Boosting SMEs: Balancing Performance with Digital Sovereignty

American solutions have long been central to the daily professional lives of the French, often seen as more efficient (sometimes erroneously) and better integrated, and thus adopted almost reflexively by many companies. However, this trust is now being questioned as concerns about the practices of major tech players and data handling grow.

The desire to turn to sovereign solutions is increasing, but it still faces several hurdles: a less mature ecosystem, generally higher costs, and sometimes complex integrations. These are all challenges that French and European developers need to address to provide real alternatives. Victor Douek, CEO of Sellsy, discusses with BDM the stakes and opportunities of a market in search of technological independence.

Digital Dependence at the Heart of SMEs

“Recently, the trade war initiated by Donald Trump has made us more aware of our dependence on American digital technology,” explains Victor Douek. The daily life of digital professionals clearly shows this: SEO, social media, web development, or e-commerce remain closely linked to major American platforms. “It is often in times of crisis that we realize our technological dependence, particularly with respect to the United States,” he adds.

For the CEO of Sellsy, this dependence manifests at two levels. First, the cloud infrastructure, dominated by Google, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services. Then, the daily tools used: CRM systems, productivity software, messaging apps, office suites, and marketing platforms.

The rise of artificial intelligence further accentuates this dependence. Among the most powerful models today are several American players, and many European companies contribute, unknowingly, to their enrichment by entrusting them with their data.

Digital Sovereignty: A Security Imperative

What exactly do French SMEs risk by relying on American solutions? According to Victor Douek, three main dangers emerge.

The first concerns the legal framework. The data entrusted to these tools remain subject to extraterritorial laws. “It’s a direct loss of control,” he warns. “Strategic information such as commercial, financial, or customer data can be accessed or transferred without the company being informed.”

Beyond legal issues, this dependence also creates a technological risk. “It’s a direct loss of control,” Douek repeats. An SME that organizes its processes around a non-European solution can face difficult situations: contract termination, price increases, or changes in data access conditions. All of which can destabilize its activity.

The entrepreneur also emphasizes the importance of trust in B2B relationships. “More and more companies are asking where their data is hosted and how it is protected,” he explains. He notes that Sellsy’s customer data is hosted by Scaleway, “within a strict and controlled European legal framework.”

What about foreign solutions that are GDPR compliant or hosted in Europe? For Victor Douek, this answer remains “partial, sometimes misleading,” and offers no real guarantee of sovereignty.

Many American actors advertise their “hosting in Europe” or “GDPR compliance.” In reality, their parent companies are still subject to extraterritorial laws like the Cloud Act, which can compel them to provide data to U.S. authorities, even when these data are stored in Europe.

Seeking Credible Solutions

Even for companies attentive to data protection, the choice of a solution confronts two determining criteria: price and, above all, performance. This dilemma boils down to one question: Can French and European players match the level of American giants? Sellsy is a prime example of this challenge. The platform operates in an environment dominated by behemoths like Salesforce or HubSpot. However, for Victor Douek, sovereign solutions now have solid arguments. “French publishers have reached a real technological maturity. Local solutions offer the same functional richness, reliability, and user experience as many American giants,” summarizes the leader.

The idea that a French solution would be more expensive or less effective is a myth. European solutions are often more modular, more accessible, and better suited to the realities of SMEs.

Additionally, they naturally align with local regulations. The entrepreneur specifies: “Companies choosing a local player benefit from a solution designed for their regulatory environment, allowing them to manage their transitions without additional costs or unnecessary complexity. Sovereignty becomes an asset of simplicity.”

Developing an Innovative Ecosystem in Europe

Sovereign solutions cannot simply highlight their data security benefits or define themselves in reaction to their American competitors. “Sovereignty, because it is necessary, should push entrepreneurs to innovate, to create technologies that can compete with American solutions rather than just protect against them,” agrees Victor Douek.

French and European players have many strengths: a deep understanding of local usages, a high standard of security and compliance, and a culture of software quality. It is on these strengths that we must build our difference.

However, many obstacles remain for European companies. According to the CEO of Sellsy, building continental champions is only possible under three conditions:

• Learn to finance innovations more quickly and more robustly.
• Build a “truly integrated” market that allows French startups “to naturally become European before going global,” he says.
• Retain talent: “Europe does not lack for brilliant researchers or entrepreneurs: many contribute to American successes. The challenge is not talent, but the ability to keep and nurture it.”

Public authorities have a key role to play, notably through exemplary public procurement that supports the European ecosystem. But the responsibility also lies with companies: each technological choice contributes to building or weakening the sovereignty of the continent.

AI: An Opportunity for Europe?

In this international competition, Victor Douek sees the rise of AI as a new window of opportunity. “We are at the beginning of a new wave, likely even more structuring than the previous ones,” he explains. Here again, American companies seem to have a head start: “American players are moving very fast, driven by considerable means and an ecosystem that fosters the creation of giants.” But Europe, he believes, still holds a real card to play.

Companies like Mistral AI prove that it is possible to innovate and develop effective models in Europe. These successes demonstrate that competitive and sovereign AI is within reach if we know how to pool our strengths.

For the leader, European AI can help reduce the continent’s technological dependence, provided that research, funding, infrastructure, and talent are united. Victor Douek is convinced: “Europe must believe in its ability to build its own technologies and create conditions for its experts to succeed here.”