Testimonial of Josick Paoli, from la Region-Occitanie, for the twenty years of Kloe

What a pleasure to celebrate the 20th anniversary of KLOE! And to witness the genesis of this company who took shape in 2001 thanks to its talented founders, who are also skilled researchers!

Paul COUDRAY, project leader at the Cap Alpha incubator, rapidly stood out from the crowd thanks to:

• his commitment to carry out his project named Kloé, as a tribute to his first daughter. Or was it the other way around?! 
• the innovative and promising aspect of his optoelectronics technology, which convinced all of us.
• the strong partnership established with the laboratory “Verres de l’UM” (“UM2” at that time!), a strategic partner.
• his ability to overcome the obstacles, to be “resilient” as we would say today!
• his working capacity and full commitment, always supported by his wife Marie-Ange!
• and last but not least, his temperament. Some people would have said “bad temper”, I would say “strong character”, there’s no question about it. But wasn’t it a key asset to succeed in his challenge?

A challenge which has been achieved together thanks to the Cap Alpha incubator, which was offering, with the help of project officers (I was one of them), customized project support to prospective entrepreneurs.

This witnesses the visionary character of Georges Frêche who early created, in 1987, this first Montpellier district service in order to foster the establishment of innovative companies on its territory.

It is a success with Kloé, a vector for innovation, qualified jobs, renown industrial and academic partnerships, and also for national and international outreach for the Languedoc-Roussillon region, now the Occitanie region!

Even more original for a start-up company, there has been no capital dilution over the past 20 years.

This is a strong will which has often be asserted by Paul.

Maybe a gene inherited from the family estate of vintage Burgundy wines?

Happy Birthday Kloe!