ChangeNOW 2025: HEC Paris Startups Pitch & Climate Action
From April 24th to 26th, ChangeNOW 2025 - the largest event dedicated to solutions for the planet - will take place, and HEC Paris will be at the heart of the action! Five GreenTech startups from the HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute ecosystem will take the stage to present their groundbreaking solutions. But that’s not all, because beyond innovation, the climate emergency and sustainability require large-scale action! Discover the complete agenda of HEC Paris’s involvement in this event and learn how HEC Paris startups are accelerating the transition to a sustainable world.
This major event for climate action highlights the School's commitment through its various action pillars that fully reflect its mission: research (think), education (teach), and entrepreneurship (act). April 25th will be a day entirely dedicated to HEC Paris, featuring a structured presence centered around four key highlights:
- An inspiring conference led by François Gemenne, a Professor at HEC Paris and an expert on climate issues.
- Participation in the collective session of Business Schools for Climate Leadership (BS4CL), alongside the leading European business schools committed to climate action.
- An exclusive networking lunch bringing together the entire impact ecosystem of HEC Paris: alumni, partners, investors, and engaged stakeholders.
- Finally, to conclude this impactful day, there will be a pitch session dedicated to GreenTech startups from HEC Paris's entrepreneurial ecosystem, who will present their solutions before a panel of experts.
Lessons from the Past: Shaping the Future of International Climate Action
On April 25th at 10:45 AM, François Gemenne, Professor at HEC Paris and the Academic Director of the Master in Sustainability and Social Innovation (SASI), will speak at the conference titled "Lessons from the Past: Shaping the Future of International Climate Action."
As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement and global cooperation is being tested like never before, François Gemenne will provide a candid analysis of past successes and setbacks. The aim is to illuminate tomorrow's decisions and strengthen collective action in a transitioning world.
Alongside him, influential voices will enhance the discussion: Paul Watkinson (international climate expert), Lola Vallejo (Director of Diplomacy and Partnerships, European Climate Foundation), Pascal Canfin (Member of the European Parliament), and Amy Dahan (Director of Research at CNRS) will each share their perspectives on the key drivers for a more coherent and ambitious climate future.
A session not to be missed for those who wish to understand the current state of international climate action and how it can still make a significant impact.
François Gemenne, Professor at HEC Paris and a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), at the ChangeNOW event in Paris (2024 edition)
LEARN. LEAD. TRANSFORM : Business Schools for Climate Leadership (BS4CL)
From 11:45 AM to 12:45 PM, HEC Paris will participate in the session LEARN. LEAD. TRANSFORM., alongside the leading European business schools united within the BS4CL (Business Schools for Climate Leadership) network: HEC, IE, IESE, INSEAD, IMD, LBS, Cambridge Judge, and Oxford Saïd.
A three-part program, moderated by Conchita Galdon (IE) and Fernanda Accorsi (IESE), designed to explore the crucial role of education in the sustainable transformation of organizations:
- Panel Discussion with Deans: How to Integrate Climate Issues at the Core of Educational Programs?
Speakers include Eloïc Peyrache (HEC Paris), Lee Newman (IE), David Bach (IMD), and Francisco Veloso (INSEAD).
- Alumni Testimonials: Inspiring journeys of former students who have become agents of change, featuring Anne-Fleur Goll (HEC), Senior Consultant for Climate & Finance at Deloitte; Dr. Maria de Oca (IESE), Head of Global Sustainability at AB Enzymes; and Chris Caldwell (LBS), CEO of United Renewables.
Inspiring Keynote: Nadine-Hélène Santiago, Chief Sustainability Officer at Weleda, will share her vision of a sustainable business model rooted in the human-nature relationship for over a century.
Networking : Strengthening the synergies between HEC Paris and its alumni
From 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM, a VIP networking lunch will be held at the Balcon d’Honneur. This event aims to bring together the HEC alumni community, representatives from the BS4CL network schools, and the teams from HEC Paris to foster exchanges, connections, and collaborations around sustainability and innovation challenges.
