THE BLOG

Netsooon Technologies sets up in the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis and will transform into Netsooon.ai in 2024

Key Points

Netsooon Technologies, specializing in artificial intelligence, is setting up in the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis and will become Netsooon.ai in 2024.
The company offers innovative technological solutions, including Moderate One for violence and disinformation detection and Paysooon in the fintech sector.
Netsooon plans to create Data Green Solutions, an initiative to establish environmentally friendly data centers, using advanced technologies to minimize their carbon footprint.
The company anticipates relocating 12 AI talents and creating 90 jobs in the next three years, while establishing local and regional partnerships.
After raising over €2.5 million for R&D, Netsooon is preparing for a new fundraising round.

Netsooon Technologies is a deep tech company with a focus on artificial intelligence. It designs technological solutions to address current societal and ecological challenges for its clients and itself.

The company’s activities span various sectors, leveraging artificial intelligence and data analysis. It has developed Moderate One for violence and disinformation detection, as well as the fintech solution Paysooon.

Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis was chosen for its attractiveness, dynamic technological ecosystem, and support from local authorities.

Netsooon Technologies plans to relocate 12 of its AI talents to France by the end of January 2024 and create about 90 jobs over the next three years across all activities. It aims to establish local and regional partnerships and create a new entity, Data Green Solutions, for ecological data centers. After raising more than €2.5 million since 2017 for R&D, the company is preparing to finance its development with an upcoming fundraising round.

Interview with Benjamin Barthelemy, Co-Founder of Netsooon Technologies

What is the genesis of Netsooon Technologies?

Netsooon Technologies’ story is that of an entrepreneurial adventure born from friendship and a passion for technology. The three co-founders, hailing from Austria, India, and France. They met about twelve years ago, marking the start of a fruitful collaboration in various domains before realizing their shared vision with Netsooon Technologies.

This international collaboration combined our diverse skills from different fields and academic backgrounds at MIT, Oxford, and the Mumbai Technology Institute. My personal background is in finance, while my associates come from the technological world. Karim Abed Abbas, based in Austria, is a former MIT student, and Aasim Mistry, in India, has extensive experience in managing technology companies. Our diverse skills and experiences have been a major asset in our work and R&D since 2017 and the formation of our company in France in February 2023.

Netsooon Technologies was founded on our shared desire to create innovative technological solutions capable of addressing contemporary challenges for businesses and society. We combined our strengths and knowledge to develop a company that stands out for its atypical structure and unique approach to technology.

The company’s name, Netsooon Technologies, will change to Netsooon.ai in 2024, reflecting our commitment to innovation, R&D, and quality. We chose this name to symbolize our aspiration to be at the forefront of technology and to provide cutting-edge solutions to our clients.

What are the activities and specializations of Netsooon Technologies?

We have always been at the forefront of technology, especially in the field of artificial intelligence and data analysis. We offer high-performance technology for video, audio, photo, and message detection with a response time of less than a second. Our collaboration with Israeli partners, experts in AI, has enhanced our capabilities and kept us at the cutting edge of technological innovation.

We assist businesses through consulting missions to help them integrate artificial intelligence into their operations. We offer customized solutions for companies and organizations with specific AI needs, as well as training programs to equip businesses with the necessary skills.

With the upcoming enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA) in February, we plan to assist SMEs and startups in compliance, and for this, we can count on Laetitia AVIA, who has the honor of joining our leadership team as the head of legal, compliance, and ethics. Ms. AVIA is notably the author of the law against online hate, known as the “Avia law”, and created the Observatory against online hate and the specialized unit at the Paris prosecutor’s office. She also contributed to the work of the European Commission on the regulation of digital services (Digital Services Act).

Our research and development team, consisting of 43 experts spread across several countries, is the driving force of our continuous innovation, allowing us to develop our own solutions.

For example, we have developed unique applications such as Moderate One, which plays a crucial role in detecting violence and combating harassment. We also distinguish ourselves with our proposal to collaborate with the public sector, particularly with the Defense Innovation Agency (AID), to adapt our technology to specific security needs and the fight against disinformation. The launch of Moderate One is scheduled for the VIVA TECH 2024 expo.

Another major innovation of ours is Paysooon, a FinTech solution incorporating AI that revolutionizes banking operations for businesses and individuals, while integrating a marketplace for local businesses.

A project particularly close to my heart for 2024 is the creation of Data Green Solutions. This initiative aims to establish environmentally friendly data centers, using advanced technologies to minimize our carbon footprint. The idea is to reuse the heat generated by servers in an innovative and ecological way, reducing energy needs by 50% and cloud hosting costs for our clients by up to 80%.

