2023 Activity Report: A transformative year at the HEC Paris Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute

Reflecting on 2023, the HEC Paris Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute took a monumental step forward! We witnessed an unprecedented surge on multiple fronts, leading to an expanded program portfolio, an organizational overhaul, and exciting rebranding. These exceptional milestones boosted our global reach and impact, all thanks to our one-of-a-kind ecosystem. Let’s dive into our key data for a comprehensive look back at 2023 and a clear vision of our impact in France and beyond.

From a Center to a world-class Institute 

One of our biggest achievements in 2023 was the creation of the newly established HEC Paris Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute, now comprising of three dynamic centers:

• Deep Tech Center: Driving business and strategic support for groundbreaking, science-based innovations with massive impact potential. We're talking about Biotechnologies, AI, Quantum, Climate, and Space!
   
• Acceleration and Incubation Center: Empowering forward-thinking entrepreneurs by building assets and connecting vibrant communities.
   
• Social Entrepreneurship Center: Harnessing entrepreneurship as a force for social transformation, promoting a solidarity-driven economy that generates positive societal value and drives structural changes toward a more inclusive world.

These centers host over 30 tailor-made programs for all kinds of entrepreneurs—students, budding and seasoned entrepreneurs, researchers, innovators, SSE organizations, and women who seek to change their trajectory by launching a new project. We support them at every stage of their entrepreneurial journey, from ideation to launch, scale, and beyond!
 

542 startups supported, fosteringing innovation, diversity, and responsibility

As the Institute evolved, so did our support for startups and entrepreneurs! In 2023, we guided 542 startups across all programs:

• 230 startups through the Deep Tech Center
• 270 via the Acceleration and Incubation Center
• 42 social and solidarity enterprises through the ESS Accelerator program

At HEC Paris, we believe that diversity fuels richer exchanges and greater tolerance. This year, 39% of startups in our programs had at least one female founder or co-founder. We also celebrated diversity and the 10th anniversary of the HEC Stand Up program with a breathtaking exhibition. Photographer Steve Fhiel captured powerful portraits of women whose time at HEC Paris helped them launch their entrepreneurial career.
 

The third edition of the WomenEntrepreneurs4Good program, dedicated to women in green transition and delivered in partnership with the Women's Forum, Bank of America, and Bredin Prat, saw an extraordinary 800 applications from 80 countries! 200 projects were shortlisted for the startup sprint, culminating in selecting 10 laureates from 9 countries.

Laureates of the WomenEntrepreneurs4Good, who flew to Paris to pitch at the Women’s Forum

HEC Paris also aims to become a responsible player for change, and thus to reconcile economic issues with new social and environmental imperatives. Our 2023 initiatives included:

Parmi nos initiatives phares de 2023, nous comptons :

• Over 100 startups dedicated to social or environmental solutions
• 825 candidates in the Stand Up program, including 624 women who completed the digital program and 218 receiving certification
   

HEC Paris entrepreneurs shaping the future of France 

In France, our startup founders stood out from the crowd by securing their spots in some of the biggest national rankings, all shaping the future of France. In all major French rankings, HEC Paris founders have made their mark.

• One in four startups in the 2023 French Tech Next40 was founded or co-founded by an HEC Paris graduate
• 21% of active French unicorns were founded or co-founded by HEC Alumni
• 25 startups founded by HEC graduates featured in French Tech 2030, spotlighting 125 companies that position France as a benchmark for innovation, technology, and industrial relocation by 2030
• HEC Paris entrepreneurs raised €16.1 billion over the last five years
   

Behind the scenes: an incredible ecosystem

Our Institute couldn’t operate if not for our incredible ecosystem, which includes an 80,000-strong HEC Alumni network, including countless successful entrepreneurs, HEC Paris professors who empower entrepreneurs through research, and over 1,000 experts and mentors who support every step of the entrepreneurial journey.

We also partner with academic institutions to run specific programs, such as Creative Destruction Lab - Paris and we also welcome students from other schools in our flagship HEC Paris Startup Launchpad program.

On the corporate front, we collaborate with numerous companies, enabling us to deliver unique programs such as L’Oréal Beauty Tech, Meta, Total Energy On, HECTAR, both KISED and KOSME programs run with the Korean government.

Director of the Institute for Endowment Management and Entrepreneurial Finance (IFEE) Henry Sauermann, HEC Paris Associate Professor Carlos Serrano, and Rotman Chair in AI and Healthcare and Rotman School of Management Marketing Professor Avi Goldfarb at a Creative Destruction Lab session
 

To wrap up this spectacular year, we invite you to dive into our full Activity Report:

CHECK THE 2023 ACTIVITY REPORT