The French companies betting on Cambodia

French companies in Cambodia are far more numerous than most people realize. The Kingdom is now home to more than 200 French companies, making France one of Cambodia's leading European economic partners. In 2025, bilateral trade between France and Cambodia reached 568 million dollars, up nearly 12% year on year, a trajectory that keeps drawing new French investors to Cambodia.

This footprint spans the whole economy, from long-established multinationals to a new wave of French-founded startups. For anyone weighing an entry into the Cambodian market, that established French presence is both a reassurance and a ready-made network to lean on.

Why Cambodia, and why now

Cambodia posted a GDP of nearly 49 billion dollars in 2025 and one of the highest trade-openness ratios in the region, with external trade worth around 143% of GDP. The country attracted more than 5 billion dollars of foreign direct investment in 2025, and its digital economy is projected to keep growing at double-digit rates.

For French businesses, several factors make Cambodia attractive: the US dollar circulates freely, foreign ownership is permitted in most sectors, labor costs are competitive, and the country sits inside ASEAN's free-trade area of more than 650 million consumers. Add a genuine cultural affinity with France, and Cambodia becomes a logical base from which to serve the wider Mekong region.

Well-established large groups

In energy, TotalEnergies has a long-standing presence across Cambodia. In banking, BRED Bank Cambodia flies the French flag in a financial sector that is modernizing fast. In hospitality, Accor and its Sofitel brand operate flagship properties in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Retail, insurance, engineering and agrifood complete a picture of French business that is diversified and durable.

These groups are more than symbols: they employ thousands of people, train local talent, and anchor France's economic credibility in Cambodia, which in turn benefits every smaller French company arriving in the market. A new French entrant rarely starts from zero; there is almost always a supplier, a banker or a peer who has already navigated the same path.

A new generation of French-Cambodian startups

Beyond the large groups, a generation of startups founded by French or French-Cambodian entrepreneurs is emerging in Cambodia: fintech, reverse logistics, anti-waste foodtech, data and artificial intelligence. These founders are betting that Cambodia's young, digital-first population and its position at the heart of ASEAN make it an ideal launchpad.

This is precisely the ecosystem that La French Tech Phnom Penh federates, connecting these startups with the region's corporates, investors and institutions, and giving them a platform far bigger than Cambodia alone. Several community members are already exporting their model to neighboring markets, using Phnom Penh as a low-cost, high-agility base.

The institutions that make it possible

French companies do not arrive in Cambodia on their own. CCI France Cambodge, the Embassy of France in Cambodia and Business France actively support the setup and growth of French players in the country, from market studies and introductions to regulatory guidance. Together with the French Tech community, they form a support system that makes doing business in Cambodia significantly less daunting for newcomers.

If you are exploring the Cambodian market, the practical first step is simple: talk to the people who are already here. The community, the chamber and the institutions can save you months of trial and error, and often a great deal of money too.