• #GPACF 2026

    Automobile Club de France and ESSEC Automobile Club are partnering to set up the 9th Edition of the Grand Prix ACF AutoTech rewarding most innovative international and French startups devoted to automotive sector.

  • LIVE Grand Prix ACF AutoTech 2026

    Please find below the GPACF 2026 in live starting on 15th April 7pm

    Here will be displayed the link during the live to vote for your favorite startup !

  • Premium Partners

  • Official Partners

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  • Finalists

    Grand Prix ACF

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    Altrove

    Altrove develops alternatives to unsecure and critical inorganic materials in months (not years), with an advanced in house developed AI.

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    Cognitive Design Systems

    Cognitive Design by CDS is an AI-powered concurrent engineering platform created to enable engineers to accelerate the development of high-performance, manufacturable, and sustainable products : design exploration & design automation.

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    Spark Cleantech

    Breakthrough plasmalysis technology splits methane into hydrogen and solid carbon—with zero CO2 emissions.

  • Prix Pionnier ACF

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    Bloomineral

    Bloomineral develops a carbon-negative biomineral to replace polluting minerals used in many car components, from plastics to batteries.

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    IRIDESENSE

    IRIDESENSE propose the world’s first 3D Multispectral LiDAR. Like any 3D LiDAR it enables vehicles autonomous navigation, but in addition thanks
    to its spectral power, it allows vehicles to understand that shapes are made of, bringing them a highly enhanced perception.

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    SUMOT

    SUMOT enables improved performance and downsizing of electric mobility powertrain systems through its overfluxing inverter, a power electronics device designed to overboost electric motors.

  • Onsite & Online tickets for the event

    Please subscribe to receive the link to the live show from Automobile Club de France

    Or to come to this exceptionnal event

    You will be able to vote for your favorite startups during the event

    Wednesday 15th April Program:

    19h00-20h30 GPACF AutoTech the 6 finalist Pitchs

    Prix Pionnier ACF : Bloomineral, SUMOT, IRIDESENSE

    Grand Prix ACF : Altrove, Cognitive Design Systems, Spark Cleantech

    + Prize Giving Industrialization Trophy 2026 delivered by PFA & Bpifrance

    20h30 & onward for onsite tickets only : dinning cocktail & Prize Giving

  • Three Prize Categories

     

    Grand Prix ACF

    For startups that are most advanced in their development (Series A and +)

    Prix Pionnier ACF

    For youngest startups, at the early stages of their development (Seed)

    Mention GPACF GreenTech

    For finalist startup with the most eco-friendly product

  • WHO ?

    For startups in automotive sector providing innovative solutions in:

     

    • Use
    • Design
    • Manufacturing
    • Commercialization

    WHY ?

    Up to € 200 000 worth of rewards including:

    • € 35 000 money reward split between two prizes
    • Personalized financial and law advisory
    • Pitch & booth during the prize giving event
    • Meetings with automotive, entrepreneurship and finance executives

    ELIGIBILITY

    Companies which have registered their activity statutes less than 10 years ago at the earliest in France or in another country.

    Shareholding of at least 50% of the capital by one or several of its individual associates.

    Service or technological development companies which can apply their activities to the automotive sector whether in its use, design, manufacturing or commercialization.

  • Calendar

    April 15th 2026

    Final of #GPACF 2026 at the Automobile Club de France with Jury and 250 guests and Live on Youtube, Prize Giving Ceremony

    October 2026

    Opening of #GPACF 2027 applications at Paris Motor Show

    November 27th 2026

    Deadline for applications to #GPACF 2027 on this website

    April 21st 2027

    Final of #GPACF 2027 at the Automobile Club de France with Jury and 250 guests, Prize Giving Ceremony

    April 28th 2027

    Final of #GPACF 2027 at the Automobile Club de France with Jury and 250 guests and Live on Youtube, Prize Giving Ceremony

  • Jury

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    Eric BOURDAIS

    de CHARBONNIERE

    ACF

    President of Donation Fund

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    Yann

    de PONTBRIAND

    ACF

    President

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    Thierry PEUGEOT

    ESSEC Automobile Club

    President

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    Patrick BLAIN

    Renault-Nissan

    Ex-Excom

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    Bruno BLIN

    RENAULT TRUCKS (Volvo Group)

