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France Telecom, Publicis launch fund for digital economy
MUMBAI: France Télécom-Orange and Publicis Groupe have announced plans to launch a new venture capital fund.
The fund will finance and develop budding entrepreneurs in the digital economy, particularly in France and the European Union, building on the sector’s potential for spectacular creativity and growth.
France Télécom-Orange and Publicis Groupe are committed to jointly investing 150 million euros in the new fund. In addition to their respective commitments, the two sponsors intend to invite other investors to join them, to reach a target of 300 million euros.
The fund’s main targets for investment will be companies focusing on digital technology, content and services. Likely sectors include online marketing, e-commerce, mobile content and services, online gaming and social networks, as well as their associated technologies and infrastructures such as middleware, cloud computing, security, and online payments.
The fund’s investments will be divided into three distinct categories. Seed-capital and early-stage investment will target fledgling companies in France and Europe, with investments of up to one million euros. Later-stage financing for more established companies in France and Europe will provide up to 15 million euros per project.
Thirdly, at a later time the fund may also opt to invest in start-ups outside Europe, alongside American or Asian partner funds.
The new fund will be operated by a management company, with investment decisions made by an Investment Committee independent of both France Télécom-Orange and Publicis Groupe. Details of the fund’s operation and governance will be released at a later date.
The parties note that French investment capital has been suffering for far too long from the absence of a solid ecosystem to link young companies together with larger groups, research centers and government systems. The aim is to finance and support digital start-up projects.
Publicis CEO Maurice Lévy said, “All over Europe, there are young companies with powerful, game-changing ideas, and they’re not getting the financial backing they deserve. The need for a major, dedicated venture capital fund became obvious while Jean-Pierre Jouyet and I were writing our report on the intangible economy in November 2006, and it became even more clear during the e-G8 Forum on the digital economy that took place in Paris in May. I’m delighted that France Télécom-Orange and Publicis Groupe have been able to launch this fund to help budding companies blossom and create value in the digital economy, which has such huge potential for innovation and growth. We feel that this project is in the national and European interest, and I hope that we’ll be swiftly joined by other institutions and funds so that we can operate on an even more massive scale.”
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
