Hexa: the co-founder of Cowboy will become the very first CTO of the startup studio. After Cowboy's acquisition by Rebirth, Tanguy Goretti joins Hexa. He will bring his technical and product DNA to serve the entrepreneurs supported by the startup studio of Thibaud Elzière, an early investor in Cowboy. Hexa is becoming a preferred hub for figures in Francophone tech. After the co-founder of Selency, Maxime Brousse, to launch an acceleration program dedicated to climate, and the co-founder of Luko, Raphaël Vullierme, to create startups around AI, it is now Tanguy Goretti's turn to join the startup studio. He will thus become the very first CTO of the structure to support founders in building their products. In his role, Tanguy Goretti will draw on nearly a decade of experience with Cowboy, a Belgian startup specializing in the design, manufacturing, and distribution of electric bikes. The latter, which was in great difficulty (production issues, extended delivery delays, aftersales service tensions...), was ultimately acquired last year by the French group Rebirth (formerly Easybike), which had already saved Angell, Marc Simoncini's connected bike brand, from collapse. Thibaud Elzière, an early investor in Cowboy. It was at the beginning of this entrepreneurial adventure that Tanguy Goretti's path crossed that of Thibaud Elzière. "He was the first person to write a check for Cowboy," recalls the co-founder of Cowboy. "When we started the business, we were in eFounders' offices in Brussels. There were tools and materials everywhere! It contrasted sharply with the impeccable computers and desks on eFounders' side. It was, in a way, a clash between hardware and software," he adds with a smile. As he turned the page on Cowboy, the co-founder of Fotolia asked Tanguy Goretti what he planned to do next. "They wanted to hire a CTO, with carte blanche to invent this role," says the co-founder of Cowboy. Before continuing: "I felt like rebuilding. And participating in the construction of some products at Hexa is really exciting. My role will be to help our CTOs get to market as quickly as possible." "AI reduces the distance between an idea and a product to nothing" Naturally, his guidance will be driven by the AI revolution, which is completely transforming how companies and products are conceived. "I started coding at age 13. I've lived through the internet, mobile, and cloud eras. Each wave seemed major. This one is different. AI reduces the distance between an idea and a product to nothing. Founders who understand this first will set the pace for others, and I want to be in the room when it happens, not as an advisor, but as someone who has been in their shoes and knows what it demands," he explains. Hexa even opened a house in San Francisco in January to immerse its entrepreneurs in California's AI buzz. "Tanguy fits exactly the profile we were looking for: a founder who has built something difficult, who codes, and who understands that AI is not a trend but a fundamental change in what can be built," says Matthieu Gombeaud, who has been leading Hexa since last summer. CTPO rather than just CPO. Beyond being a technical partner for founders, Tanguy Goretti also aims to develop a network beyond the startup studio, particularly by building connections with major research labs, and to support entrepreneurs in their investment decisions. "One of Hexa's main challenges is attracting the best founders. And for that, you need to be visible technically and highlight what we do in our companies," adds Tanguy Goretti. The entrepreneur now believes that a good CTO must above all be a CTPO. "It's a concept I like. The people who will win tomorrow in the industry are those with both a technical vision and a product vision. Previously, these two things were separated in large teams, but I think they will increasingly come together. I strongly believe in this new trend," says the former CTO of Cowboy. A trend that he will now be able to spread within the Hexa ecosystem to shape the outlines of future AI products created by the entrepreneurs supported by the startup studio. Don't miss out on tomorrow's economy, receive the Maddyness newsletter every day at 7:30 AM. SIGN UP REPORT AN ERROR Thibaud Elzière, co-founder of Hexa, and Tanguy Goretti, co-founder of Cowboy and CTO of Hexa.

Parallel, a Paris-based startup developing AI agents for hospital administration, has raised $20 million in a Series A round led by Index Ventures. Frst, Y Combinator, Hexa and several angel investors also participated. The funding follows a $3.5 million seed round raised less than a year ago. The company's AI agents operate directly within existing hospital software, functioning as a layer that learns to use systems similarly to humans without requiring deep integrations. This enables deployment within weeks rather than months. Parallel initially focuses on medical coding, which translates clinical data into standardised codes for reimbursement. The company plans to expand into additional administrative functions including billing and admissions. The funding will support international expansion, product development and team growth.

