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Facebook is planning to open a startup incubator in Paris

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg announced on Tuesday that Facebook is planning to open its first startup incubator in Paris.

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The incubator — known as Startup Garage — will be run out of a new €250 million (£219 million) startup campus called Station F, which is due to be the largest in the world when it opens in April.

Roxanne Varza, the director of Station F, said that Facebook was going to move in at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in London last December but details of the arrangement are only now coming to light.

Station F
Inside Station F Station F

Through the incubator, Facebook will provide 80 desks and space for 10-15 independent "data-driven" startups over a six-month period. Facebook will also give the early-stage. startups access to "experienced" Facebook employees through a number of workshops spanning areas including design and user experience, marketing, technical support or user focus groups. Facebook is inviting startups to apply via the Startup Garage Facebook page.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed but Facebook described it as a "multi-million euro commitment over a number of years". Facebook will not take any equity in the businesses it chooses to support.

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"France is home to some of the most innovative technology companies in the world," said Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook, in a statement. "We're excited to support a new generation of French startups with enormous potential to grow the economy and create jobs."

Funded by French telecoms billionaire Xavier Niel, Station F is being developed in a former train station that was built in 1929. The company plans to house over 1,000 startups, who will be charged €195 a month. The 32,000 square metre space will also contain a restaurant, a bar, and a "makerspace".

"We are thrilled that Facebook chose Station F to house its very first on-site startup initiative worldwide," said Varza, in a statement. "We see this as a true partnership, which will provide the whole campus with access to Facebook’s teams and expertise. Facebook's story continues to inspire entrepreneurs from around the world and the company is truly a great model for the thousands of young startups that will be working at Station F."

Station F
Station F

The incubator marks Facebook's second major investment in France. The social media giant announced an AI lab in Paris last June.

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"We chose Paris for this expansion because France is home to some of the best researchers in the world," Facebook wrote at the time. "We think the FAIR [Facebook AI Research] Paris team will bring valuable expertise and new perspectives to our work, and we plan to work openly with and invest in the AI research community in France, the EU, and beyond as we strive to make meaningful progress in these fields."

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