HEC Paris Startup Launchpad

Revealing our patron for this year’s cohort! 👀 We are proud to announce that Adrien Nussenbaum will be the patron of the HEC Paris Startup Launchpad 2025 cohort. 💡 An HEC Alumnus (H.01) and a serial entrepreneur, Adrien co-founded multiple ventures before launching Mirakl in 2012. Today, Mirakl is the world’s leading marketplace SaaS platform, enabling companies like Carrefour, Leroy Merlin, and Best Buy to scale through third-party sales. In just a decade, it has become a French Tech unicorn 🦄—the 10th in France—raising $300M in 2020 (Series D) and $555M in 2021 (Series E), reaching a $3.5B+ valuation. But Adrien’s impact goes far beyond business. He is the driving force behind HEC Imagine Fellows, a scholarship program supporting students from conflict-affected regions. His vision? Leveraging education and entrepreneurship to empower those forced to rebuild their lives. Building on this vision, we are launching Imagine Launchpad—a joint initiative with HEC Imagine Fellows—to extend this impact even further. This program offers refugee entrepreneurs the opportunity to join our program and collaborate with HEC students and peers from other partner schools to build a startup. 🤝 Having Adrien as our patron is more than symbolic—it embodies our belief that entrepreneurship is a force for resilience and change. Thank you, Adrien, for leading by example and championing opportunities for the bold entrepreneurs of tomorrow! 🙌 Guillaume le Dieu de Ville Mathias ABRAMOVICZ Remi Rivas Fabrice Graff Sophie Rebouillat-Lesieur Thiago Penteado HEC Paris - Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute HEC Foundation #HECStartupLaunchpad #HECParis #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Startup #LaunchpadJourney

Igniting innovation 🚀 Today, we kick off the #DesignSprint, an intensive five-day sprint where our participants will reshape their business ideas based on the customer insights they have gathered over the past weeks. Drawing inspiration from the innovative frameworks of GV (Google Ventures) and Jake Knapp, this sprint combines #BusinessStrategy, behavioural science, and #DesignThinking to empower teams to transform abstract concepts into tangible prototypes. 💡 Under the guidance of Remi Rivas and Mathias ABRAMOVICZ, our participants are going to engage in a variety of workshops, using their customer insights to define their core problems, develop a solution, and map customer experiences. By the end of the week, they will have crafted a compelling value proposition and produced low-fidelity prototypes they will pitch in front of VCs next week! If you are on the HEC Paris campus this week, feel free to come and say hello; you can't miss us in the Hall d'Honneur! 👋 Guillaume le Dieu de Ville Fabrice Graff Sophie Rebouillat-Lesieur Thiago Penteado HEC Paris - Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute #HECStartupLaunchpad #HECParis #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Startup #LaunchpadJourney

A deep dive into the HEC alumni ecosystem! Yesterday evening, our 2025 cohort was invited by the Club des entrepreneurs HEC Alumni at HEC Alumni for an insightful session on the power of the alumni network. 🎤 Laurent DIDIER introduced the students to the club’s mission and activities, followed by a networking cocktail with several club presidents who shared their experiences and perspectives. More than just a meetup, this was a unique opportunity for our students to connect with a thriving community of entrepreneurs, learn from those who have been in their shoes, and start building relationships that could shape their journeys. The HEC network is one of the strongest assets for any entrepreneur, offering lifelong support, mentorship, and opportunities. 🤝 💬 It was also a great occasion for Inge Kerkloh-Devif, Director of the HEC Paris - Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute, to welcome the cohort and share a few words before seeing them again this Thursday at the Incubateur HEC Paris monthly afterwork. A big thank you to Laurent Didier and the HEC Alumni Entrepreneurs’ Club for this inspiring evening! 🙌💡 Guillaume le Dieu de Ville Mathias ABRAMOVICZ Remi Rivas Fabrice Graff Sophie Rebouillat-Lesieur Thiago Penteado #HECStartupLaunchpad #HECParis #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Startup #LaunchpadJourney #HECAlumni

Proud to share that Ida, Launchpad 2023 alumna, has been mentioned in the Financial Times' special report on responsible business education! 🌟 The article "Turning dreams into reality: Business school students are using innovative thinking to deliver practical, real-world solutions" showcases how business school students are tackling global challenges with innovative, practical solutions. This recognition highlights Ida's impactful work, alongside other inspiring student ventures tackling global challenges with bold, sustainable solutions. 🍏 Ida’s mission is to eradicate food waste from distribution. With over 150 million tons of fresh produce wasted annually, they are developing France's first proposal and order management software dedicated to fresh produce. Their goal is clear: prevent 1,500 tons of fresh produce waste by 2025. ♻️ Guillaume le Dieu de Ville Mathias ABRAMOVICZ Remi Rivas Fabrice Graff Sophie Rebouillat-Lesieur Thiago Penteado HEC Paris - Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute X-HEC Entrepreneurs Diego Pizarro Sánchez Sihem Ben Mahmoud-Jouini #HECStartupLaunchpad #HECParis #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Startup #LaunchpadJourney #Sustainability

