By Laura Lorek
Publisher with Silicon Hills News

At a breakfast meeting, Sunday at South by Southwest, Austin, and France launched a new website and movement designed to bring the two technology communities closer.

It’s French Tech Austin and is designed to support ties between Austin and France’s tech industry and entrepreneurs and provide opportunities for mentorship.

At the French Tech Breakfast, the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce unveiled the new site along with Christophe Daguet, head of French Tech Austin and director of strategy and innovation at Dell. He has witnessed France become more entrepreneurial with a global focus.

“With Austin winning recognition as one of the best cities, if not the best city, in the U.S. to launch a tech startup, we likewise wanted to coordinate the tremendous resources and supporters in our Austin ecosystem to help French entrepreneurs who want to expand their businesses in the U.S. and show them why Austin is a great choice to locate that U.S. office.,” Daguet said in a news release.

Daguet is also promoting France as a place for Austin entrepreneurs and companies to expand internationally.

“France has launched many programs and incentives to attract entrepreneurs,” Daguet said. “Americans and Texas companies, in particular, should take advantage of them to diversify and strengthen their business operations.”

The French Tech Breakfast was packed to capacity with standing room only. It was filled with French and U.S. entrepreneurs and their supporters.

At the breakfast, Christophe Lavigne, an Austin-based French entrepreneur who received funding from Austin Ventures and eventually sold his medical device company for $1.1 billion, spoke about his successful experience.

In addition to the website, France also has a large exhibit at the SXSW tradeshow that opened on Sunday showcasing “La French Tech.”