La Groupe La Poste has announced it is launching a venture capital fund for startups as it seeks to exploit growth areas in its target markets.

La Poste Ventures will invest in five areas linked to its parent company’s activities:

-Connected and augmented logistics to enhance the user experience
– Green and smart cities: sustainable services to develop the attractiveness of cities and regions
– Phygital: combining digital technology with physical or human presence, with and without the need for contact, to optimize customer experiences and support the transformation of the public sector, regions and businesses
– Health and well-being: innovative services for healthcare providers and their beneficiaries
– Digitisation: accelerate digital transformation, develop trusted digital technology, optimize the employee experience and improve performance

Initially La Poste Ventures will invest a pot of €35 million in minority stakes in seed and series-A startups, with funds ranging between €300,000 and €3 million with the intent to build a portfolio of 25 startups.

Those chosen will be selected according to their environmental, social and governance policies in collaboration with XAnge, a private equity firm that has worked with La Groupe La Poste for many years.

“Open innovation, in its broadest sense, is already helping Le Groupe La Poste and its subsidiaries to grow,” said Diane Abrahams, director of strategy, transversal partnerships and innovation at La Poste. “With this fund, we specifically aim to identify agile projects that combine customer orientation, positive impact and cutting-edge technologies. Investing in these types of startups is a good way to look ahead to 2030 and challenge our objectives.”