CDL-Paris 2023/24 Graduate Companies
Creative Destruction Lab - Paris 2023/24 Graduate CompaniesThe CDL-Paris program acts as a true launchpad for scientific and technical founders who want to accelerate the growth of their startup. HEC Paris is thrilled to introduce you to the 32 companies that have graduated from the AI, Climate, and Space streams for 2023-2024. Congratulations to all!
Founded 10 years ago by Professor Ajay Agrawal at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) has accelerated over a thousand startups across various tech fields. Today, the program is offered at a dozen business schools worldwide, including HEC Paris through the CDL-Paris program.
CDL-Paris is designed for seed-stage deep tech startups focused on science and technology. Each year, the HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute’s Deep Tech Center team examines the technological landscape to identify promising trends and challenges across different sectors.
During the 2023/24 cohort, the team concentrated on specific topics within each field, seeking out startups focused on:
- Climate Stream: Managing energy demand, carbon emissions, and scarce or non-renewable resources.
- Space Stream: Enhancing situational awareness in space, facilitating access to space, and promoting autonomy and movement within space.
- Artificial Intelligence Stream: Deepening understanding of AI, leveraging it to boost productivity, and managing the societal risks associated with AI.
In the 2024/25 period, the program has added two new streams to its portfolio: Carbon Removal and Next Generation Computing.
Meet the 32 ventures that successfully completed the latest edition of the program!
CDL-Paris Artificial Intelligence (2023/24)
The Artificial Intelligence stream at CDL-Paris is tailored for startup founders seeking industrial applications to the new capabilities to structure information, predict patterns, and solve problems, provided by the latest developments in Machine Learning technologies…
Key innovation areas: AI Agents, Multimodal AI, Generative AI, AI Enabling Technologies.
Here are the 5 graduate ventures from the AI stream:
Meddenovo
Meddenovo is at the forefront of drug discovery using AI, developing a tech platform for cyclic peptides. Their innovative approach combines AI technologies and molecular modeling to enhance efficiency and success rates in pharmaceutical development.
Founders: Ilke Ugur, Antoine Marion
AIPLUX
AIPLUX leverages AI and blockchain to simplify and democratize access to intellectual property rights. Their technology aims to accelerate innovation by reducing administrative tasks.
Founders: Alfred Wu, Derrick Wu, Peng Chun Wu
Autonomo
Specializing in autonomous driving, Autonomo is revolutionizing urban mobility. The startup is developing an onboard payment ecosystem to facilitate transactions and experiences in connected cars.
Founders: James Sutherland, Christopher Jing
Deephawk
Deephawk enhances companies' performance in visual quality control within manufacturing by utilizing AI.
Founders: Gilles Allain, Tomas Crivelli
Everdian
Everdian is a French startup specializing in proactive risk management. Their technology employs artificial intelligence and big data to provide real-time early warnings.
Founders: Quentin Lhomme, Jean Janvier, Quentin Lainé
CDL-Paris Space (2023/24)
The Space stream of CDL-paris is designed for deep tech founders pursuing commercial space opportunities, addressing the inherent challenges of accessing and utilizing space sustainably, with a focus on ensuring the long-term viability of space activities.
Examples of innovation areas: Satellite communications, Earth observation, Positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT), Computing and data processing, Space Situational Awareness, Space logistics and manufacturing, Satellite hardware…
Here are the 17 graduate ventures from the Space stream:
Amplified Space
Amplified Space focuses on developing space propulsion technologies for interplanetary missions. Their goal is to make travel to other planets economically viable through innovative propulsion advancements.
Founder: Jerome Hittle
Aperture Space
Aperture Space is a startup specializing in satellite radar imaging. They position themselves as a provider of data and metrics for companies in the agriculture, water management, and defense sectors.
Founder: Zachary Kabelac
ARCA Dynamics
ARCA Dynamics is a space-based surveillance startup that uses a constellation of nanosatellites to detect and map objects of interest in real-time.
Founders: Daniele Luchena, Marco Moriani, Dario Spiller
Arctic Space Technologies
Arctic Space Technologies is developing Satellite Exchange Points (SXP) globally to provide enhanced network infrastructure for satellite communication services.
Founders: Benjamin Fischer, Sandra Nilsson, Fredrik Schäder, Felix Hessinger
Argo Space Corp.
Argo provides a space logistics service that separates in-space transportation from transportation to space. The company is developing refuelable water-propelled vehicles.
Founders: Robert Carlisle, Ryan Carlisle, Kirby Carlisle
Eartheye Space Technologies
Eartheye Space streamlines satellite data collection through a direct tasking system. It offers direct access to hundreds of satellites via a single user-centric interface.
Founders: Shankar Sivaprakasam, Shantnu Kumar
Ecosmic
Millions of space debris and thousands of satellites orbit the Earth. A cascading collision effect, known as the Kessler Syndrome, could hinder space exploration and utilization. Ecosmic addresses this challenge with innovative plug-and-play technology designed to enhance the collision avoidance process.
Founders: Benedetta Cattani, Gaia Roncalli, Imane Marouf
Kapta Space
As a space radar operator, Kapta Space offers metasurface antenna technology that enables near real-time critical data analysis, overcoming previous limitations of high costs and limited coverage. These sensors provide persistent tracking of moving targets to ensure rapid responses to natural and security threats.
Founder: Milton Perque
Protolaunch
Protolaunch is developing chemical propulsion technology dedicated to satellite mobility in orbit. They design modular, reliable, and controllable chemical propulsion systems.
Founders: Jack Coghen-Brewster, Matt Escott
The Provenance Chain Network
The Provenance Chain Network (PCN) is a proof system for claims about people, places, processes, and products. PCN aims to become the SWIFT network for these claims, ensuring transparency across the entire supply chain for verified and authorized parties.
