HEC Paris - Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute

🌍 The planet needs solutions. ChangeNOW gathers the best ones! From April 24 to 26, ChangeNOW Summit transforms Paris into the capital of sustainable innovation and climate action. ♻️ The event will bring together the most promising innovations, visionary leaders, and committed change-makers. Once again this year as academic partner, HEC Paris will be at the heart of the action! 💪 On Friday, April 25, HEC Paris takes over with a full day dedicated to solutions, ideas, and connections: 💡 GreenTech startups Revolty, PEEL Lab, Aquaphys, Toore, and SOLREED from Incubateur HEC Paris, HEC Challenge +, and CDL-Paris programs will pitch their solutions live. Their mission? Tackle today’s environmental challenges, from water and energy efficiency to circular economy and sustainable materials. 🔋⚡ But that’s not all! 🔗 Find out more about the full program in the comments section. 📆 See you on April 25 at ChangeNOW! Inge Kerkloh-Devif Thiago Penteado Dana Mezher HEC Transition Alix Le Corre Emma FRANCE Emma-Louise Simon Leonie Hoffmann Janet O'Sullivan josephine haquet Maud Clerc Marguerite Gallant Estel Plagué Éloïc Peyrache Beyond Builders

🚨 Applications are now OPEN for the 2025 #WomenEntrepreneurs4Good program! You’ve got a vision, a project that could shift things. But what if this was the boost that changed everything? Every year, the WE4G acceleration program - powered by the Women's Forum for the Economy & Society, in partnership with HEC Paris - Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute, Bank of America Business, and Bredin Prat - supports dozens of women entrepreneurs in the green transition, providing tailored coaching, technical support, and networking opportunities. Here’s why you should apply: 🌍 Open to women entrepreneurs worldwide tackling societal challenges. 🎲 High chances of selection: 100+ entrepreneurs receive coaching and business model support. 🎤 10 laureates will join the online Incubateur HEC Paris, and have the opportunity to pitch at the Women’s Forum in Paris - which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year at the iconic Place Vendôme, with the theme ‘Courage’. 💪 More than just an accelerator, find empowerment, self-confidence, and a supportive community. As Célia Roussin ✨🍇, 2024 laureate, says: “Surrounded by fantastic and ambitious women, you get wings to fly!" Apply now or tag a woman entrepreneur who could benefit from this program: https://shorturl.at/VvPUx Publicis Groupe Inge Kerkloh-Devif Emma Cochrane Thiago Nannette Lafond-Dufour Vanessa Holtz Charlotte Kan Marlène Schiappa Clémence Fallet Mathias ABRAMOVICZ Flavio Conesa Alcolea Marcelle Laliberté, Dr. Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj, PhD, FRSA Paula Menéndez Pausa Justine Pelisson Mathilde Janicot Ruti Ejangue Capucine Cogne Tara Margulies HEC Paris, Doha Mathias ABRAMOVICZ

April 22nd marks Earth Day — and also the conclusion of the XPRIZE Carbon Removal stream of the Creative Destruction Lab. CDL-Paris is a proud academic partner of this stream, where mentors and faculty support bold, science-based ventures tackling the climate crisis head-on. Just two days later, we’re looking forward to the premiere of Legion 44, the latest documentary by Leila Conners, at Publicis Cinémas (Champs-Élysées) during the warm-up to ChangeNOW 2025. This powerful film shines a light on global changemakers — many from the Global South — and features initiatives like XPRIZE, a key partner of HEC Paris. Proud to see our ecosystem contributing, learning, and growing at the intersection of innovation, climate action, and hope.

“I arrived as a little cat. I came out of the program, I was a lioness!” 🦁 Born in France and deeply attached to her Senegalese roots, Nafy Ndiaye always had a passion for cooking. 🇸🇳 A passion that led her to launch her own business: Le Kori Doré, an afro-chic tea salon in Puteaux. She decided to train in pastry-making, cake design, and most importantly, entrepreneurship. That’s when she discovered HEC Stand Up, a free support program offered by our Social Entrepreneurship Center at HEC Paris, to help all women develop their business projects and achieve financial independence. 🚀 The program transformed her approach, helping her shape her vision, secure investor meetings, and take her business to the next level. Nafy’s advice to aspiring women entrepreneurs 👉 "Go for HEC Stand Up!" She’s seen firsthand the incredible transformations this program has sparked, not just for herself, but for every woman she has recommended it to. 🙏 This program is powered by the collective support of many partners. Last week, we were proud to announce that the Fondation Bettencourt Schueller — renowned for its mission to "give wings to talent" — has joined this journey through the initiative HOPES ("HEC Paris Opens Its Doors to Social Entrepreneurship"). A meaningful step forward that will enable even more inspiring stories like Nafy’s to become reality. 🔗 To learn more about HEC Stand Up, click on comments. Inge Kerkloh-Devif Fondation HEC Delphine Colson Thiago Penteado Nathalie Riond Emma FRANCE Sarah-Noëlle Madani Ioana Helou (Nicula) Amira Lahmar Célia Martin Cecilia Pera Souraya Bergaoui Magali Sak Clémence Taquet Tatjana Martic Isabelle Soeung Mockel Anne Vansteelant Juliette Lompech Louise de Isasi Anne Chéné #LearnToDare #WomenInBusiness #Entrepreneurship #HECParis #HECStandUp

