EDHEC steps up its engagement with entrepreneurship by joining Station F, the world’s biggest start-up campus in the heart of Paris
1 July 2017 will see the EDHEC Entrepreneurs incubator expand through the provision of 40 additional work stations housed in Station F, the only start-up campus that gathers together a whole entrepreneurial ecosystem under one roof.
This co-working space will be devoted to EDHEC Entrepreneurs laureates in the acceleration and/or fundraising stages and to entrepreneurs originating from EDHEC’s MSc in Entrepreneurship & Innovation. The programme comprises themed workshops, personalised support (fundraisings), pitch sessions, entrepreneurs’ cafés, co-design workshops and more.
EDHEC Entrepreneurs offers free support to students and graduates of EDHEC Business School eager to create their own start-ups by harnessing the training received at the School and its values of excellence. Since its foundation in 2010, EDHEC Entrepreneurs has supported 140 start-ups that have generated 850 jobs overall. The incubator conducts over 400 exploratory interviews and validates some 30 “laureate” projects each year.
Hosting start-up projects on the Station F campus provides a perfect complement to EDHEC Entrepreneurs facilities in Lille and Nice and allows them to reap the benefits of an optimal ecosystem unique in Europe. EDHEC Entrepreneurs work spaces will therefore rise from 100 to 150, split between Lille, Nice and Station F in Paris.
“The projects hosted on the Station F campus will have access to an exceptional ecosystem that is unique in the world and offers start-ups multiple advantages for continuing their development. We also want to make a proactive contribution to the success of Station F, a magnificent initiative that shares our philosophy based on innovation, co-construction, an outward-facing international approach and sectoral diversity”, explains Jean-Michel Ledru, Head of the EDHEC Entrepreneurs incubator.
“A key part of our strategy for raising students’ awareness of entrepreneurship involves welcoming educational institutions onto the STATION F campus. EDHEC stands out both for its ambition and the emphasis it places on diversity, so we are delighted to count the School as one of our partners”, underlines Roxanne Varza, Head of STATION F.
Among the first start-ups welcomed by Station F:
Jubiwee – Thibaud Martin
Human resources services geared to improving staff engagement, retention and performance.
Né à - Manon Latgé
Cosmetics brand for expectant mothers
Htheoria – Camille Hédin
Offbeat, innovative spirits brand
Feeli – Charlotte Boukari
Appointments app for health professionals
Arcane – Arthur d’Yvoire
B2B digital marketing services
Yuka – Julie Chapon
App enabling users to manage nutrition better by analysing food purchases
Talk Too – Guillaume Morin
Language-learning site
Soyez BCBG – Thomas Arnaudo, Thomas Carles and Matthieu Brochen (second fundraising in June)
Dry cleaning service with home pick-up/drop-off
This strategic project with Station F was primarily led to fruition by a group of EDHEC alumni donors eager to facilitate access to this highly selective ecosystem for EDHEC entrepreneurs.
The alumni included: David Armstrong, Pierre Barbé, Michael Burke, Vincent Cheney, Anne-Laure et Damien Gros, Jacques Guers, Stéphane Lagut, Philippe Léopold-Metzger, Sophie et Hervé Touchais.
