What is a soft landing program in France?

A soft landing program helps a foreign company settle in France without starting from zero: legal entity, office, banking, visas and introductions. In France, this support comes from Business France, regional agencies such as Choose Paris Region, incubators such as Station F and private accelerators.

Do we need a French-language website?

Yes, at least for the key pages. A B2B buyer forwards your link to colleagues who may not read English, and journalists check your site before writing. The home page, product page and contact page should exist in French before your first announcement.

Is English enough to talk to French journalists?

For tech and business media, often yes, especially in print. For radio, television and regional press, a French-speaking spokesperson is usually needed. Press releases and press kits should be written in French in all cases.

When should we announce our arrival in France?

Once you have a local proof: a French customer, a local hire or French market data. Announcing the opening of an office alone rarely interests newsrooms. Prepare the announcement about three months ahead, with a French press kit and a named spokesperson.

Which events should a newcomer attend in Paris?

VivaTech, held every June, is the most visible tech event in France: over 200,000 visitors in 2026. Sector trade shows are often more useful for buyers and specialised journalists. Choose one or two events in your vertical for the first year.

What should a French press kit contain?

A short company presentation in French, the founding story, key figures, the French entity and its leaders, named French customers or partners, high-resolution visuals and press contacts. Our guide on how to create a press kit gives the full structure.

Soft landing in France: the visibility checklist for foreign founders

Foreign founder preparing the visibility of a new office in Paris

Article summary

A soft landing program helps a foreign company set up in France: legal entity, office, network and introductions. It rarely covers how the company looks to French buyers, candidates and journalists.
Before they trust a newcomer, French contacts check four things: a French-language website, the company's legal registration, the LinkedIn presence of its leaders, and any coverage in French media.
Prepare the visibility 90 days before opening: French website pages, a French press kit, a named local customer, a French-speaking spokesperson and an employer page if you are hiring.
Announce your arrival with a local proof, not with the arrival itself. A first French customer, a local hire or French market data gives journalists a reason to write.
VivaTech gathered over 200,000 visitors and nearly 15,000 startups in Paris in June 2026: it is the most visible moment of the year for a newcomer, if prepared months ahead.

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A soft landing in France sets up your business, not your reputation. Support programs and agencies help foreign founders with legal entities, office space, banking, and initial networking. They rarely cover what French buyers, candidates, and journalists will verify before trusting you. This checklist outlines these points and when to prepare them before you launch.

Last updated: October 2026.

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What does a soft landing program cover, and what does it leave out?

A soft landing soft landing program helps a foreign company set up in a new country without starting from scratch. In France, this support comes from Business France and regional investment agencies like Choose Paris Region, as well as incubators and campuses like Station F, and private accelerators. Business France recorded 1,878 foreign investment decisions in France in 2025.

These programs are great for the practical side of things: registration, offices, banking, visas like the French Tech Visa, and introductions to investors or partners. They rarely cover visibility: the language of your website, your presence in the French press, or the image of your leadership on LinkedIn. This checklist fills that gap.

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What do French buyers, candidates, and journalists check first?

Your French contacts will check four things before responding to a newcomer. Each takes only a few minutes, and each can block a sale, a hire, or an article.

A website in French. A B2B buyer will forward your link to colleagues who may not read English. At a minimum, your homepage, product page, and contact page should be available in French.
Registration. Buyers and journalists consult the public business directory, annuaire-entreprises.data.gouv.fr. A French entity with a SIREN number shows that you are established in the country.
The leadership's LinkedIn presence. Journalists look at who runs the company and whether they talk about the French market. According to Cision's 2026 State of the Media report, 62% of journalists use LinkedIn in their work.
Coverage in the French press. An article in a French media outlet answers the question "who are these people?" faster than any sales presentation.

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The visibility checklist: what to prepare 90 days before launch

Prepare these items in the three months leading up to your official launch in France. The table lists each element, why it matters, who checks it, and when to have it ready.

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Item	Why it matters	Who checks it	When
Key website pages in French	Your link gets forwarded to people who may not read English	Buyers, journalists	Before announcement
French entity listed in the public registry	Shows you are established, not selling from abroad	Buyers, journalists, candidates	Before announcement
Press kit and press release in French	French newsrooms work in French	Journalists	Before announcement
A French customer or partner who can be named	The local proof that makes an arrival a story	Journalists, buyers	Before announcement
A spokesperson available in French	Needed for radio, TV and regional press	Journalists	Before announcement
Leaders' LinkedIn profiles mentioning France	First thing journalists and candidates look up	Journalists, candidates, buyers	First month
Company LinkedIn page with a French description	Confirms the French activity and team	Candidates, buyers	First month
Employer page on Welcome to the Jungle	Widely used by French tech candidates to research employers	Candidates	Before the first hire
Prices, terms and invoicing in euros	Removes a purchasing obstacle for French buyers	Buyers, procurement	First month
A named media list by beat	Avoids pitching outside a journalist's beat	Your team or agency	Before announcement
French market data from your product	Gives a second angle after the arrival	Journalists	Month 2 or 3
One or two events in your sector	Meet buyers and specialised journalists in person	Buyers, journalists	First year, booked months ahead

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Not everything is necessary on day one. The five "pre-announcement" items are the minimum required before contacting a journalist. The others can follow within the first three months.

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Who should speak for the company in France?

Choose a spokesperson capable of speaking about the French market, ideally in French. A founder interviewed in English is fine for tech and business media, especially in print. Radio, television, and regional press generally require a French speaker.

For many foreign companies, the best approach is a two-person team: the founder to handle the vision and global narrative, and a French country manager to oversee the market, clients, and local hiring. Prepare them with a short media training session on the questions journalists typically ask newcomers: why France, why now, which French clients are involved, and how many jobs are being created.

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What is the best first announcement for a new arrival?

Announce local proof, not just your arrival. "Company X is opening an office in Paris" rarely interests an editorial team on its own. According to Muck Rack's 2026 State of Journalism report, 88% of journalists immediately dismiss pitches outside their beat, and an arrival without local context often falls into that category.

Three types of announcements work best. A first French client, named and ready to provide a testimonial. A local hiring plan, including the number of roles and profiles, which attracts interest from business and HR press (see our page press relations and recruitment). Or, market data on France derived from your product. Our PR guide for US startups in France details the 90-day press plan that follows.

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Which events help a new company gain visibility in Paris?

VivaTech is the most visible event of the year. The June 2026 edition brought together over 200,000 visitors from 165 countries and nearly 15,000 startups, according to the organizers. Journalists cover it extensively, which also means they are overwhelmed that week: schedule interviews and send content weeks in advance, not on the day of the event. Our guide to press relations at trade shows like VivaTech explains how to prepare.

Industry-specific trade shows are often more useful than large tech events. A healthcare company will meet more buyers and specialized journalists at a health conference than at a general tech event. Choose one or two events in your sector for your first year.

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Where does Linker fit in?

Linker is an independent PR and LinkedIn agency, founded in Paris in 2022, working with tech startups and scale-ups. For foreign companies, it prepares the French press kit, the journalist list, and the first announcement, writing in French and reporting in English. It also manages the LinkedIn presence for founders and country managers. See our page PR agency in Paris to prepare for your arrival.