Kadans Science Partner Signs NcodiN as First Tenant at 15,000-Square-Meter The MIX in Paris-Saclay

Kadans Science Partner has completed The MIX, a 15,000-square-meter multi-tenant life science building in Paris-Saclay, and signed NcodiN, a developer of optical interconnect technologies for artificial intelligence, as its first tenant, the firm announced Oct. 19.

The first laboratories are expected to become operational, and teams will begin moving in, in early 2027, shortly after the opening of Metro Line 18 to the public, which will provide a direct connection to Massy.

The MIX at Paris-Saclay: Building Specifications

The MIX, which measures about 15,000 square meters (approximately 161,500 square feet), was designed by architectural firm ChartierDalix and constructed by the Vinci Group. The building is in Gif-sur-Yvette, within the Paris-Saclay scientific cluster in the Essonne department, adjacent to the Université Paris-Saclay metro station. Kadans markets the property as less than 400 meters from the Line 18 station.

The building is five stories and is organized around a light-filled central atrium that connects all laboratory and office spaces. It includes four independent areas ranging from approximately 2,000 to 3,500 square meters. Kadans said the design is intended to accommodate a range of occupants, from recently incubated startups and fast-growing scaleups requiring independent floorplates to business units and subsidiaries of large corporations and research institutes seeking entire floors.

The building provides fully fitted, modular, technical and secure laboratories, including BSL-1 and BSL-2 wet labs, dry labs, cleanrooms and pilot plants, all delivered ready for immediate operation. Centralized supplies include gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen and compressed air.

Kadans said the building is intended to foster interaction among academic institutions, competitiveness clusters, technology transfer offices (SATTs) and industrial partners. It said The MIX will support the development of Paris-Saclay in sectors including energy, advanced materials, biotechnology, industrial processes and data sovereignty.

NcodiN: Optical Interconnects for AI

NcodiN originated from C2N, a nanoscience research center on the Paris-Saclay plateau. The company is developing optical interconnect technology designed to overcome the limitations of copper-based connections in AI processors and high-performance computing systems.

Its integrated nanolasers, described as the world's smallest lasers integrated on silicon, are combined with nanodetectors to enable dense integration. The technology is designed to use up to 30 times less energy per bit than current interconnects.

NcodiN is led by cofounders Francesco Manegatti, CEO, and Fabrice Raineri, CTO. The startup completed a €16 million seed funding round in November 2025, anchored by MIG Capital, with participation from Maverick Silicon, PhotonVentures and Verve Ventures. An earlier €3.5 million pre-seed round was co-led by Elaia and Earlybird.

Establishing operations at The MIX will allow NcodiN to accelerate the industrialization of its NConnect platform within the ecosystem where the company was founded. The startup will continue to draw on the expertise of C2N and will be near institutions including IPVF, the Institut d'Optique and the École Normale Supérieure (ENS). It will also have access to major facilities operated by the CEA and be located near potential customers.

Executives Comment on the Lease

"The MIX has been highly anticipated in Paris-Saclay. Until now, we lacked a building capable of accommodating innovative companies of all sizes in modern technical and office spaces available for lease," said Martin Guespereau, General Director at EPA-PS. "We now offer a complete range of technical and office facilities for lease in a prime station-side location, alongside strategically located development sites for large corporations wishing to build their own R&D centers directly adjacent to the metro."

"We're thrilled to be the first tenant of this new facility — it's a strong signal of confidence in the quality and depth of the Paris-Saclay ecosystem, one of the world's leading deep-tech clusters," said Francesco Manegatti, CEO at NcodiN. "This space gives NcodiN the infrastructure we need to scale our photonics platform at the pace our customers and partners expect."

Elsa Ferrard, France Director at Kadans Science Partner, said: "We are delighted that NcodiN has chosen The MIX as the next step in its growth journey. The company perfectly embodies the extraordinary strengths of Paris-Saclay: world-class engineering serving the future of computing power, academic excellence, outstanding talent, and strong industrial potential. This leasing agreement perfectly illustrates Kadans Science Partner's European strategy: enabling the growth of local ecosystems while enhancing the international visibility and impact of European scientific excellence."

Paris-Saclay Laboratory Market Context

The MIX enters a Paris-Saclay market where specialized laboratory and innovation space is expanding. The Institut Paris Region estimates potential cumulative life science and innovation supply on the Saclay plateau at more than 50,000 square meters. That figure includes The MIX at 15,000 square meters, The MIX 2 at 10,000 square meters, the 16,000-square-meter Central project, Grow by GA at 3,550 square meters and other potential redevelopment.

The pipeline means buildings compete on technical fit-out, transit access, ecosystem connectivity and flexibility. The MIX's BSL laboratories, cleanrooms, pilot plants and modular floorplates, along with its location near the Line 18 station, are aimed at those requirements. Delivered, ready-to-operate laboratories can also shorten the time startups need to begin operations compared with leasing conventional offices and undertaking technical conversion.

NcodiN's lease follows its seed financing and coincides with the building's 2026 delivery and the planned opening of Metro Line 18, which is expected to connect the Saclay plateau with Massy.

Sources

• Kadans: Kadans Completes The MIX at Paris-Saclay and Welcomes NcodiN as Its First Tenant