French payroll is a curious market.
Every month, around 27 million payslips are issued across the public and private sectors. Yet despite its size, much of the market remains dominated by a single software provider.
For years, most accounting and payroll firms have relied on Silae, a payroll platform founded in France and later acquired by the US private equity firm Silver Lake. As prices increased and dependency on a single provider grew, many firms began looking for alternatives. That is where Linc comes in.
Founded in 2024 by payroll expert Thomas de Priestere, former Swan engineer Félix Wattez, and CEO Baptiste Le Bihan, the Paris-based startup has just raised €8.5 million in seed funding, bringing its total funding to €12.5 million.
The round includes more than 100 business angels from the payroll, HR, accounting, and fintech sectors, as well as Headline, Resonance, Founders Future, Acadian Ventures, and several other investors.
Betting on payroll professionals, not replacing them
Unlike many HR software companies, Linc is not trying to simplify payroll so businesses can manage it themselves. Instead, it is betting that French payroll is becoming more complex, not less.
