In Paris’s balmy thirteenth district, an airy rail depot that’s been converted into a startup incubator is now the epicenter of France’s tech boom.

Walking through Station F, it’s hard not to see how the 366,000-square-foot space has been influenced by Silicon Valley, with its amenities like a huge cafeteria and an under-construction yoga studio that are reminiscent of Big Tech campuses.

But Station F’s director, Roxanne Varza, told Business Insider that it is not trying to become an American incubator. “We’ve been inspired by a lot of players, and we look up to Y Combinator. But we’re not trying to be Silicon Valley,” she said.

Now, politics is helping drive international founders here, including Americans, Varza told BI during a recent visit.

Trump 2.0 is driving talent migration

The election of Donald Trump and Brexit were among the biggest catalysts driving international founders to Station F, Varza told BI. After France, the US and UK are the most represented nationalities on campus, which houses entrepreneurs from 70 nationalities, Varza said.

At times of political volatility, the campus has been a magnet for founders seeking a global outlook and a supply of talent. Trump 2.0 — and its aftermath, including the announcement of Stargate and DeepSeek — galvanized European founders to step up, Varza said.

The US tech ecosystem secured $209 billion in VC funding in 2024, about 17 times more than France. But Paris is catching up to its global counterparts. In 2025, the city was named Europe’s new tech champion, overtaking London.

From 2017 to 2024, the combined enterprise value of startups based in Paris increased 5.3 times, more than any other European tech hub. Climate tech founders from the US are coming to Station F amid US government cuts to green industry incentives, Varza noted.

Entalpic, a materials discovery startup launched in 2024, has attracted numerous US applicants, and its cofounder Alexandre Duval expressed satisfaction with the available resources, stating, “We have so many resources here: meeting rooms, onboarding, events, opportunities to meet people. It’s good.”

Competitive equity

Since its inception in 2017, Station F has been a key driver of France’s tech ecosystem. It accepts around 40 startups monthly, providing resources, mentorship, and access to government and industry giants like Meta and Microsoft. The incubator’s flagship Founders Program takes a 1% equity stake and offers workshops and masterclasses, with a plan to invest between $50,000 and $100,000 in selected startups annually.

The vibrant atmosphere fosters collaboration and innovation, attracting a diverse range of entrepreneurs, including notable figures like the GitHub CEO, and fostering conversations around regulatory policies and ethical AI development.

Station F’s culture emphasizes collaboration over competition, with founders often working close together, sharing ideas, and even adopting each other’s concepts, as exemplified by a startup that successfully pivoted by copying a neighbor’s idea.

Looking to the future, Station F is expanding its international collaborations with Japan and the Gulf region, with a focus on building bridges across Europe and further enriching its dynamic startup ecosystem.