BlackRock is fascinated by France: We have invested 232 billion euros.

BlackRock, with a charter of $10 trillion, manages assets worldwide. Larry Fink's group, which oversees the pension fund of 35 million Americans, has been present in France for 18 years. Significant investments have already been made in both CAC 40 stocks and French small and medium enterprises, such as in solar energy with Renner Energies, infrastructure, and real estate. The French market has many advantages, claims Estelle Castre, CEO for France, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

BlackRock is an asset management company. We manage the money of our clients, which are very diverse: from institutional investors like corporations, insurance companies, and pension funds, to private banks and distributors, such as the Boursorama Bank network in France. We do not offer our products directly to private clients, but always through intermediaries, such as distributors like Boursorama Bank in France.

Our proposal is based on an integrated technological platform.

This perspective has driven us to be innovators and pioneers in many areas with the goal of democratizing financial savings. For example, we have been investing in infrastructure, including renewable energy, for over ten years. Twenty years ago, we launched the first gold ETF, and at the beginning of this year, we introduced a Bitcoin ETF in the U.S., as well as bond ETFs in Europe.

BlackRock is also primarily known for its ETFs.

Yes, in the stock market, for example, we invest according to the composition of the index to track its changes, as well as based on our beliefs in one company or another - this is called active management.

What are your positions in France?

We have been present for 18 years! Our assets have significantly increased due to the growth in the number of our clients and the development of our activities.

What motivates BlackRock's interest in our country?

We are assessing the vitality of ecosystems. France barely had three unicorns 7-8 years ago, and today there are already about thirty. The Tibi initiative [a plan conceived by economist Philippe Tibi to mobilize the savings of institutional investors for technologies in France] has created real dynamism. The French context is also suitable for our investments in energy infrastructure, solar and wind power plants, "green" heating systems, and the deployment of fast electric chargers... Our clients from around the world want to accelerate their investments in energy transformation, and we see projects in France that can meet this demand.

Energy transformation is one of your priority investment themes.

This is a sector where the needs are enormous. According to the BlackRock Investment Institute, investments in the global energy system need to double to $4 trillion per year by 2050, with low-carbon energy sources making up 70% of the total energy mix by that time.

What other sectors are you interested in?

We invest in sectors that are subject to what we call "megatrends," structural trends that are reshaping the global economy, such as artificial intelligence or demographic changes. In private equity, we invest in technology, AI, or healthcare.