HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute

Ranked among Europe’s Top 10 start-up hubs (Financial Times, 2026), the HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute (IEI) empowers founders and innovators tackling today’s major economic, scientific, and societal challenges.

The Institute brings together entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, corporates, mentors, students and faculty in one of Europe’s most dynamic innovation ecosystems. Its mission: turn ideas into impact, accelerate science-based innovation from lab to market, and support founders driving technological and societal transformation.

Because entrepreneurship is never one-size-fits-all, the Institute offers tailored pathways adapted to each project’s stage, ambition and industry. In 2024, it supported 599 ventures. Over the past five years, startups from the HEC ecosystem have raised €16.5 billion, including €1.9B last year. With a global network of 1,000+ experts and mentors, it delivers high-caliber guidance through its three centers of expertise: : Incubation & Acceleration, Deep Tech and Social Entrepreneurship.

HEC alumni have founded 16 unicorns worldwide, 14 still active today, a strong marker of the Institute’s lasting impact on European innovation. Entrepreneurship is both a personal journey and a force for change. Its mantra, "Make it happen, Make it BIG", aligns with HEC Paris's mission in order to support entrepreneurs determined to build high-impact solutions.

Read the 2024 activity report