A look back at our Business Startup Evening (Soirée des Pépites)!

On 24 May, we were delighted to host 41 entrants for the 2023 Business Startup Evening at the Bpifrance Hub in Paris, where the Alumni Association rewards the best entrepreneurial achievements of the year. 

For each category, two finalists pitched to a panel of seven graduates, previous winners and partners (Bpifrance and Business Cool). 

The list of winners, who were each awarded €4,000, includes: 

• Positive Impact Award: La Tiny Française: a young company that has been building tiny houses with bio-sourced materials for the past three years. Founder: Arthur Goulliart (class of 2021)
• Innovative Idea Award: Munemjo Entertainment: a startup currently developing a video game which highlights African culture. The game, which is being developed by designers in Africa, will be released on our screens in 2024. Founders: Emerik Linsden and Joël Kiama, both from the class of 2023. 
• Smart Tech Award: Eco Nadó: a young startup which offers a subscription service for childcare items, so that parents don’t have to buy expensive new products that are only used for a short period of time. Founder: Mathilde Agullo (class of 2023)
• Young Star Award: Imara Tea: a company that is developing a new tea of African origin with a local production chain. The aim is to produce high quality, minimally processed tea, for both hot drinks and iced tea. Founder: Eric Rucklin (class of 2021).

• The Public Prize was awarded to Genius Gambler, which will be the first sports betting platform to offer a fairer and more entertaining alternative to the existing model. Founder: Gaspard Marcel (class of 2023).

The Best Hope Award includes support from the EM Normandie incubator, funded by the EM Normandie Alumni Association, and has been awarded to:  

• Meswo a startup that makes sikwas. These are flavoured “sticks” that can be used instead of a toothbrush and toothpaste, and last for six months. Founder: Ilyès Lahcene-Tolba (class of 2023). 

The panel also awarded special mentions to the following projects:

• REASYKL, the online dedicated concept store for second-hand clothes and accessories. Founder: Caroline Nougue (class of 2022). The special mention was awarded to highlight the development of the business since the 2022 event.
• Merci pour les fleurs (Thank you for flowers): a company that aims to develop and host artistic projects. The company is the story of an encounter between eight actors with a shared desire for creativity and fun. Founder: Thomas de Fouchecour (class of 2020). The special mention was awarded in order to encourage an original cultural project.
• Naïa: application for managing gifts from loved ones. It incorporates an algorithm that tracks the gifts already bought, the allocated budget, the time remaining before the event, the person's preferences and products from partner stores. Founder: Jannaï Kalla (class of 2020). The special mention was awarded for the quality of the project presentation video.

Congratulations to all the winners and to everyone who took part!

Click here for an overview of all the entrants and here for photos of the evening.