Cracking the HEC Paris Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center

What do you really know about the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (I&E Center) at HEC Paris? Probably not as much as you should. IEC is only the tip of the iceberg of the fascinating HEC Paris innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. Our latest report will definitely help you get a full grasp of our incredible community and achievements.

Who said annual reports had to be boring?

To clarify what really lies behind the I&E Center, we came up with a report that would demonstrate the Center’s originality and creativity. This is why we designed a one-of-its-kind report, combining tradition and innovation, with a focus on meaningful objectives. We indeed wanted to put the spotlight on the amazing community HEC Paris has built over time around the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, and to showcase our latest accomplishments. Most importantly, we wished to pay tribute to the exceptional talents, schools and organizations that work together through the I&E Center to bring impactful projects to life and to make an impact.

Innovation and entrepreneurship, a clear ambition at HEC Paris

To understand where HEC Paris stands in terms of entrepreneurship and innovation, one can look closer at the school values: entrepreneurial spirit, curiosity, responsibility, excellence and diversity. All that is needed to ensure that the people entering the HEC Paris ecosystem can make an impact and contribute to a better world.

Was 2021 an exceptional year? It definitely was! These numbers are here to prove it.

220 startups supported, including 70 tech startups

€2.4B raised by HEC Paris entrepreneurs in 2021

10 of the leading unicorns worldwide were founded by HEC Paris alumni.

The Front startup is the last one to join the HEC-made unicorns family!

?#FrenchTech startup @FrontHQ co-founded by @HECAlumni @collinmathilde makes up tenth "Made-in-HEC" unicorn ?! https://t.co/5CJ7o2TlWS @HECParisEnt cc @LaFrenchTech
— HEC Paris Business School (@HECParis) July 15, 2022

To make it all happen, we made sure to:

Always stay ahead of the game. Both the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center and the worldwide academic network observatory Netexplo keep a close eye on future trends, such as sustainable innovation and immersive identity just to name a few.
Support in every possible way innovators and entrepreneurs at every single stage of their project.
Bring together talented men and women endowed with an entrepreneurial spirit and a thirst for exceptional innovation.

“As an entrepreneur, demanding the best of oneself entails trying to be the best version of yourself day in and day out. Striving for excellence is essential to help you stand out from others and develop solutions that surpass those available on the market. Excellence means being a better person in all ways, not only in terms of business results, but also in the way we conduct ourselves, perform our jobs, manage situations and interact with others.”

Victor Lugger, Co-founder @ sunday Co-founder @ Big Mamma

Last but not least, we make sure our program portfolio covers innovators and entrepreneurs’ needs no matter the essence of their project (DeepTech, Social Innovation, Women Entrepreneurship) and its stage: Start, Launch, Build, Scale. Lately, we have for instance developed the successful Challenge + program in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, and also launched the WomenEntrepreneurs4Good (WE4) acceleration program in partnership with the Women's Forum to give even more people the chances to bring their projects to life.