Pays Voironnais, Roanne, Grand-Bourg-en-Bresse, Drôme, Nord Ardèche), and an annual call for projects in September and October.
The program lasts 9 to 12 months, free of charge, with a dedicated coach (2 hours per month), group workshops and cross-sector networking. The goal is a viable business model with maximum social impact. Ronalpia is built for impact-driven founders looking for specialized social economy support; social impact is the primary criterion for both selection and follow-up.
Alter'Incub Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (social innovation, free for 18 months)
Alter'Incub is the social innovation incubation program for the AURA region. It offers 18 months of free support covering pre-incubation and incubation: project structuring, business model help and networking. It serves social entrepreneurs in the launch phase, and the long timeline gives you room to structure a complex project without pressure for immediate results.
Les Premières Aura (women entrepreneurs)
Les Premières Aura is an incubator dedicated to women entrepreneurs in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. It supports women leading innovative projects at every stage of development, with mentoring, training and a specialized network.
Corporate and specialized accelerators
Large corporations and banking networks also run their own programs in Lyon, offering direct access to corporate customers and innovation budgets.
Novacité (ecological transition, industry)
Novacité is a Lyon accelerator specializing in the ecological transition and industry. It supports startups building solutions for decarbonization, the circular economy and sustainable industry. If your product contributes to the ecological transition and you sell to manufacturers, Novacité opens the door to Lyon's industrial base.
Village by CA (corporate program, post-incubation)
Village by CA Centre-Est is part of Europe's largest startup accelerator network, with more than 40 locations in France and abroad and more than 1,000 startups supported (source: levillagebyca.com, LinkedIn). The program lasts 12 to 24 months for an undisclosed monthly fee, takes no equity, and connects startups with more than 800 large corporate partners.
It is aimed at startups in the commercialization phase looking for enterprise customers: what Village by CA really sells is its corporate address book.
How to choose your incubator in Lyon
Before you start looking for an incubator, ask yourself why you need one, because the answer determines which organization fits.
Selection criteria (stage, sector, duration, cost, equity)
Five questions to ask yourself before applying:
- What stage are you at? Idea (Lyon Start Up, CELSE), MVP (H7, 1Kubator), growth (Village by CA, emlyon venture labs), deeptech (Pulsalys, Tech360).
- What is your sector? Generalist (H7, 1Kubator), deeptech (Pulsalys), healthcare (Pulsalys, HUB612), impact/social economy (Ronalpia, Alter'Incub), industry (Tech360, Novacité), fintech (HUB612).
- Are you willing to give up equity? 1Kubator (yes, €25K for equity), Pulsalys (funded maturation), Village by CA (no), Ronalpia (no), emlyon (depends on the program).
- How long? Short (Lyon Start Up, a few months), medium (H7, Ronalpia, 9 to 12 months), long (Alter'Incub, 18 months; Village by CA, 24 months).
- What budget? Free (Lyon Start Up, Ronalpia, Alter'Incub, Pulsalys), paid (H7, Village by CA), funding included (1Kubator €25K, Pulsalys maturation).
Program comparison at a glance
Generalist: H7 (5,300 m², 500+ members, tech/digital), 1Kubator (€25K + equity, national network), Lyon Start Up (free, 70 hours of training)
Deeptech/Research: Pulsalys (100+ startups, SATT, tech transfer), emlyon venture labs (1,300 companies, multiple programs), Tech360 ECAM (industry, Fablab)
Impact/Social economy: Ronalpia (265 entrepreneurs, 7 incubators in AURA), Alter'Incub (free for 18 months), Les Premières Aura (women entrepreneurs)
Corporate/Specialized: Village by CA (40+ locations, 800+ partners), Novacité (ecological transition), HUB612 (fintech/insurtech, €50K to €1M fund)
Preparing your application
Three rules to maximize your chances:
- Show traction. A working MVP, early user feedback, a clearly identified market. Incubators accelerate projects that already exist.
- Know the organization. Every incubator has its own culture. Attend its events, talk to alumni, and understand what the program offers and what it doesn't.
- Know what you're looking for. Funding, network, technical expertise or corporate customers: the answer determines the organization and saves you from applying everywhere.
FAQ
What are the best incubators in Lyon?
The leading incubators in Lyon in 2026 are H7 (5,300 m², generalist innovation hub), Pulsalys (SATT, 100+ deeptech startups created), emlyon venture labs (1,300 companies created over nearly 40 years) and 1Kubator (national network, 200+ startups). The right choice depends on your sector and stage: Pulsalys for deeptech, H7 for generalist tech, 1Kubator or Lyon Start Up for early stage.
How do you get into an incubator in Lyon?
Each organization has its own application process, usually online. The common criteria are the project's innovation, market potential and the quality of the founding team. Public organizations (Pulsalys, Lyon Start Up) are free. Private ones (H7, 1Kubator) charge a fee or take equity. Tip: attend the target organization's events first to understand its culture before applying.
How much does an incubation program in Lyon cost?
Costs vary by organization. Several programs are completely free: Lyon Start Up, Ronalpia, Alter'Incub (18 months free), Pulsalys (funded maturation). Others involve subsidized rent (H7), a monthly fee (Village by CA), or an equity stake (1Kubator: €25,000 in exchange for equity). Compare the value of the network and support first, then the cost.
What is the difference between an incubator and an accelerator?
An incubator supports projects from the creation stage: shaping the idea, building the product, landing the first customers. An accelerator takes over once the product exists and the startup wants to grow fast: business development, fundraising, expansion. In Lyon, some organizations do both (Pulsalys, emlyon venture labs, 1Kubator). In practice, the line is blurry, so focus on what the program actually offers rather than the label.
Further reading
- accelerators and incubators in France
- how to choose your accelerator
- Incubators and accelerators in Paris
- Incubators and accelerators in Marseille
- Incubators and accelerators in Bordeaux
