HEC x Imperial College London: Entrepreneurial Showcase 2024
HEC Paris and Imperial College London: Bridging Entrepreneurship Across BordersLast week, on October 20th, 2024, the HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute, in collaboration with HEC Paris in the UK, hosted a remarkable Learning Expedition that brought together HEC Alumni, donors from the HEC Foundation, and some of the brightest entrepreneurial minds from France and the UK.
This special event, held at the HEC UK House, was an extraordinary celebration of entrepreneurship and innovation. In partnership with the Imperial Enterprise Lab, the evening featured 6 groundbreaking startups - 3 from Imperial College London and 3 from HEC Paris - showcasing the vibrant synergy between the entrepreneurial ecosystems of these two leading institutions.
A Spotlight on Startups
The event provided a unique platform for attendees to hear directly from inspiring CEOs and founders, who shared insights into their ventures, growth strategies, and innovative solutions.
Startups from Imperial College London:
🧬 Untap Health – Led by Claire Trant, PhD FRSA, revolutionizing pathogen monitoring to reduce infectious disease transmission within communities.
🌸 P.Happi® – Developed by Dr. Chiara Board, a microbiome-protecting intimate serum promoting holistic health and well-being.
🤖 sAInaptic – Founded by Rajeshwari Iyer, using AI to automate marking, feedback, and analytics for multi-modal assessments.
Startups from HEC Paris, from Incubateur HEC Paris and Creative Destruction Lab programs:
🛰️ Neurobus – Founded by Florian Corgnou & Gregor Lenz, delivering real-time, low-power space surveillance powered by neuromorphic computing, in collaboration with Airbus, ESA, and other major players.
🍹 Chilled – Led by Audrey Bruneau, crafting functional drinks with natural ingredients, no sugar or sweeteners, offering benefits like relaxation or energy boosts.
🎨 Sève – Created by Julia Sisto & Joshua Kelly, a luxury fashion PR platform enhancing collaboration with intuitive digital showrooms and targeted media exposure.
After the pitches, startups had the opportunity to connect with investors, tech experts, and alumni, allowing founders to network, celebrate, and explore future collaborations.
A Testament to Collaboration
The event exemplified the strength of cross-border partnerships. The collaboration between HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute and the Imperial Enterprise Lab showcased the incredible potential of uniting both entrepreneurial ecosystems.
The evening began with an opening by Delphine Mourot, Director of HEC Paris UK House, followed by Thiago Penteado, Director of Marketing & Communication at the HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute. Representing the Imperial Enterprise Lab, Ben Mumby-Croft, Director of Entrepreneurship, highlighted this first collaboration and introduced the startups.
During the networking cocktail, James Groves, Head of Investment Services at Imperial Enterprise Lab, also approved the event format and praised this “fantastic evening of cross-channel entrepreneurship and innovation.” As he put it, “we joined forces to bring our networks together to celebrate the hottest entrepreneurial talent from the UK and France.”
Building Connections Beyond the Pitches
The evening didn’t stop at the pitches. The event also offered attendees the chance to connect during a lively cocktail reception, bringing together founders, investors, tech leaders, alumni, and key figures from the innovation ecosystem.
A standout element of the Learning Expedition was the one-on-one mentoring sessions for the startups, facilitated by three outstanding professionals who brought diverse expertise to the table:
Emmanuelle Brizay: A seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and board member, Emmanuelle has supported over 40 startups and co-founded Panoply City. With experience spanning fintech, pharmaceuticals, and retail, she has also led brands like Petit Mendigote and the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society. Emmanuelle has been a staunch supporter of the HEC Foundation for over a decade.
Alban Remy: Head of Enterprise Technology and Business Services at London & Partners, Alban has been a key figure in supporting tech businesses in London and attracting international organizations to the city. His expertise includes AI, machine learning, and medtech, having collaborated with companies like Babylon Health and Elvie.
Gina Farran: Co-founder and CEO of Glaize, Gina has revolutionized the beauty industry by combining technology and consumer products. Glaize uses 3D scanning technology to create custom-fit gel manicures, reflecting Gina’s innovative approach to enhancing the user experience.
These mentoring sessions provided startups with tailored advice and invaluable insights, reinforcing HEC Paris’s commitment to empowering entrepreneurs, building global networks, and fostering impactful innovation.
About Incubateur HEC Paris
The Incubateur HEC Paris is a bespoke, customizable, and participatory startup support program. It leverages all the resources of the HEC ecosystem to assist talented entrepreneurs. Located at the heart of Station F, the largest startup campus in the world, the program aims to enable entrepreneurs to achieve in 3 months what they would typically reach on their own in 1 year.
About CDL-Paris
Since 2020, HEC Paris has established a strategic alliance with the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), a global nonprofit startup program dedicated to seed-stage, science-based companies addressing solutions for tomorrow's global challenges, impacting business, society, and the environment. The program employs an objectives-based mentoring process, led by a select group of exceptional entrepreneurs, angel investors, economists, and scientists.
About the HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute
The institute supports entrepreneurs from all walks of life. Through our Incubation & Acceleration, Deeptech, and Social Entrepreneurship centers, we help students with innovative ideas, budding startups or unicorns on the rise, accelerating SMEs, large transforming companies, and social or environmental entrepreneurs to develop effectively and with impact. Here, the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem of HEC Paris converges to allow you to Make it Happen, Make it Big.