Joining us from Mumbai, Axel shares his fascinating transition from a material scientist in Silicon Valley to a key diplomat bridging the business ecosystems of France and India. In this episode, we explore how Axel promotes the Paris region across three crucial verticals: Investment, Tourism, and the Film Commission.

🌟 A Global Citizen's Journey Axel details a truly global career path that led him to India. Moving from studying physics in France to engineering at Stanford in the US, he was driven by a keen interest in sustainability and renewable energy, embarking on a career focused on CAPEX-heavy deep tech projects.
🔋 Deep Tech Dive: The Battery Revolution Axel shares his experience as a material scientist at the battery startup Natron Energy (formerly Alveo Energy) in Palo Alto. There, he helped develop innovative battery technology based on a Prussian blue analog material.Unlike traditional Lithium-Ion, this unique chemistry allows for super-fast charging/discharging with a significantly lower risk of thermal runoff. Axel explains the challenges of building a battery from the ground up, from coin cells to full industrial packs.
🍓 Engineering & Operations: The Agricool Era Returning to France, Axel took a 360-degree role leading engineering and operations at Agricool, a French indoor agriculture startup. He discusses the complexities of growing strawberries and leafy greens inside shipping containers—a prime example of the "Valley of Death" challenges hardware startups face.
🇫🇷 The Focus on AI & Investment: Paris vs. London Now bridging the ecosystems of France and India, Axel outlines the strategic focus of the "Choose Paris" region.

• Putting Paris on the Map: How France is competing with London and Germany to become the premier destination for Indian investors.
• The AI Boom: Why Paris is viewed as a global AI hub, benefiting from the heavy math curriculum in French education (linear algebra), and why France and India share a similar "sovereign" approach to AI development.

🇮🇳 Insights on the Indian Market Axel shares his key realizations after two years in India. He discusses the need to "evangelize" India back in Paris, educating colleagues on the country's rapid tech advancements—like using UPI to buy tickets at the Eiffel Tower! He emphasizes that India must be understood as a "continent" with distinct business cultures across different states.🥘 Bonus: Food & Culture Discover the continuing draw of Paris’s tourism sector (food tours and high teas) and hear Axel’s surprising comfort food picks from South India—Pongal and Kerala Biryani!