🚀 Welcome to the Startup Launchpad 2025 cohort! Yesterday, we gathered at the HEC Paris campus to kick off the journey of our new cohort: 48 startup projects represented by over 141 talented individuals from X-HEC Entrepreneurs, X-HEC Data Science & AI for Business, Sustainability & Social Innovation, Digital Innovation & Acceleration, along with students from our partner schools, Master 2 LEAD - Law, Entrepreneurship and Digital - Université Paris-Saclay, NYU Stern School of Business, and ESA BUSINESS SCHOOL. On the menu: 🗣 An insightful speech from Guillaume le Dieu de Ville, who shared his vision for the programme and also introduced the 3 refugees joining the program thanks to our initiative with HEC Imagine 🌟 A roundtable with our 2024 alumni Mathilde Janicot & Valentin Heuzé, co-founders of Revolty, and Bruno Heckel, co-founder of Eledone, about their experience of the Launchpad 🤝 A team-building exercise that encouraged participants to mix, connect and learn about each other’s projects 🍽️ Lunch break with our international students, together with Agnes Tourneix, Celine FIGUIERE & Emmylou Vigeant 💡 A masterclass delivered by Remi Rivas, setting the stage for the customers' interviews ahead 🥂 Last but not least: an afterwork to celebrate this new cohort, together with the mentors and some alumni! More than just a Welcome Day, this day was the opportunity to start creating a class spirit, forging connections, and building a strong and supportive community for their entrepreneurial journey ahead! Mathias ABRAMOVICZ Fabrice Graff Sophie Rebouillat-Lesieur Thiago Penteado HEC Paris - Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute HEC Alumni HEC Foundation #HECStartupLaunchpad #HECParis #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Startup #LaunchpadJourney #ImagineFellows

Karmen has just raised €9 million in a new funding round with the support of Seventure Partners, Takara Capital, ARBEVEL, and Bpifrance. This is a significant step forward in their mission to transform short-term financing for SMEs in France. 💡 This funding will enable Karmen to continue simplifying, speeding up, and making short-term financing more flexible for SMEs, while accelerating growth to support even more businesses. With this capital, Karmen is set to accelerate: 💰 The development of new financing products like Karmen Loan, Karmen Factor, and more. 🤖 Optimizing their AI-driven risk assessment models to deliver even quicker solutions. 🔗 Expanding their API integrations with more fintechs to make embedded financing just two clicks away. We couldn’t be prouder to see our alumni achieve such success, congratulations to Gabriel Thierry, Baptiste Wiel and the whole Karmen team! 👏 Guillaume le Dieu de Ville Mathias ABRAMOVICZ Remi Rivas Fabrice Graff Sophie Rebouillat-Lesieur Thiago Penteado HEC Paris - Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute X-HEC Entrepreneurs Diego Pizarro Sánchez Sihem Ben Mahmoud-Jouini #HECStartupLaunchpad #HECParis #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Startup #LaunchpadJourney #Fundraising

As we prepare to welcome the 2025 cohort, let's take a moment to reflect on 2024 and all its milestones and achievements. ✨ From the Welcome Day on HEC Paris campus to our traditional Demo Day, including the intense and creative energy of the Design Sprint, along with jury sessions, mentorship, and sales coaching, this year has been nothing short of amazing! Talks with Paul Midy and our cohort sponsor Alexandre Prot provided invaluable insights and inspired our students to think big 🎤 while the London learning expedition, co-organised with the HEC in the UK team, offering invaluable international exposure and broadening horizons. Our Demo Day at STATION F was a showcase of innovative projects - congrats again to the winners Eledone & Resilient - and we were proud to see that other Launchpad teams joined the Incubateur HEC Paris during the year (kudos to MonCab, Revolty, Kesako). 🏆 Also, four of our alumni were named #Future40 2024 by Station F – a testament to their hard work and vision. Congratulations to our three 2023 alumni Corma, Optimmo, and Veeton, and our 2024 alumnus Bluco! 🌟 We also celebrate the fundraising successes of our alumni this year, including Optimmo, Veeton, Revyze, OMENA, and Upfund. 👏 A heartfelt thank you to our whole ecosystem who helped make this year thrive once again: mentors, VCs, experts, the entire HEC Paris community, and especially our alumni. Your support and dedication make the Launchpad thrive. 🙌 We are now eagerly looking ahead to the arrival of our 2025 cohort next Thursday 23 January! This new batch will feature 48 exciting projects led by 146 talented students. We cannot wait to see the journeys they will embark on and the successes they will achieve. Here is to another incredible year ahead! 🚀 Guillaume le Dieu de Ville Mathias ABRAMOVICZ Remi Rivas Fabrice Graff Sophie Rebouillat-Lesieur Thiago Penteado Inge Kerkloh-Devif HEC Paris - Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute HEC Alumni HEC Foundation #HECStartupLaunchpad #HECParis #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Startup #LaunchpadJourney

