PARIS, France – May 7th, 2026 – Cisco, the global leader in networking and cybersecurity, today announced a new initiative to support the growth of French startups in the AI sector. It’s launching a strategic partnership with STATION F, the world’s largest startup campus. Cisco will deploy a high-performance network and robust security across the STATION F campus to provide the speed and connectivity to the 1,000 plus startups located there.
“France has a thriving startup community, that finds itself at a critical inflection point: moving from innovation concepts to large-scale deployment. That shift is both nuanced and complex. Together with STATION F we are providing the connective tissue between France’s national 2030 vision and the entrepreneurial energy that will make it a reality – the time is now,” said Jacques-Philippe Roederer, VP and Country Leader at Cisco France.
Cisco Scale Hub
A core element of Cisco’s collaboration with STATION F, is Cisco Scale Hub. Delivered through Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program in France, in partnership with Outshift, Cisco’s incubation arm, the program will aim to accelerate the growth of startups focused on AI systems, multi-agent architectures and underlying infrastructure technologies.
Cisco Scale Hub will support enterprise-focused startups that have developed a working Minimum Viable Product. Participating startups will have access to Cisco’s innovation ecosystem, receiving mentorship that helps connect technical development with commercial opportunities.
Further support for startups will include:
- Outshift’s Incubation Support: Mentorship from Cisco’s dedicated incubation engine, with access to open source code, community partners, and hands-on workshops in emerging AI innovations for multi-agent systems like the Internet of Agents.
- Exclusive Technology Stack Access: Opportunity to leverage Cisco’s technology foundation—including Silicon One networking, AI observability via Splunk, and industry-leading security frameworks.
- Innovation & Real-World Validation: Collaboration with Cisco’s sales and engineering teams to design and test proofs of concept with enterprise customers, helping French innovations to be deployed at scale within major national and international entities.
- Regulatory Guidance: Support to navigate the complexities of scaling globally while maintaining control over technology and data.
“STATION F is proud to collaborate with Cisco to enhance our campus infrastructure and support start-ups with cutting-edge technology and training programs,” said Roxane Varza, Director at Station F. “This partnership strengthens our mission to accelerate innovation and inclusivity in Paris and beyond.”
To learn more about our inaugural cohort, interested startups are encouraged to visit this link.
Applications will be open from May 7th to June 26th. The review, interview, and selection process will take place throughout July, with the program officially beginning in September.
About Cisco
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide technology leader that is revolutionizing the way organizations connect and protect in the AI era. For more than 40 years, Cisco has securely connected the world. With its industry leading AI-powered solutions and services, Cisco enables its customers, partners and communities to unlock innovation, enhance productivity, and strengthen digital resilience. With purpose at its core, Cisco remains committed to creating a more connected and inclusive future for all. Discover more on newsroom.cisco.com and follow us on X at @Cisco.
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About STATION F
STATION F is the world’s largest start-up campus, founded by Xavier Niel in 2017 and based in Paris. The 50,000m2 campus supports over 1,000 start-ups a year, who take part in 30 different support programs. The start-up community already boasts a number of success stories, including four unicorns Hugging Face, Alan, Profound and Pasqal, as well as Yuka, Greenly and many others. In 2025, STATION F companies have collectively raised more than €1,5bn.
More info: https://stationf.co/
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