France's Filiz bags €6 million for their mission to modernise Europe's private education system. Olonne-sur-Mer-based Filiz, an EdTech startup which helps private schools digitalise and streamline their operations, has raised €6 million from entrepreneurial platform Hexa with the ambition of growing revenue 10x within the next five years. The partnership, which includes both funding and operational support over several years, will help Filiz expand from France across Europe, to support thousands of higher-education institutions navigating a changing system. "Behind every reform are teams who just want to run their school well. Every week, we meet directors who are looking for someone to help them make sense of a fast-changing system, as well as for software to alleviate the administrative burden. Filiz is here to do both: build the right infrastructure, and help them navigate change with clarity and confidence," shared Maxime Jacquet, co-founder and CEO, Filiz. Recent 2025 activity in similar verticals shows steady momentum in the European EdTech and education-operations SaaS segment, albeit with smaller ticket sizes than Filiz's €6 million raise. * In Germany, DigitalErleben secured €1 million to develop its AI platform "paddy", designed to help teachers with lesson planning, content creation, and class analytics. * In Luxembourg, Kidola raised €1.3 million to expand its childcare-management SaaS - covering attendance, invoicing, and compliance - into France and Belgium. Together, these rounds amount to approximately €2.3 million, indicating that most 2025 administrative EdTech funding on the continent has remained in the lower-single-digit-million range. Against this backdrop, Filiz's €6 million round represents one of the larger transactions in its category this year. It reflects investor appetite for platforms that streamline administrative and financial operations in education - particularly in France, where comparable announcements have been fewer. "Filiz has already built one of the most intuitive products in its category. Our partnership is about helping the company move from a proven product to a European standard - combining Hexa's scaling expertise with Filiz's understanding of its market to build the category leader for higher education in Europe," added Augustin Celier, Partner at Hexa. Founded in 2021 by Maxime and Aurélia Jacquet, Filiz is a French SaaS platform helping private schools and apprenticeship centres manage their financial, administrative, and academic operations. Already trusted by more than 500 campuses in France - including Datascientest (Omnes Education), 42, CFA Numia, and Albert School - Filiz has reportedly tripled its revenue year-on-year to reach €2 million ARR, all while remaining bootstrapped and profitable. Private higher education is growing rapidly across Europe - in France alone, enrolment has doubled in 20 years, with similar trends in Spain, Italy, and Germany. Yet Filiz argues that most institutions still rely on outdated, fragmented software to manage their operations. In France, this year's apprenticeship reforms have increased administrative complexity - linking public payments to attendance days and adding employer contributions. As similar pressures emerge elsewhere, the need for modern, integrated systems is only accelerating. Filiz is entering its next phase of growth to meet these increasing demands. The company is evolving its platform beyond financial and administrative management to build an all-in-one operations system that connects every part of a school's activity - from funding to academic planning. The next wave of development will introduce AI-powered tools to simplify planning, automate tasks, and support directors with real-time insights. "Since the beginning at Albert School, we've been using Filiz to manage the administrative and financial aspects of our apprenticeship contracts. Our collaboration feels much more like a partnership than a client - provider relationship. The product has been continuously evolving since day one to actively support us with both internal and external challenges. In 2026, Filiz is a must-have," said Mathieu Schimpl, founder & COO, Albert School. Under the Hexa partnership, Filiz is now focused on scaling its impact across Europe. The ambition is to grow revenue 10x within five years, helping thousands of institutions adapt to change, and focus on their educational mission. Over the next 18 months, Hexa will support Filiz to: * Develop a clear go-to-market strategy to reach more institutions. * Strengthen its leadership team, including the arrival of a late co-founder focused on sales and marketing. * Deepen product capabilities to serve larger private schools and multi-campus networks.