Responsible Entrepreneurship: about EDHEC Entrepreneurs' 2025 Vision
Nurturing today's talent to build tomorrow's entrepreneurial success.
For over a decade, EDHEC Entrepreneurs has been committed to supporting those who dare to dream big and take the leap into entrepreneurship. The year 2024 marked a pivotal chapter in this collective journey, with inspiring successes and innovative initiatives. Here’s a look back at a remarkable year and a glimpse into our ambitions for 2025.
A human-centered support for bold trajectories
With a network of over 300 passionate experts and mentors, a community of 1,200+ entrepreneurs, and a dedicated team, EDHEC Entrepreneurs remains true to its ambition: to provide a supportive and structured environment to turn ideas into sustainable projects.
In 2024, this commitment translated into enhanced support for EDHEC students, with the mission to make entrepreneurial skills accessible to everyone:
- 300+ students introduced to entrepreneurship through new pre-incubation programs, designed to equip them with practical tools and a structured methodology to progress with confidence.
- Inspirational events open to all, such as entrepreneurship festivals in Lille and Nice, bringing together students, startups, and experts in a collaborative dynamic.
These efforts earned EDHEC Entrepreneurs the title of “Top school for entrepreneurship” from France Digitale, reaffirming our determination to drive transformation.
Initiatives shaping the entrepreneurial landscape
In 2024, EDHEC Entrepreneurs continued its commitment to accessible and responsible entrepreneurship:
- L’Étincelle, our certified entrepreneurship program co-created with Génération Do It Yourself, trained 400 participants in its first year. It now extends to intrapreneurs from major groups like METRO.
- INNOVA Europe, the largest European student-alumni competition for impact-driven projects, hosted over 150 projects from 9 leading European institutions at STATION F, spotlighting innovations that are changing the world.
- TechForward and Act For Impact, our specialized incubators, celebrated their inaugural year by supporting promising startups shaping the technologies of tomorrow.
Entrepreneurial success stories that inspire
Behind every project lie unique faces and journeys. Here are a few examples that inspired us this year:
- Maxime and Nicolas Meijers, visionary entrepreneurs committed to climate action, launched Estuaire to decarbonize the aviation sector. Within a year, their expertise and dedication convinced Vueling and Safran, raising €2.2M to accelerate their growth.
- AMKBiotech, founded by passionate immunologist Aïda Meghraoui, combines biology and AI to revolutionize medical research and accelerate the validation of new treatments.
- Sarah Mougharbel, founder of Wyes, is transforming the lives of paralyzed individuals with smart glasses that interpret eye movements into digital commands. Recognized at the Concours Lépine, the startup embodies technological expertise and positive impact.
This year, our startups shone:
- In prestigious rankings such as STATION F’s Future40 (Rakoono, Leasi, Corma), Maddyness’ Fundtruck (AMKBiotech and BedBoat), and Challenges Magazine’s “100 Startups to Invest In” (Estuaire, Qweeko, MyFenix, and Weathermind).
- Argil, Kenko, Jump, and 900.care raised significant funding rounds, bringing the total raised by EDHEC Entrepreneurs startups in 2024 to nearly €60M.
- With the exceptional honor of the Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite, awarded to Julie Chapon, founder of Yuka at STATION F, for her commitment.
Looking ahead to 2025: Responsibility at the core of our vision
With the “Generation 2050” plan, EDHEC Entrepreneurs reaffirms its ambition to build responsible and sustainable entrepreneurship. At the heart of this approach, the RED (Responsible Entrepreneurship by Design) methodology continues to guide entrepreneurs in integrating responsible practices from the earliest stages of their projects.
In 2024, more than 1,200 users from our ecosystem adopted the Startups' Guide to Responsibility, becoming a key resource for fostering sustainable business models.
At the same time, we are working on the launch of a European Responsible Practices Barometer, a pioneering initiative that will measure startups' commitment to responsibility across Europe. This tool will provide a clear picture of progress made and challenges ahead, while strengthening our impact on an international scale.
Through these initiatives, we continue to empower entrepreneurs to take positive action for society and the environment, while putting responsibility at the heart of tomorrow's projects.
Together, let's continue to transform bold ideas into concrete, sustainable projects. Let's set a course for 2025!
