A first collaboration between the HEC MBA Entrepreneurship Club and HEC Startup Circle , HEC Startup Night was a success! With over 160 attendees from across HEC programs and even including other local schools, the event took place in Wunderbar, a hub of student life at the center of campus, taking on a rather cool vibe with the space’s colorful wall art as a backdrop. First Prize went to MBA student Maximilian Girod for successfully pitching his app Petla, designed to help pet owners connect quickly and easily with their veterinarians either for fast advice, or a clinic appointment. Other panelists and jury members included: Orhiane Savarese, Maxime Paradise, Theo Lion, Julie Leroy, Louis Durance, Jeremy Blackwell and Mathieu Artaud.

Complementary Clubs Working Together

The HEC MBA Entrepreneurship Club is a student-led organization that promotes innovation and entrepreneurship among MBA students. With a mission to connect students with the broader entrepreneurship ecosystem, the club organized networking opportunities with startups and founders, guest speaker events, and mentorship to nurture entrepreneurial spirits!

HEC Startup Circle is a community of entrepreneurs, advisors and investors who organize an incubation program for startups within the HEC community: the first student-led program for pre-seed companies at HEC! Having helped more than 15 startups in two years, the group’s goal is to aid founders and continue to create opportunities for them.

The Event

The afternoon began with a roundtable talk with startup founders, VCs and incubators in the tech sector. A Pitch Game followed, and finally a Networking Party for participants. The Pitch “Game” was an opportunity to practice the pitch and get real-time feedback from an expert panel. The Networking component gave participants the chance to seek out their ideal co-founders. By filling in a profile beforehand, interested parties could match up in person.

Over 30 pitch decks were submitted to the competition and five were chosen to present on stage in front of early stage VCs and investors. The prize included a private tour of Station F, breakfast with entrepreneurs, lunch with the HEC Paris incubator team, and two hours of coaching for the winning project.

Startup Night puts participants at the forefront of disruptive technologies and ideas, giving them access to groundbreaking innovations. The event allowed participants to engage and form powerful connections with fellow sponsors, seasoned entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders. By opening doors for potential collaboration, the evening held exciting possibilities.

More to come

The opportunities to connect across HEC programs is infinite and HEC Startup Night was another example of the community uniting across groups to support great ideas. After a successful first collaboration, we can expect more events in the future: stay tuned!

In the HEC Paris MBA, specializations are another great way to tailor your MBA experience. The Entrepreneurship Specialization provides students with the opportunity to act as a real entrepreneur over the course of several months. What better way to know if this way of life is for you?