Pitch Session - HEC Paris x ChangeNOW: Impact Makers – Entrepreneurship for a Sustainable Future
At 4:30 PM, the Garden Stage of ChangeNOW will be dedicated to the GreenTech innovations of HEC Paris. Five promising startups from our ecosystem will take the stage for the session "HEC Paris x ChangeNOW: Impact Makers – Entrepreneurship for a Sustainable Future," moderated by Emma France, Director of Impact Development at HEC Paris - Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute.
The startups selected from the HEC Paris Incubator programs, Challenge+, and CDL-Paris will present their groundbreaking solutions before a jury comprised of Vincent Rapp, Executive Director at Hi! PARIS Center - AI for Science, Business & Society; Aurélie Lustenberger, Global Vice President of Sustainability at Capgemini Invent; and Anita de Voisins, Partner at Daphni/Time4, who will evaluate these pitches to reward the most impactful projects.
Without further ado, here are the startups selected for this pitch session:
Aquaphys
Aquaphys optimizes the use of water and energy through IoT (Internet of Things), AI (Artificial Intelligence), and sustainable solutions. They focus on the management of water, wastewater, steam, and air conditioning.
Founder: Grégoire Profit
HEC Paris Program: HEC Challenge +
Peel Lab
Peel Lab develops plant-based leather for the fashion and construction industries. They focus on new sustainable materials and reducing environmental impact by offering a B2B GreenTech alternative. Their leather is made from plant-based materials, produced sustainably and ethically.
Founder: Jim Huang
HEC Paris Program: Incubateur HEC Paris, JETRO Startup Program.
Revolty
Revolty specializes in providing both eco-friendly and affordable residential solar batteries. By repurposing LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries from electric vehicles, Revolty reduces electronic waste and offers sustainable energy storage solutions. Their 5kWh – 48V battery modules are designed to maximize solar energy self-consumption, enabling households to effectively store excess electricity.
Founders: Valentin Heuzé & Mathilde Janicot
HEC Paris Program: Incubateur HEC Paris, WE4G
SoIReed
SolReed gives a second life to photovoltaic panels to reduce environmental impact and promote social integration. They develop protocols for detecting faults and repairing photovoltaic panels. SolReed has also created a mobile solution for repairing and monitoring defective panels in solar plants.
Founders: Matthieu Verdon et Luc Federzoni
HEC Paris Program: HEC Challenge +
Toore
Toore offers a software solution specifically designed to streamline and enhance refurbishment operations while maximizing profitability. Tailored to track the unique identity of each item, the platform enables precise management of the product and component lifecycle. With an intuitive and user-friendly interface, teams can effortlessly monitor operations, optimize workflows, and gain real-time visibility into the distribution of workloads and resource allocation.
Founders: Thibault Geoffray et Mathieu Seris
HEC Paris Program: HEC Challenge +
Beyond sustainable innovation, we need large-scale impact!
HEC Paris's participation in ChangeNOW 2025 goes beyond being a mere showcase for sustainable entrepreneurial initiatives. It is part of a deeper movement focused on achieving large-scale impact.
This ambition for impact is particularly embodied in a significant cinematic project: Legion 44, the latest film by director Leila Conners, which will premiere on April 24 at Publicis Cinéma. This documentary shines a light on a new generation of climate innovators, especially from the Global South, who are developing groundbreaking solutions such as carbon capture and carbon removal.
This theme is closely linked to the CDL-Paris Carbon Removal program initiated by HEC Paris and supported by XPRIZE, which brings together students, researchers, and entrepreneurs around a dedicated cohort focused on eliminating CO2 from the atmosphere. Through this collaboration, as well as the involvement of student initiatives like HEC Transition, the School actively contributes to this collective momentum of transformation. Legion 44 powerfully reminds us that climate innovation is also a human adventure, and that change fundamentally hinges on collective effort.
And that's not all! At the heart of this commitment is Time4, an impact investment fund (still being set up) currently being established by Daphni, Live for Good, Les Déterminés, and supported by HEC Paris. It aims to cultivate new role models within the tech ecosystem that are more inclusive, representative, and engaged. The goal is to support around one hundred projects backed by French entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds and fragile rural areas.
