BNP Paribas-Plug and Play launches at Station F to host new season of their Fintech and Insurtech startup program

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May 09, 2017, 15:55 ET

SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BNP Paribas–Plug and Play is partnering with Station F, the world's largest startup campus, established in Paris' 13^th arrondissement, to host the second batch of its startup accelerator program.

The partnership agreement will provide a first-rate venue for BNP Paribas–Plug and Play. Recently launched earlier this year, this joint venture between BNP Paribas and Plug and Play brings together startups, major corporations and investors who are focused on disrupting the fintech and insurtech industries. The startups accepted into this accelerator program will join 1,000 other startups expected to be accommodated on the campus in the longer term.

"While we received numerous propositions from various fintech programs that wanted to come to Station F, the program offered by Plug and Play and BNP Paribas is by far one of most ambitious. Offering top level expertise and solid international reach, this program brings true value to our campus and startup community," stated Roxanne Varza, Director of Station F.

"It is with great excitement to build our Fintech and Insurtech Innovation Platform with BNP Paribas in Station F," adds Saeed Amidi, Founder and CEO of Plug and Play. "I believe it will become the hotbed of startups and corporate innovation, not only for Paris and France, but for Europe as a whole. It will be a great pleasure to connect Station F to Plug and Play's headquarters in Silicon Valley, where we have been helping and investing in startups for more than 10 years."

"We're delighted that startups in our program will very shortly be installed at Station F. In addition to the exclusive range of services we provide – personal hand-holding, coaching, business contacts and fund-raising opportunities – they will now also be able to take advantage of the dynamic, stimulating ecosystem which this extraordinary space has to offer," declared BNP Paribas Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Jacques d'Estais.

BNP Paribas–Plug and Play launched its inaugural class on April 18^th. A truly global Fintech and Insurtech program, only 3 of the selected 10 startups are local to France. The others hail from Europe and the US and have temporarily relocated their operations to Paris. The full list of startups is: Birdycent, DreamQuark, Dunforce, Miracl, Savedo, SBDA Group, SizeUp, OneUp, Sonect & Vizru. Each startup has been assigned a business unit within the bank to scale their solution in a fast and agile manner over 12 weeks.

The move to Station F signifies a strong will to engage more closely with the French ecosystem and nurture both local and foreign talent in a dynamic environment.

About Plug and Play
Plug and Play is a global innovation platform. We connect startups to corporations and invest in over 150 companies every year. Since inception in 2006, our programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in 22 locations globally giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 6,000 startups and 180 official corporate partners, we have created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries. We provide active investments with 200 leading Silicon Valley VCs, and host more than 365 networking events per year. Companies in our community have raised over $5 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Dropbox, Lending Club, PayPal, SoundHound, and Zoosk. For more information, visit www.plugandplaytechcenter.com

About BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas is a leading bank in Europe with an international reach. It has a presence in 74 countries, with more than 189,000 employees, including more than 146,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main activities: Domestic Markets and International Financial Services (whose retail-banking networks and financial services are covered by Retail Banking & Services) and Corporate & Institutional Banking, which serves two client franchises: corporate clients and institutional investors. The Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporate and institutional clients) to realize their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance. In Europe, the Group has four domestic markets (Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg) and BNP Paribas Personal Finance is the leader in consumer lending. BNP Paribas is rolling out its integrated retail-banking model in Mediterranean countries, in Turkey, in Eastern Europe and a large network in the western part of the United States. In its Corporate & Institutional Banking and International Financial Services activities, BNP Paribas also enjoys top positions in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas as well as a solid and fast-growing business in Asia-Pacific.