Next40/120, Business O Féminin, Fundraising… The News from ESSEC Entrepreneurs

A round-up of recent highlights from the world of ESSEC entrepreneurship

Rankings

13 alumni-led startups have been included in the 2024 edition of Next40/120, the government's ranking of the most promising young startups in the French technology sector: 360Learning, a learning platform co-founded by Guillaume Alary (M08); Contentsquare, an online customer conversion optimisation solution created by Jonathan Cherki (E11); Electra, an electric vehicle fast-charging station operator co-founded by Augustin Derville (E19); Equativ, an online advertising platform run by Arnaud Creput (E99); Exotrail, a satellite propulsion solution to combat space pollution co-founded by Nicolas Heitz (M13); Foodles, a phygital cafeteria service for businesses co-founded by Clément Bonhomme (E11); Greenly, a carbon emissions management platform co-founded by Arnaud Delubac (M20); SiPearl, a manufacturer of microprocessors combining low energy consumption and high performance computing created by Philippe Notton (EXEC MBA 08) and a partner of ESSEC; Ultra Premium Direct, a leader in pet food launched by Matthieu Wincker (E95); Umiami, a producer of nutritious, low-carbon 'plant-based meat' co-founded by Tristan Maurel (E20), incubated by ESSEC Ventures and winner of the 2021 ESSEC Founders Day competition; Worldia, a platform for organising tailor-made trips co-founded by Grégoire Pasquet (E08); and Ÿnsect, a solution for transforming insects into proteins and fertiliser co-founded by Alexis Angot (E08). Also of note is Akeneo, the product information management platform, which has appointed Jesse Créange (E17) as Vice President Supplier Data Management.  

Emmanuelle Duez (E12) has won the Business O Féminin 2024 award in the Impact category for Bugali, which uses technology to enhance the reading experience and instil a taste for books from an early age. 'Because growing up in the company of a book is the first criterion of social determinism and because the first sense to develop is touch, we have made our paper tactile. Long before they know how to read, children will discover the works at their fingertips during the early-learning phase, then during the childhood phase, from 2 to 8 years old, through play and exploration: here a fife, there an immersion into the inner workings of the saxophone or the cello, well-hidden verses by Victor Hugo, everywhere nursery rhymes composed by a jazzman and a poet, everywhere an interpretation by actors in French and English. And other languages in the future.' 

Fundraising

Co-founded by Jean Cuiné (EXEC MBA 21) and Jean Garrec (EXEC MBA 21), Biophta is raising €6.5 million for its technological drug delivery solution, which improves the treatment of chronic eye diseases such as glaucoma and AMD. This seed funding round will enable the ESSEC Ventures-incubated startup to launch its clinical trials.   

Founded by Mathias Veil (E12), Caats is raising €5 million 'to get France purring'. Or, to put it more concretely, to develop its range of healthy foods for cats, adapted to the physiology of each animal profile.  

Co-founded by Guillaume Delanoue (E22), Fullwhere is raising €1.3 million to enable companies to manage their customer interactions in one click using artificial intelligence: emails, reviews, satisfaction surveys, instant messages, contact forms, tickets, etc. Its promise: 90% of customer exchanges automated, multiplying the time saved by nine and nearly doubling the response rate.  

Co-founded by Arnaud Delacour (E10) and a member of the ESSEC - ESSEC Alumni incubator at Station F, The Very Food is raising more than €1 million for its plant-based ingredients for the food industry - in particular a natural emulsifier that replaces egg white in pastries and mixology, and a kneaded butter for bakery and Viennese pastries. The startup thus intends to boost its commercial development.  

Co-founded by Guillaume Escolier (E18) and Lucas Zimmermann (E18), Wax IO is raising €1 million for its SaaS platform that automates and customises brand communications on Whatsapp. Its aim is to conquer the European e-commerce and retail market, having already helped more than 100 companies exchange 6 million messages with their customers and generate more than €5 million in sales.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Co-founded by Morgan Hilmi (E12), the children's products resale platform Beebs is joining Kiabi. The leading startup in its segment, already used by 2 million families, has joined forces with France's favourite children's fashion brand: 'We could not have imagined a better partner with which to join forces.'  

Co-founded by Eliane Lugassy (E13), flex office services operator Witco is continuing its external growth strategy just a few months after acquiring the customers of District Technologies by purchasing its competitor SharingCloud, a specialist in space reservation management. This €9 million investment brings the company's workforce to 120, enabling it to broaden its functional coverage and extend its international distribution network.

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