The CEA and Silicon Valley deep tech venture firm Playground Global have signed a memorandum of understanding to accelerate the journey of breakthrough research from French labs to global markets. The non-binding agreement, announced July 24, 2026, creates a framework for jointly identifying, developing, and supporting next-generation deep technology companies across advanced computing, microelectronics, AI, quantum technologies, energy, and biotechnology.

The collaboration will unfold along two main axes: R&D partnerships between CEA institutes—including its renowned microelectronics arm, CEA-Leti—and Playground’s early-stage portfolio companies; and joint evaluation of deep tech projects and startups emerging from CEA laboratories to advance their technological maturation, commercialization, and scaling. The goal is to fuse Playground’s venture-building expertise with the CEA’s world-class research and technology-transfer capabilities, covering technology scouting, commercialization strategy, and startup acceleration while connecting the CEA’s ecosystem to Playground’s investment network.

The CEA was recently named the world’s most innovative public research organization on Clarivate’s 2026 Top 100 Global Innovators list. Its Technological Research Division includes CEA-Leti (semiconductors), CEA-List (software and digital technologies), and a network of regional hubs that extend innovations to SMEs across France. The CEA already supports lab-to-market transitions through its investment subsidiary, CEA Investissement, which takes stakes in spin-offs, and through its co-founding of Supernova Invest, an independent investment manager that advises CEA Investissement. Supernova has grown into one of France’s leading deep tech investors, with over €800 million under management, more than 100 investments, and a portfolio exceeding 70 companies.

The MoU is viewed as an initial step toward a longer-term partnership, leveraging both organizations’ research, investment, and industry networks to advance frontier technology ventures on the global stage.

​​​​​​The agreement will strengthen the commercialization of deep technology innovations by combining CEA's research leadership with Playground's venture-building expertise.​

GRENOBLE, France and PALO ALTO, Calif. – July 24, 2026 – The FrenchAlternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission(the CEA) andPlayground Global LLC, a Silicon Valley deep tech venture capital firm, today announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore a strategic collaboration focused on accelerating the commercialization of breakthrough deep technologies.

The agreement establishes a framework for the CEA and Playground to identify, develop, and support the next generation of deep technology companies spanning advanced computing, microelectronics, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, energy, biotechnology and other strategically important sectors. The two organizations will explore cooperation across two main areas: research and development collaboration between the CEA's institutes - including CEA-Leti, its microelectronics institute - and Playground's early-stage portfolio companies; and joint evaluation of deep technology projects and startups originating in CEA laboratories, to support their technological maturation, commercialization and scaling.

The collaboration aims to strengthen the pathway from laboratory innovation to global commercial impact by combining Playground's expertise in building and scaling frontier technology companies with the CEA's world-class scientific research and technology-transfer capabilities.

The agreement also covers technology scouting, commercialization strategy and startup acceleration, connecting the CEA's research ecosystem to Playground's investment network.

The MoU marks an initial step toward a longer-term partnership between the CEA and Playground, which intend to draw on their respective research, investment and industry networks as they work together to advance deep technology ventures.

The CEA, named the world's most innovative public research organization on Clarivate's 2026 Top 100 Global Innovators list, includes three institutes within its Technological Research Division dedicated to technology transfer: CEA-Leti, focused on semiconductors; CEA-List, focused on software and digital technologies; and a network of regional hubs that extend CEA technologies to small and medium-sized enterprises across France.

The CEA already supports the transition from laboratory to enterprise through its investment subsidiary, CEA Investissement, which takes stakes in many of the CEA's spin-off companies. The CEA also co-founded Supernova Invest, an independent investment manager that advises CEA Investissement and has grown into one of the leading deep technology investors in France, with more than 800 million euros under management across over 100 investments in more than 70 portfolio companies.​​