We make it happen, they make it big! ✨ Who better to talk about the Launchpad than our alumni? We asked Jules Prétot, a 2023 alumnus of the Launchpad, to share his thoughts on the program and his journey launching Redesk. Redesk takes on a challenge of scale: 250,000 tonnes of #OfficeFurniture are discarded annually in France. By 2030, they aim to prevent 2,500 tonnes of waste through their innovative "office furniture agent." Offering companies a turnkey solution to revalorise unused furniture and access refurbished pieces at 50% of the price of new, Redesk combines sustainability with practicality for every office move. 🌱💼 Ready to make your office furniture part of the solution? Visit their website to learn more and start transforming your workspace today: redesk.fr ♻️ Guillaume le Dieu de Ville Mathias ABRAMOVICZ Remi Rivas Fabrice Graff Sophie Rebouillat-Lesieur Incubateur HEC Paris Thiago Penteado HEC Paris - Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute X-HEC Entrepreneurs Diego Pizarro Sánchez Sihem Ben Mahmoud-Jouini #HECStartupLaunchpad #HECParis #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Startup #LaunchpadJourney

🚀 Startup Launchpad x HEC Imagine: empowering refugee entrepreneurs to build a brighter future for themselves and their nations 🌍 The HEC Paris Startup Launchpad, in partnership with the HEC Imagine, is launching a one-of-a-kind initiative: offering refugee entrepreneurs from conflict-affected countries an empowering experience within HEC Paris' entrepreneurial ecosystem by participating in our program. This initiative offers refugee entrepreneurs the opportunity to collaborate with HEC students and peers from other partner schools to build a startup in just 11 weeks. More than just an #entrepreneurship course, it is about equipping them to rebuild their futures and, potentially, contribute to the revival of their countries. Our program aims to turn potential into impact by: • Developing essential skills in entrepreneurship • Learning how to craft a vision, design a business model, and pitch to investors • Leveraging a unique network of experts, mentors, and partners • Collaborating in a dynamic, international environment An opportunity to shape tomorrow! More than just training, this program offers these young talents the tools to: ➤ Rebuild strong personal and professional lives ➤ Create innovative solutions that could one day aid in the recovery of their home countries 🌟 4 open places for ambitious entrepreneurs 📅 From 23rd January 2025 to 4th April 2025 📍 Paris and Jouy-en-Josas (Yvelines) ⏳ Applications close on 13th January 2025 - link in the comment section 👇 Full-time program, tuition fees covered as part of the initiative ✅ 💬 Share this opportunity with anyone who might benefit. Together, we can foster entrepreneurship as a means for both personal and collective futures. Adrien Nussenbaum Guillaume le Dieu de Ville Mathias ABRAMOVICZ Remi Rivas Fabrice Graff Sophie Rebouillat-Lesieur Thiago Penteado HEC Paris - Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute HEC Foundation Deborah Aringoli Delphine Colson Alexandre Commergnat Agnes Tourneix Irene Krienen Marie Dolet #HECStartupLaunchpad #HECParis #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Startup #LaunchpadJourney #SocialImpact

We make it happen, they make it big ✨ There is no better way to hear about the Launchpad than through our alumni! We asked Gregory Muschel, a 2024 alumnus of the Launchpad, what he thought of the program and how it helped him launch his startup Brightly. Brightly (https://lnkd.in/eUadnUPn) is an app designed to help kids and teens develop healthier digital habits and limit social media usage. Kids unlock screen time by completing educational and physical challenges, turning screen use into a meaningful, rewarding experience that avoids conflict between parents and children. 📱🏅 The team is currently expanding so feel free to reach out and see how you can be part of Brightly's adventure to combat social media addiction through education! Guillaume le Dieu de Ville Mathias ABRAMOVICZ Remi Rivas Fabrice Graff Sophie Rebouillat-Lesieur Pierre Angot Thiago Penteado HEC Paris - Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute #HECStartupLaunchpad #HECParis #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Startup #LaunchpadJourney #EdTech