"Learning by Doing", c’était lui. Robert Papin, pionnier de l’entrepreneuriat en France grâce à sa pédagogie innovante, devenue un standard dans la formation à la création d’entreprise, nous a quittés. Professeur de stratégie à HEC Paris, il fonde en 1977 le programme HEC Entrepreneurs, qui a accompagné des générations d'étudiants à l'entrepreneuriat et fait naître de formidables success stories. Aujourd’hui, nous rendons hommage à un membre historique de notre communauté, dont l’héritage continue d’inspirer les porteurs de projets et futurs entrepreneurs. Toutes nos pensées vont à ses proches.

The future of computing is NOT what you think❗👀 Quantum is just the top of the iceberg. Neuromorphic and Photonic computing are on their way to disrupt everything. ⚡️ But with great power comes great responsibility (and HUGE challenges!). At the recent Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) Next Gen Computing session held in Heilbronn, Germany, Europe’s leading minds gathered to define both the breakthroughs—and the bottlenecks—defining the deep tech frontier. A frontier that is no longer defined by one technology, but by an interconnected stack of innovations creating the backbone of the next digital era. 💫 From modular quantum systems to ultra-efficient neuromorphic chips and photonic processors transmitting data at light speed, the session explored how these innovations can drive scalable growth while addressing some of the main challenges, and Deep Tech entrepreneurs face: → Scientific Maturity & Technical Readiness → Infrastructure & Cost → Commercialization Gap → Strategic & Ethical Considerations → Human Capital Our Institute is proud to be part of these thought-provoking discussions and this transformative journey through CDL-Paris — a program operated by our Deep Tech Center. 💡 The Next Gen Computing stream is jointly run with CDL-Berlin, part of the Institute for DEEP - Institute for Deep Tech Innovation at ESMT Berlin. It is also supported by the Dieter Schwarz Foundation and powered by key affiliate partners, including TUM Campus Heilbronn and Campus Founders. There’s more! For the final session of the Next Gen Computing Stream, the CDL-Paris ecosystem will reunite in Marseille from April 23–25, 2025, at TANGRAM Center, marking CDL-Paris’s 5-year anniversary celebration alongside streams on Climate, AI, and Space. 👉 Follow us to stay in the loop - as something massive will surely happen there... ! Sonia Sennik Ajay Agrawal Inge Kerkloh-Devif Sebastian D Becker Carlos Serrano Aymeric Penven Thiago Penteado Peter Mathias Fischer Clémentine Decoopman Maxime Borrel, MBA Ignacio Gimenez Losano Alex C. Patrick Kappel Livia Kalossaka Nicole Pereira Sahith Reddy Madara Orla Reynolds Kimberlee Calvo Jiseon Bak Dr. Thorsten Lambertus Francis de Véricourt Vincent Riegelsberger Darrell Kopke Hilde DESCHOEMAEKER-NICAUDIE Olivia Campbell Francesco Mazzotta Bettina Berscheid Martha (Molly) Ihlbrock Philippe Oster Fondation HEC #Innovation #DeepTech #QuantumComputing #PhotonicComputing #HECParis

Digital accessibility isn’t only about compliance or social responsibility. 👇 87 million. That’s the number of people with disabilities in the EU alone. $13 trillion. The global spending power of this often-overlooked market. 33%. The percentage of seniors who abandon websites that aren’t accessible. 🚨 And yet, 90% of digital content remains inaccessible. But what if technology and AI could truly break barriers and make the digital world (really) accessible to all? This is the mission of Accessi+, a startup co-founded by Adina Teleuca, and powered by Incubateur HEC Paris. 🚀 The startup developed a SaaS-based solution helping organizations enhance user experience, ensure compliance, and embrace inclusivity - all while tapping into a growing market. 🇪🇺 With the European Accessibility Act taking effect in June 2025, businesses must act now to meet the needs of millions of users and stay compliant. Because companies that ignore accessibility aren’t just risking fines. They’re leaving a great opportunity on the table. 👉 Discover Adina’s entrepreneurial story and how Accessi+ is leading the change in accessibility: link in comments. Ana Chivu Antoine Lepretre Orhiane Savarese Emma Bouyssou Anaïs Demangeon Kevin Colinet  Rintaro Arai Elsa Pouradier Duteil Thiago Penteado Inge Kerkloh-Devif #HECParis #LearnToDare #CSR #EU #Digital #MakeitHappen #MakeitBIG #PoweredByHEC #StartupOfTheDay

