Since 2012, BNP Paribas has established itself as the reference bank of start-ups and innovative businesses. With 2,000 start-up client of its 16 Poles Innovation and 50 million euros invested in seed and venture capital since the launch of the first programmes of support dedicated to the Retail banking of BNP Paribas offers the device in banking and financial the most complete of the market to promote innovation in France. A sign of this anchor, the label WAI “We Are Innovation” – deployed this year by BNP Paribas in all regions in France and is now developed also to the international brand, the strong commitment of the Bank with growth companies.
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In five years, the Retail Bank BNP Paribas has put in place, in France, a major programme to support innovative entrepreneurship on the whole territory of the country and to train managers of business enterprises dedicated to the specific needs and expectations of the start-upper : advice and guidance on all their needs in connection with the financing (own funds, bank loans or alternative), internationalisation, support business… In 2017, the bank takes a further step by expanding the device and amplifying its approach : more than 100 employees BNP Paribas will bring daily their expertise to the leaders and creators of young shoots on all the territory.
To mark its foothold in the ecosystem, start-up, BNP Paribas brings together all of the offerings, people and places dedicated to the culture of innovation under a single label and core : WAI ” We Are Innovation “.
Marie-Claire Capobianco, Director of the networks in France and Member of the Executive Committee of BNP Paribas, says : “the name of a place dedicated to innovation, the concept of WAI has gradually transformed into a true symbol of the acculturation of innovation, with our customers as our partners. So we decided to gather all our current initiatives and future support start-up business, at all levels of their development, in France and internationally, under the label “WAI”.
WE ARE INNOVATION
The label BNP Paribas to support innovation
WAI Banking: the accompanying banking start-up by a specialist advisor
WAI Venture Fund and WAI Investment Fund : the investment in direct and indirect BNP Paribas in the capital of start-ups and innovative companies
WAI Boost : the acceleration program 6 months of cooperation with clients BNP Paribas, ETI/GE
WAI Lead: personalized and focused connections between start-ups and clients BNP Paribas, partners and experts
WAI Connect: events of connections between start-ups and SMES/ETI/GE
WAI International: assistance in the phase of internationalization of start-up
With 16 Poles WAI, the Bank has in France of the mesh the most important centres of expertise dedicated to start-ups and innovative companies. The last address has just opened its doors in Clermont-Ferrand (63) to strengthen the presence of BNP Paribas to the sides of the start-up innovative companies in local. This device is also completed in 2017 by an extension 44 Poles WAI within the network of agencies, Home Contractors or Spaces TPE in the IDF in which, the designers/creators of start-ups will be able to meet the responsible business referents innovation.
Myriam Beque, Director of cluster Development Innovation of Retail banking, said : “Since 5 years, BNP Paribas has built a unique model of support to start-up gradually rolled-out in the major French cities and is still growing in the face of an increasing demand in France. The originality and the relevance of this model also allows us to export it to other countries where the group is present, such as Belgium, Luxembourg or Italy.”
Next to funding, from may 2016, BNP Paribas has also strengthened its position by creating, within BNP Paribas développement, a 100% subsidiary of BNP Paribas Retail banking in France, an activity of venture capital dedicated to innovative companies.
Denis Laplane, head of Corporate Client Networks France, a Member of the Executive Committee of the Retail banking in France and Chairman of BNP Paribas Development said : “With 19 investments, 9 investments in boot, made in less than a year, BNP Paribas is positioned as soon as the 1st year as a very active actor with leaders of start-ups. Our culture of investing in long-term, we can provide them with financial support, solid and serene “.
By deploying the label WAI everywhere in France, BNP Paribas has the ambition to assert itself in the next three years as the bank’s board of enterprise transformation. The Bank aims by 2020 to double the number of its clients start-up projects that qualify, and to devote between 5% and 10% of the investments in the capital of the France network in the direction of innovative companies.
About Retail banking in France BNP Paribas
In France, the Retail banking account nearly 29,000 employees serving more than 6.7 million customers, 571.000 professional clients and very small enterprises (VSES), of 30,500 enterprises (SMES, enterprises of intermediary size (ETI), large companies) and 65.400 associations. He is a leader on the market of Enterprises, and the Private Bank. Organized around lines of customers specialized in order to provide the best support, it offers a wide range of products and services, the holding of a current account up to the mounts the more experts in the field of business finance or wealth management. The teams of the Retail Bank are strongly committed to the service of the economy and all the clientele they serve within of close to 2,000 agencies and in the 305 clusters of expertise : private banking, Private Homes of the Entrepreneurs, Clusters, Innovation Centres and Business Enterprises. The Retail Bank also provides a broad presence on the social networks particularly through Facebook and Twitter. Investing continuously in innovation and quality of service, BNP Paribas has created Hello Bank!, the first bank digital natively designed for mobile use. This offer of relationship customers complete the system of online banking (contact Centres, Internet, Mobile, Net Savings/Stock market, Net Credit and Net Insurance), as well as the 6.124 automata made available to all.
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