    ex-CEO

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    Félicie BURELLE

    OPmobility

    CEO

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    Nicolas CHAMPETIER

    RENAULT GROUP

    Vice President Innovation

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    Carla GOHIN

    FORVIA

    Chief Strategy Officer

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    Patrice GRAILLAT

    FIDAL

    Paris Director

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    Christophe LACROIX

    MOTUL

    Chief Innovation and Sustainability Officer

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    Stéphane PRIAMI

    CREDIT AGRICOLE Personal Finance & Mobility

    CEO

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    Anne ASENSIO

    Dassault Systems

    Vice-President Design

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    Yann BODERE

    Iot.Bzh

    Managing Director

    Grand Prix ACF

    2020

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    Laetitia CARLE

    France Digitale

    Vice-President

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    Ehsan EMAMI

    Qovoltis

    President

    Grand Prix ACF 2021

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    Paula

    FABREGAT-ANDREU

    RENAULT GROUP

    WAVE

    Design Director

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    Dali RASHID

    Genomines

    CTO

    Grand Prix ACF

    2024

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    Tom VROEMEN

    Tetmet

    CEO

    Grand Prix ACF

    2025

  • Previous Editions

    Rediscover Grand Prix ACF AutoTech 2018 - 2025 editions

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    Grand Prix ACF 2018

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    Grand Prix ACF 2019

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    Grand Prix ACF 2020

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    Grand Prix ACF 2021

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    Grand Prix ACF 2022

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    Grand Prix ACF 2023

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    Grand Prix ACF 2024

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    Grand Prix ACF 2025

  • Rewards

    Grand Prix ACF AutoTech 2026

    €25,000 without counterpart, allotted by the Automobile Club de France

    1 environmental impact assessment carried out by Meridiam, related to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

    1 year membership to the non-profit organisation France AutoTech

    Individualized counselling provided by the venture capital fund Aster, to optimize a business plan, in preparation for possible fund raising

    Grand Prix ACF AutoTech 2027 Jury seat for one of the founders of the award winning startup the year following its victory

    Business Expert Coaching (Strategy & fund raising experts Business Experts of Next Move) & one year subscription to Minutes Europe & Innovation newsletter written in Bruxelles by Next Move

    Media coverage made by Agence VLC

    Identification of a target foreign country and administrative support to help implementation in this country by the Forum Francophone des Affaires

    The equivalent of a €5,000 excl tax budget fee awarded by Fidal for legal assistance particularly in preparing possible fund-raising

    Exclusive meetings with our partners in order to assess the opportunity to collaborate or to invest

    Prix Pionnier ACF 2026

    €10,000 without counterpart, allotted by the Automobile Club de France

    1 year membership to the non-profit organisation France AutoTech

    Coaching by community of experts of SIA in order to address real needs of automotive sector

    Personalized assistance to address innovation support processes (region, national and european scale) by automotive innovation cluster & one year subscription to Minutes Europe & Innovation newsletter written in Bruxelles by Next Move

    The equivalent of a €5,000 excl tax budget fee awarded by Fidal for legal assistance particularly in preparing possible fund-raising

    Mention GPACF GreenTech 2026

    Personalized assistance to address innovation support processes (region, national and european scale) by automotive innovation cluster & one year subscription to Minutes Europe & Innovation newsletter written in Bruxelles by Next Move

    Personalized coaching by the environmental impact venture capital fund Shift4Good, for the optimization of the investor pitch document

    Assess the opportunity of a CrowdFunding operation, using Aster Crowd platform, for the startup as well as complete management of the relation with the subscribing investors if the operation is launched

    The equivalent of a €3,000 excl tax budget fee awarded by Fidal for legal assistance particularly in preparing possible fund-raising

    Industrialization Prize 2026

    Bpifrance will support the winner with one day of advisory from a manufacturing or AI expert

    For the 6 finalists

    1 booth during the Grand Prix ACF AutoTech cocktail, April 15th 2026 at the Automobile Club de France

    Identification of a target local french authorities to help implementation in France, if the opportunity rises with PFA - Plateforme Filière Automobile

    The finalists will be directly pre-selected to pitch in front of the

    PFA - Plateforme Filière Automobile's Automotive Lab jury in order to have the opportunity to be accelerated in the dedicated Franch Automotive Incubator.

    1 meeting of investment assessment with partner funds of Grand Prix ACF AutoTech: Aster, Cathay, Demea-si, Eurazeo, Meridiam, Partech, Speedinvest & Shift4Good

    Invitation to meet students of leading computer and web development school EPITECH

    Choose Paris Region will support the international finalists in their development in Paris Region. International startups will be invited to participate in a speed dating startup/large corporations meeting dedicated to mobility.

    The finalists will be directly pre-selected to pitch in front of the Ville de Demain jury in order to have the opportunity to be incubated in STATION F, the world's largest incubator.

  • Contact us

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    Richard de Cabrol

    Grand Prix ACF AutoTech Managing Director

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