Raising capital looks simple on paper, but the stakes for founders are huge. 💸 👇 In a sharp analysis of Mistral AI’s fundraising journey, Etienne KRIEGER, Professor at HEC Paris, shares a key reminder for all entrepreneurs: ➡️ Every capital increase is a trade-off. Founders are not just injecting new cash into the business. They are accepting to share information, power, profits, and future capital gains with new investors. This is especially true in hypergrowth scenarios, where professional investors speed up the timeline: ⏳ 6 years median exit for VC-backed startups vs. 12 years for bootstrapped companies (data: Avolta). Mistral AI’s rapid-fire funding rounds are impressive with hundreds of millions raised and valuations skyrocketing. But don’t underestimate the complexity behind the scenes. 👉 Each round will dilute your ownership 👉 Shareholder agreements will formalize new power dynamics ✅ Etienne’s advice is clear: Surround yourself with top-notch experts to secure your deals and focus on what truly matters - your teams, your customers, your product, and your strategic partners. Raising funds is just the beginning. Structuring them well is what defines your trajectory. Inge Kerkloh-Devif Aymeric Penven Julie Dobiecki Elise Moyou Corinne Bégaud Pierre Antoine Thiago Alexis JOHN AHYEE Adama TOURE Talibi HAIDRA Birahim Diop Edwige Migan Affoumou Anaïs CHANTHAVONG Emma Cochrane Monika Esprit Orhiane Savarese Johanne Davignon #Finance #VC #Startup #Strategy #Governance #Entrepreneurship

While AI makes the headlines, there’s far less focus on what’s enables it all: compute infrastructure. 🚨 From AI breakthroughs to climate modeling, from life-saving drug discovery to national security, the ability to compute smarter and more efficiently defines global leadership in these fields. But we’re reaching a breaking point: → Traditional computing is struggling to keep pace → Energy consumption is becoming a bottleneck → The race for computing sovereignty is intensifying AI models grow in complexity and demand exponentially more compute power, raising questions about sustainability, scalability, and access. ⚡ This is where Next Generation Computing steps in. Europe stands at a pivotal point, bearing both the responsibility and the opportunity to lead - provided it can bridge the gap between deep tech innovation and commercialization at scale. 👉 This is why Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is taking action. In February 2025, during the CDL-Berlin & CDL-Paris Next Generation Computing session with affiliate partners like TUM Campus Heilbronn and Campus Founders in Germany, global experts convened to tackle the urgency. 📝 Read the full article to learn more, and get deeper insights from: - Gunther Friedl, Managing Director at Dieter Schwarz Foundation - Oliver Kahl, Principal at MIG Capital and CDL Mentor - Ekaterina Almasque, General Partner OpenOcean, and CDL Mentor - Alan Lau, Co-founder of Two Small Fish Ventures and CDL Mentor - Florian Corgnou, Co-founder of Neurobus. 📍Next meeting: April 23-25, Marseille, France. CDL-Paris Next Gen Computing, AI, Space, and Climate cohorts will come together for the final session of this year’s program. Join the discussion in comments. ESMT Berlin CDL-Berlin Campus Founders TUM Campus Heilbronn Sennik Ajay Agrawal Inge Kerkloh-Devif Alex Charbonné Clémentine Decoopman Thomas Astebro Sebastian D Becker Carlos Serrano Aymeric Penven Thiago Penteado Peter Mathias Fischer Maxime Borrel, MBA Nicole Pereira Patrick Kappel Ignacio Gimenez Losano Dr. Marius Huber Julia Bohrmann Hilde Deschoemaeker #DeepTech #Europe #Innovation #FrenchTech #Mentorship #Scale #FutureOfComputing

🎤 That was the HEC Startup Launchpad grand finale, and here’s what went down 👇 Yesterday was THE day! 🚀 The Startup Launchpad 2025 #DemoDay took over STATION F, where 10 bold startups pitched their groundbreaking ideas in front of an expert jury. And the winners are… 🏆 Jury Prize: #Siva AI assistant automating caregiver’s admin tasks, ensuring focus on care and seamless documentation. Students: Ugo Benazra, Ruben Weinstein, Samuel Mesguiche 🏆 Audience Prize: #Solfair The strategic brain behind energy procurement, working on a simple way for SMEs to switch to renewable energy. Students: Elif Dinç, Pedro Gomes Menezes, Fynn Fröhlich, Anthony Ferrara Congratulations to the two teams! They both earn a 4-month incubation at Incubateur HEC Paris, setting them on a fast track to success. A massive thank you to our esteemed jury: 🔹 Flore des Robert - Co-founder of La Bonne Brosse 🔹 Julien-David Nitlech - Managing Partner at IRIS 🔹 Delphine Colson - Executive Director at HEC Foundation 🔹 Benoist Grossmann - CEO at Eurazeo To all the startups: Whether you won a prize or not, your journey is just beginning. There's still a long way to go, but you've all proved that you're on the right track! 👏 Inge Kerkloh-Devif Guillaume le Dieu de Ville Mathias ABRAMOVICZ Remi Rivas Fabrice Graff Sophie Rebouillat-Lesieur Thiago Penteado Stéphane Madoeuf Antoine Lepretre Sihem Ben Mahmoud-Jouini X-HEC Entrepreneurs HEC Paris HEC Alumni #MakeitHappen #MakeitBIG #LearnToDare #HECStartupLaunchpad #StationF #Entrepreneurship #Startups #Innovation