Le Fundtruck, the travelling investment vehicle that first hit French roads in 2020, is set to return in 2026 with a revamped format and an expanded scope, organisers announced this week. After a two-year hiatus following its 2023 edition, the initiative – which converts a truck into a mobile boardroom and pitch stage – aims to bridge the gap between early-stage startups and investors outside the Paris ecosystem.

The 2026 tour, dubbed “Nouveau Périple” (New Journey), will span 20 cities over a four-month period from February to May, covering an estimated 15,000 kilometres. This doubles the footprint of earlier editions, with half the stops now in towns of fewer than 100,000 inhabitants – a deliberate push to surface innovation in underserved regions. A total of €3 million in equity investment commitments has already been secured from a syndicate of 12 venture capital funds, including Bpifrance, Elaia, and Kima Ventures, up from €1.5 million in 2023.

At each stop, a jury of local entrepreneurs, investors, and corporate executives will select one winner from a pre-screened batch of 10 startups. The winner receives a €100,000 investment ticket, access to a three-month mentoring programme, and inclusion in the Fundtruck Alumni network, which now counts 42 companies that collectively raised over €80 million in follow-on funding. A key novelty is the introduction of thematic verticals: fintech, greentech, health, and deeptech will each receive dedicated sessions in cities with relevant industrial clusters, such as Lyon for biotech and Nantes for maritime innovation.

“We realised the Fundtruck’s true value is not just in the cheque, but in the serendipitous connections that happen when you put ambitious founders in a truck with experienced operators for a day,” said co-founder Camille Richard. She noted that 70% of previous participants secured a second meeting with an investor, and 18% closed a funding round within six months. The 2026 programme will also feature “reverse office hours,” where investors pitch their own funds to founders, a move aimed at democratising access to capital.

Fundtruck’s return comes as French regional startup ecosystems have seen a 22% increase in deal volume since 2022, according to a Bpifrance report. However, early-stage founders still struggle with visibility and warm introductions, particularly in areas with low VC density. By physically bringing decision-makers to the founders, the truck removes geographic bias, organisers argue. The 2026 edition will partner with local incubators such as La Ruche, Les Premières, and Village by CA to scout talent, and with corporate backers including TotalEnergies and Crédit Mutuel Arkéa for industry-specific tracks.

The truck itself – a converted Mercedes Sprinter with a fully equipped meeting space – has been upgraded with satellite connectivity and carbon-offset credits to align with sustainability pledges. The tour launch is scheduled for February 10, 2026, at Station F in Paris, with applications opening on August 1, 2025, via the Fundtruck platform. Organisers expect over 2,000 startup applications, roughly double the previous cycle.

The initiative also serves as a testbed for a new public-private policy debate: the French government’s “France 2030” plan has earmarked €500 million for regional innovation hubs, but critics say bottlenecks persist in seed-stage funding. Fundtruck 2026 will host town-hall meetings at each stop to feed founders’ experiences directly to regulators, with a white paper to be published at the end of the tour.

“We’re not just a pitch competition – we’re a catalyst for a more inclusive tech fabric,” Richard emphasised. With the French election cycle looming in 2027, the truck’s journey could inject a timely dose of entrepreneurial optimism into the national conversation.

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