Innovation

Supporting entrepreneurial ventures by student-entrepreneurs and young researchers: 16 winning projects

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PSL-Pépite announced three calls for proposals this year to support entrepreneurial ventures by its student-researchers and young researchers. A jury of experts selected the 16 winning projects.

Etudiant de PSL Pepite cc marie Sorribas

Turning an idea into a business plan, and turning that plan into a product launch, can be a long journey, but one that offers many lessons. To support entrepreneurial ventures by PSL student-entrepreneurs and young researchers, the PSL-Pépite program for student innovation announced three calls for proposals this year: proof of concept, prototyping and services. Panels of experts selected 16 winning projects that will each receive advice and financial support totaling €3,000 (for services) or €11,000 (proofs of concept and prototypes)

PSL-Pépite is one of 29 student centers for innovation, technology transfer and entrepreneurship that France created in 2014. The initiative was launched by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation to mark the special status newly awarded to student-entrepreneurs. Each year, PSL-Pépite hosts students from PSL schools and institutes and a wide range of backgrounds, providing the educational support they need in order to develop their projects and take their first steps in the business world. In 2017 PSL decided to expand its support by establishing annual calls for proposals designed to help project leaders by providing funding for their prototypes, an initial product portfolio or a web portal or resource. And that initiative has borne fruit: among the 2019 winners in the prototyping call for proposals was the Top Graduate program, which helps companies find freelancers. The project made its market debut, generated its first revenue and hired its first employees.

This year PSL has expanded the program by launching a new call for proposals: proof of concept. Jointly funded with the Ile de France regional office for research and technology (DRRT), the program is targeted to student-entrepreneurs and young researchers (doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows) at PSL with a business plan in mind. It has a twofold objective: to bring student-entrepreneurs in contact with PSL laboratories that can provide the technological building blocks for an existing entrepreneurial project, and to encourage the development of entrepreneurial projects led by young PhD students at PSL’s research units.

For this initial year, the jury selected three projects being conducted by doctoral students in cooperation with laboratories at ENS–PSL, ESPCI–PSL and Chimie – PSL.

AAP PSL Pépite

Proof of Concept CFP – jointly funded with the Ile de France DRRT

Jointly funded with the Ile de France regional office for research and technology (DRRT), this call for proposals is designed to support business proposals that include an R&D component and have forged a partnership with a research unit. It’s targeted to student-entrepreneurs and/or young researchers (doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows) at PSL who have plans to start a business.

Three winning projects

  • INKEE project (Mounia Nasi). The formulation of biosourced ink for the printing industry, in partnership with the Peptides, Glyco and Metals in Biology (PGMB) unit of the Laboratory of Biomolecules at ENS–PSL
  • Comprehensive sample preparation device for mass spectrometry based Metaproteomics (Kumar Ranjith) in partnership with the Biological Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics laboratory at ESPCI Paris–PSL
  • IRIS project(Anna Perfetto), in partnership with the Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (TCM) team at the Institute of Chemistry for Life & Health Sciences (i-CLeHS) at ChimieParisTech–PSL

Members of the jury

  • Adem Bokhari (Start-up and Innovation Support Adviser, Institut Curie)
  • Igor Vujic (Operations Manager at the Data Innovation Lab, IHEIE, Université PSL
  • Franck de Castro (Attorney, EY Ventury)
  • Johara Admi (Attorney, EY Ventury)
  • Bruno Rostand (Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Université PSL
  • Karla Balaa (Associate Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Université PSL)
  • Nadine-Eva Jeanne (Student Entrepreneurship Adviser, Université PSL), as an observer

Eligible expenses

  • Purchase of equipment or consumables
  • Services (software/web development, product construction, industrialization, etc.)

Prototyping CFP

Supports business plans or start-ups by student-entrepreneurs who are launching a business, specifically for the design of their first products or services (minimum viable product [MVP], web portal or app prototype, etc.).

Six winning projects

  • WYES (Sarah Mougharbel). Health/Digital sector: smart eyeglasses that allow patients who are “locked-in” (as a result of paralysis or other disease) to communicate with their family and friends, medical personnel, etc.
  • Tom & Josette (Astrid Parmentier). Early childhood sector: the creation of a small, intergenerational child care facility in a retirement home.
  • Benn Yoon (Clémence Polveche). Robotics/AI sector: the delivery of medical products to isolated and remote areas via an autonomous aircraft.
  • Nap&Up (Gabrielle de Valmont). Wellness sector: an effort to democratize the practice of short siestas in the workplace by developing a comprehensive solution.
  • EKOWASH (Valerian Challut). Environment/hygiene sector..
  • Yumed (Jean Baptiste Chouane). Health/Digital sector: an app that encourages compliance in taking medications (the right medication at the right time, in the proper dose, for the right period of time) by generating reminders along with a picture of the correct drug so as to prevent mistakes.

Members of the jury

  • Adem Bokhari (Start-up and Innovation Support Adviser, Institut Curie)
  • Igor Vujic (Operations Manager at the Data Innovation Lab, IHEIE, Université PSL)
  • Franck de Castro (Attorney, EY Ventury)
  • Johara Admi (Attorney, EY Ventury)
  • Bruno Rostand (Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Université PSL)
  • Karla Balaa (Associate Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Université PSL)
  • Nadine-Eva Jeanne (Student Entrepreneurship Adviser, Université PSL), as an observer

Eligible expenses

  • Purchase of equipment or consumables
  • Services (software/web development, product construction, industrialization, etc.)

Services CFP – jointly funded by the Ile de France region

Jointly funded by the Ile de France regional government, this CFP is designed to support entrepreneurial aid and services for business plans and start-ups to help them grow.

Seven winning projects

  • Abracadapain (Caroline Lisfranc). Sustainable development: reusable bread bag.
  • Koya (Clothilde Perez). Sustainable development: propose a comprehensive, enhanced user experience that allows an informed person to adopt environmental practices in a complete, consistent way without any backsliding.
  • Assur.com (Amine Merrakech). Assurtech: insurance projects engine.
  • Le Qoqo (Setti Rais). Culture: an augmented cultural event concept designed to reacquaint users with the wealth and diversity of the arts and culture sector.
  • Res&Co (Stéphanie Orrico Grima). Foodtech: a unique restaurant experience that encourages efforts to combat food waste.
  • Achylles (Fathi Sehla). Fintech: introduce borrowers looking for a real estate loan to brokers
  • Doogly (Tangui Gueffier). Animal wellness: a platform that puts dog owners in touch with dog industry professionals.

Members of the jury

  • Juliette Courtillier, Alumni Relations Manager, EnsAD
  • Zakaria Dahi, Recherche&Co Adviser at Paris&Co
  • Soufiane Carcaillet, Student Entrepreneurship/Technology Transfer Adviser, Ile de France Regional Council
  • Guillaume Domecq, Licensing and Business Development Project Manager, Université PSL
  • Nadine-Eva Jeanne, (Student Entrepreneurship Project Manager, Université PSL), as an observer

Eligible expenses

  • Purchase of equipment or consumables
  • Services (software/web development, product construction, industrialization, etc.)
  • Consulting services