Furthermore, our data centers integrate Machine Learning solutions to optimize data processing speed and quality, with the capacity to analyze billions of pieces of information, images, and videos per second. This technological performance offers a significant competitive advantage in a sector where speed, security, sovereignty, and data accuracy are paramount. By constructing our first data center and a production unit in Nice, we combine Innovation, Impact, Employment, Industrialization, and Ecological Transition.

Our vision is to combine cutting-edge technology with social responsibility. We are determined to provide innovative solutions that benefit both our clients and society as a whole.

Why did you choose the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis?

The choice of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis to develop our activities in France was the result of strategic thinking. Firstly, our decision to establish ourselves in France was fundamental. We wanted to be at the heart of Europe, and France, my country, with its rich cultural and technological heritage, was an ideal destination.

The choice of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis became evident to us because the primary factor was the region’s attractiveness to our talents. Convincing our collaborators to move was a challenge, and the beauty, climate, and quality of life of the Côte d’Azur are undeniable assets.

Next, the dynamic technological ecosystem of the region played a crucial role. Nice and its region offer one of the best technological ecosystems in France, conducive to collaboration and the development of new ideas and projects.

We were also charmed by the active support of local and regional authorities and their representatives, who were receptive to our needs and facilitated our installation. This openness and support were decisive in our choice, as with their support, we gain credibility, which is essential to attract additional investments.

Furthermore, the proximity of the airport and the easy access to our offices in Nice Ecovallée were important criteria, especially in a context where remote work and regular meetings with international teams have become the norm.

Choosing the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis was to choose a location that resonates with our values and ambitions. It is a place where innovation, quality of life, and growth potential meet, creating an ideal environment for a burgeoning technology company like ours.

What are the impacts of your establishment on the territory?

We have a clear vision of our role and impact on the territory. Beyond economic performance, we aim to positively impact local communities.

With our Paysooon solution, we contribute to revitalizing city centers by increasing the visibility of local businesses and reducing the ecological footprint associated with transportation. Where we have implemented our solution, the initial results are encouraging, with a significant increase in the turnover of merchants.

We plan to create an eco-friendly data center in Nice, aligned with the region’s ecological development goals. This project aims to offer advantageous services to local SMEs while contributing to the region’s technological ecosystem. In collaboration with an Austrian partner, we have developed data centers that reuse the heat emitted by servers. This technology allows us to heat administrative buildings, hospitals, or public swimming pools, drastically reducing costs for them and our carbon footprint.

We anticipate creating about 90 jobs in the next three years, in various fields ranging from data center management to research and development. These positions will play a key role in the local economic dynamism.

Collaboration with local stakeholders is essential for us. We are actively seeking partnerships with local technology and financial companies to strengthen our commitment to sustainable development.

What support have you received from Team Nice Côte d’Azur?

The establishment of Netsooon Technologies in the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis was greatly facilitated by the assistance and support received from Team Nice Côte d’Azur as well as other local and regional actors: the South region, the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, Nice Start(s)up, French Tech Côte d’Azur, and the SCS Cluster.

The support from Team Nice Côte d’Azur has been a key element in our development. The team helped us navigate the local economic landscape and establish essential contacts through meetings and exchanges with the Azurean technological ecosystem.

Thanks to their support, we were able to participate in local events, establish strategic partnerships, and accelerate our integration into the region.

We are extremely grateful for their ongoing support, availability, and efficiency.

What are your development prospects?

The creation of Data Green Solutions is a key step in our development in the region. This new entity will focus on data centers, with an immediate project to construct the first center, for which we are actively seeking ISO 27001 certified premises. With this development, we plan to recruit about 70 people in the first three years at our production and cloud hosting sites.

In parallel, 20 to 40 additional positions will be dedicated to research and development, as well as application management.

The focus is on regional impact, with a recruitment strategy favoring local and national talents, while remaining open to European skills if necessary. We have already initiated collaborations with local training schools to meet our needs for specialized labor.

In terms of innovation, the company plans to file three patents at the beginning of 2024.
Financially, an increase in capital to €300,000 is anticipated, and we are preparing several fundraising rounds during the year 2024 and exploring various financing options. We appeal to national, regional, and local institutions, and investors looking for innovative, impactful, and high-growth projects to help us meet this immense challenge that excites us.

Technologically, we are in search of strategic partnerships, particularly in the fields of cybersecurity and data analysis.

These ambitious projects reflect the strategic vision of Netsooon Technologies (Netsooon.ai), focused on innovation, employment, and sustainable integration into a dynamic technological ecosystem.

Website: https://netsooon.ai