Founders: Jeffery Gaus, Daniel McMorris, Ketan Sampat, Steve Brown
Radical Aero
Radical is developing autonomous solar-powered pseudo-satellites (HAPS) capable of flying for a year in the stratosphere at 70,000 feet. These devices bridge the gap between satellites and ground connections for Earth observation, wireless connectivity, and climate detection.
Founders: Cyriel Notteboom, James Thomas
Satsearch
Satsearch is developing a digital infrastructure for the space supply chain, streamlining sourcing, management, and market intelligence.
Founders: Kartik Kumar, Alberto Vaccarella
SkylineNav AI
SkylineNav AI offers an autonomous Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) technology, utilizing the Skyline Match AI™ algorithm for precise positioning without GPS, tailored for the commercial and defense sectors.
Founders: Kanwar Singh, Rajeev Surati, Rob Nicholson
SPHERICAL
SPHERICAL is a semiconductor design company specializing in the space industry. It designs and manufactures its own electronic subsystems.
Founder: Thomas Parry
Tilebox
The startup Tilebox offers distributed computing software to process spatial data close to its source, minimizing costs and latency. It enables analysts to develop efficient and secure data pipelines, thereby optimizing data management and processing for satellite operators and companies.
Founders: Laura Costa, Stefan Amberger
TRL11
TRL11 provides comprehensive video solutions for space applications, enhancing mission understanding through real-time video. This approach increases safety, reduces insurance premiums, and bolsters service sectors such as in-orbit refueling.
Founder: Nicol Verheem
Weeroc
Weeroc, a spin-off of CNRS in France, is a fabless semiconductor manufacturer. It designs advanced microelectronics for applications in photodetection, medical imaging, homeland security, and the space industry.
Founder: Julien Fleury
CDL-Paris Climate (2023/24)
CDL-Paris Climate is aimed at founders of deeptech startups developing scalable solutions for environmental protection. The stream focuses on assessing natural resources and optimizing the use of technologies to transform them in clean and sustainable ways. Here are the 10 graduate ventures from the Climate stream this year:
Nature: Water, Land, Energy, Biodiversity, Atmosphere.
Infrastructure: Manufacturing, Built Environment, Computing, Resource Distribution.
Meet the 10 graduate companies from the CDL-Paris Climate stream:
Biomemory
Biomemory is a deeptech startup specializing in enterprise data storage. It utilizes molecular engineering to create cost-effective and energy-efficient devices. The startup designs digital media capable of storing data at a density one million times greater than SSDs or magnetic tapes.
Founders: Erfane Arwani, Stéphane Lemaire, Pierre Crozet
APChemi
As a leader in the field of pyrolysis and the purification of pyrolysis oil, APChemi's innovative approach optimizes the recycling of end-of-life materials. With 12 patents filed, the startup distinguishes itself through its technological advancements.
Founder: Suhas Dixit
Greenitio
Based in Singapore, Greenitio is a startup specializing in the development of sustainable materials, focusing on combating microplastics. Greenitio leverages green chemistry to synthesize bio-based and biodegradable alternatives to microplastics and other petroleum-based ingredients. Their products are manufactured with 90% less CO2 emissions.
Founder: Amit Kumar Khan
PureSurf
PureSurf develops high-performance surfactants sourced from locally available renewable waste streams through the circular economy. This solution aims to support the chemical, pharmaceutical, and consumer goods industries in their transition towards climate neutrality.
Founder: Markus Hochegger-Krawanja
HELIUP
By developing lightweight and durable photovoltaic solutions dedicated to building rooftops, the French startup HELIUP is redefining solar energy to maximize efficiency and integration into modern infrastructures.
Founders: Yannick VESCHETTI, Julien GAUME, Pierre RUOLS
Refinq
Refinq helps companies understand and manage their climate-related risks. The startup positions itself as a key player in transforming climate challenges into opportunities by providing tools and methodologies to help businesses reduce their environmental footprint.
Founders: Franziska Walde, Lukas Fischer, Markus Berger
Sirona Technologies
Sirona Technologies is developing pioneering modular direct air capture (DAC) technology to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere. By targeting residual emissions, their approach bridges the gaps left by traditional methods. This solution is particularly relevant for sectors where reducing emissions is complex.
Founders: Thoralf Gutierrez, Gauthier Limpens
FibriTech
FibriTech develops eco-friendly materials from renewable organic resources. The startup uses innovative processes to sustainably replace polystyrene and other problematic expanded materials in various applications, including industrial ones.
Founder: Tomasz Ciamulski
Magnotherm
Specializing in magnetic cooling technology, the Swiss startup Magnotherm offers sustainable cooling and heating solutions for industry and commerce. Using solid-state materials and water, they provide an alternative capable of eliminating 100% of direct greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy efficiency by up to 30%.
Founders: Timur Sirman, Maximilian Fries, Dimitri Benke, Jeffrey Pickett
Antefil Composite Tech
Antefil designs hybrid microstructural fibers intended for lightweight structures in various industrial applications. The startup aims to revolutionize composite manufacturing by offering preforms made from glass fibers individually wrapped in meltable and recyclable plastic.
Founders: Thomas Billeter, Nicole Aegerter, Christoph Schneeberger, Paolo Ermanni
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About HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute
The institute supports entrepreneurs from all walks of life. Through our Incubation & Acceleration, Deeptech, and Social Entrepreneurship centers, we assist students with innovative ideas, budding startups, rapidly scaling SMEs, transforming large enterprises, and social or environmental entrepreneurs to grow efficiently and with impact. Here, the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem of HEC Paris comes together to help you Make it Happen, Make it Big.