Paris, France and London, United Kingdom, 31st January 2024 - The Hg Foundation, a grant-giving charity focused on improving tech education and skills, is pleased to launch a new partnership with French non-profits, Article 1 and Le Fond de Dotation Florence. This initiative is designed to enhance STEM and technology education, and access to job opportunities, for young people from diverse backgrounds in France.

Backed by Hg, a leading investor in software and technology services, the Foundation aims to broaden and diversify the pool of talent in the tech sector. Between them, the partnerships will support over 2,120 technology career aspirants.

Article 1, established for 18 years, helps young people (aged 16 to 25) from less affluent backgrounds. With over €800,000 support from The Hg Foundation, Article 1 will launch a new program (“Dema1n + STEM”) focused on STEM and Tech pathways for 2,000 mentees. It will provide workshops, webinars, job discovery evenings and company visits, mentoring, and tech-career specific resources, particularly targeting women and those from lower-income families. The Hg Foundation grant will also fund the programme’s evaluation to drive measurable, long-term, and scalable impact.

Florence, founded in 2023, supports young talent from diverse backgrounds in their higher education and to access professional jobs. The Hg Foundation’s €225,000 grant will enable Florence to extend its current focus (business and finance) into Tech and STEM. The initiative includes a comprehensive program with financial support, mentorship, and access to internships, to approximately 120 students over three years, with the ambition to scale beyond. Hg will contribute its expertise and network to shape Florence’s initiatives, with a representation on Florence’s Executive Committee.

Alex Flavier, Partner at Hg, said: “We are delighted to partner with Article 1 and Florence, with €1 million commitment from the Hg Foundation, to support tech education in France. The Hg Foundation’s involvement extends beyond funding, providing mentors and internships. We look forward to engaging more broadly with our community, portfolio companies, tech founders and executives, talent from all walks of life, to build a stronger and inclusive tech ecosystem, fostering equal opportunity in tech education and careers in France”.

Benjamin Blavier, Co-Founder, Article 1, said: “This is a key project for the association as it strives to offer high-quality initiatives tailored to the needs of young people, during a period of stabilisation after the programme scale-up. With the support of Hg, we are proposing specific initiatives that will give young people access to high-potential jobs of the future.”

Jacques Ittah, Founding Chairman, Florence, said: “Diversity is an asset and an opportunity for everyone. Florence supports young talents from underprivileged backgrounds, who have already achieved so much on their own, towards the dreams and ambitions they deserve.”

About the Hg Foundation:

The Hg Foundation’s vision is that the tech workforce of the future harnesses the talents of all, regardless of background.  It does this by supporting education and employment-based programmes across the UK, USA and Europe where it can demonstrate measurable, long-term and scalable impact and make a difference to those that need it most.  To date it has committed $20m to programmes that will reach over 50,000 young people and adults from under-represented backgrounds. The Hg Foundation is registered Charity no. 1189216.

Find out more at https://www.thehgfoundation.com/

About Article 1:

Article 1 is working for a society in which school guidance, success in education and career paths no longer depend on one's origins, freed from social determinism; for a society where success depends on social ties and civic commitment. Thanks to innovative schemes and a supportive mentoring system, Article 1 has been able to mobilise 31,000 volunteers, 200 partners and supports more than 221,000 young people every year, including almost 122,000 from working-class backgrounds. 52,000 of these young people have been met in workshops, and more than 36,000 receive individual support through mentoring.

About Florence:

Le Fond de Dotation Florence is a new French foundation, founded in 2023. Its mission is to support young people from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds to succeed in higher education and then access professional jobs. Its highly tailored and selective programme comprises four pillars of activity: financial support; personalised mentorship; internships; and socio-cultural support.