Christian VAN GYSEL

Christian VAN GYSEL boasts a distinguished career spanning over three decades in the telecommunications industry. His journey began with significant international exposure, including a notable two-and-a-half-year expatriate role in Nigeria, where he managed a comprehensive turnkey telecommunication network project valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars. This role honed his technical and managerial expertise and provided him with a global perspective on business and technology.

In 2006, Christian assumed a pivotal role as Vice-President of Finance & Technology. This association, founded in 1999, plays a crucial role in promoting an innovative and civic-minded economy that energizes local territories. As a founding member of the France Angels federation, the association excels in discovering and advising entrepreneurs, guiding them from project finalization to securing funding. It trains new business angels and identifies high-growth investment opportunities, working closely with local governments to facilitate interactions between entrepreneurs and investors through notable events such as Techinnov and Paris-Saclay Invest.

Christian VAN GYSEL has been a key figure in the prestigious Paris-Saclay entrepreneurial ecosystem for over 15 years. His extensive experience and dedication to fostering innovation and supporting entrepreneurs underscore his role in catalyzing a thriving, innovative community. He co-founded TEDxSaclay in 2015, a major initiative within the Paris-Saclay hub. As one of the largest TEDx events in France, TEDxSaclay is at the forefront of science, technology, and innovation, aiming to inspire and create meaningful connections. The event attracts up to 1,000 participants and broadcasts to numerous locations in France and internationally, while fostering a community of engaged actors through various events throughout the year. The TEDxSaclay conferences are organized by enthusiastic volunteers committed to community sharing.

In 2016, Christian co-founded LesGarages.xyz, an accelerator featuring a state-of-the-art factory. This facility offers a comprehensive suite of services from design to pre-production and industrialization studies, reducing costs and production times while optimizing interactions between project leaders and industry experts. The accelerator supports startups, SMEs, large corporations, and universities, driving reindustrialization and local job creation through its integrated model.
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In 2018, Christian’s innovative spirit led to the establishment of Paris-Saclay Hardware Accelerator. This venture merges the ambitions of LesGarages.xyz and the ePRINT3D project to create a cutting-edge facility dedicated to accelerating deep-tech projects. It is recognized as the first true hardware accelerator of its kind in France and globally.

Christian’s commitment to innovation extends to his role with SATT Paris-Saclay, where he serves on the investment committee. SATT Paris-Saclay, established in 2014 under the “Investissements d’Avenir” program, accelerates technology transfer from research to market. The investment committee, comprising 14 industry experts, provides critical insights for investment decisions, with a capacity of 79 million euros over 11 years to support the commercialization of research.

Additionally, Christian is involved with the PEIPS Committee, the Entrepreneurship Innovation Program of Paris-Saclay University, which unites higher education institutions and socio-economic actors to inspire entrepreneurship among students and doctoral candidates. This program supports student ventures through various initiatives.

In parallel to these activities, Christian is an Associate Partner of Axperia Ventures, in their offices in Paris (France).

Christian is a graduate of the University of Champagne, holding a DESS in Electronic Automation, which further solidifies his expertise and commitment to electronics and telecommunications.