Deeptech
Transforming digital science research into innovative startups
Date:
Changed on 04/12/2024
At Inria, entrepreneurial risk-taking is more than just a state of mind, it's one of the cornerstones of research in the digital sciences. Thanks in particular to Inria Startup Studio, our institute supports scientists in the creation of deeptech startups, transforming their ideas into concrete solutions to tomorrow's challenges.
Innovation: a major part of the research centers
Innovation is essential in a research center like Inria. It allows the acquisition of new ideas and theories and an access to more knowledge in multiple scientific and societal fields.
At Inria, technological innovation and entrepreneurial risk are an integral part of the Institute's DNA. Mathilde Saleur, startup manager at the Innovation Transfer and Partnership Department (STIP) of the Inria Center or the University of Bordeaux, explains:
Innovation is a powerful lever for responding to current issues and transforming our society. Inria cultivates this innovation and encourages it in particular through the Inria Startup Studio program.
From research to entrepreneurship: the keyrole of Inria Startup Studio
Deeptech startups, which by definition use or develop advanced technologies, play a full part in this dynamic, offering solutions to many of today's complex challenges. The ambition of these new companies is to put technological innovation at the service of major societal issues such as ecology, access to education, medical progress... So many subjects that animate the digital science research community.
While Inria has supported startups since its inception (the first startup project dates back to 1984), things took another turn in 2019, when the Inria Startup Studio was created. Since then, over 150 projects have been supported. The collaboration between project leaders and Inria lasts for 1 year. During this year, startup creators will benefit from comprehensive support and will be assisted at every stage of their project's development...
The profiles selected to take part in the program are people with an entrepreneurial spirit (researcher, PhD student, student, engineer, self-taught ... from Inria or not) and with a startup project with digital deeptech DNA and the technical capacity to develop the Proof of Concept.
According to Mathilde Saleur:
Our role is to support entrepreneurs by giving them tools, knowledge and a network, so that they can develop their projects under the right conditions.
Inria Startup Studio proposes a method called “co-design”. Project leaders are supported in two ways: on a local, day-to-day basis by the innovation managers at their centers, and from a more distant angle by ISS co-designers.
The support is therefore permanent and daily, coupled with a board approach, similar to that of a start-up's board of directors, whose members are above all the project owners, the centers' innovation managers and the ISS co-designers. These daily, recurring meetings put the project in ideal conditions to prepare the creation of the startup before its development towards new horizons.
The program also offers more than 60 hours of training and two camps, so that entrepreneurs can expand their knowledge and challenge their project with peers.
Support that goes beyond the Startup Studio
The support offered by Inria Startup Studio doesn't stop at the end of the program year. Even after a possible transition to another incubator, startup managers and project leaders remain in close contact. What's more, links with Inria's technologies and research teams can sometimes be maintained, enabling long-lasting collaborations with scientists. A good example is the startup Flit Run, which, several years after leaving the startup studio, is still working with the Potioc project-team as part of the European “ SPEARS ” project.
At the Inria Center at the University of Bordeaux, this dynamic network is further strengthened by a number of opportunities for exchange and sharing. Innovation breaks, where alumni come back to share their experiences, and the “Célébrations!” event planned for December 2024, are all opportunities to keep in touch and benefit from constructive feedback.
Celebrations! an event to celebrate 20 years of Inria support for startups in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region
To coincide with Innovation Week on the Bordeaux campus, “Célébrations!” on December 4, 2024, will bring together all the historical partners of the Inria Centre at the University of Bordeaux ( BPI France, FrenchTech Bordeaux, Aquitaine Sciences Transfert, Bordeaux Technowest, Unitec…) and entrepreneurs supported from the very beginning to the present day , to celebrate 20 years of support for startups in New Aquitaine by Inria and its ecosystem.
On the program: stands and demonstrations, talks and testimonials from entrepreneurs and innovation players!
Success-stories: when innovation comes to life
Denergium
DENERGIUM (Digital Energy Optimum) is a start-up created by Hervé Mathieu, former head of the experimentation and development department at the Inria Center at Bordeaux University.
This startup uses energy optimization to enable companies to improve their use of digital infrastructures.
He was supported by Inria startup studio in 2022. Since his departure, he has been supported by Unitec, an incubator that fosters the emergence of innovative startups. This second collaboration, combined with the knowledge acquired during his time at the startup studio, enabled him to build up a team and further structure his sales and fund-raising strategy.
Today, Hervé Mathieu has two partners and has just won the I-Lab 2024 prize. This award, which recognizes innovative deep-tech companies, is a fine victory that highlights many years of hard work. Hervé Mathieu explains:
I've spent my entire career at Inria, and the Institute has put its trust in me to support my project. Inria Startup Studio has created an environment that is conducive to turning an idea into a business project.
Co-Idea
Another start-up, Co-Idea, is making great strides. Launched by Philippe Giraudeau, a former doctoral student on the Potioc project team, Co-Idea specializes in new educational technologies and is revolutionizing the way we learn, whether at school or in the workplace. Using an overhead projector, a camera and a table, Co-Idea makes learning interactive and participative.
During his thesis, Philippe Giraudeau was not convinced by the startup model. "At first, I was anti-startup because I thought that a research institute should not finance such projects. In the end, I realized that if we wanted to add value to our tools, we had to go through a startup,” says Philippe Giraudeau.
It took him 6 months after graduating from the Inria startup studio to launch the company. Today, Co-Idea is growing rapidly.
Philippe Giraudeau talks about his experience at Inria:
Inria has been a key partner, supporting the idea from conception to fruition, ensuring its development and success.
HackAtech
Organized in 2023 by the Inria Center of the University of Bordeaux and the University of Bordeaux, HackAtech has become a veritable springboard for innovation and entrepreneurship. For 54 hours, this digital science innovation marathon brought together scientists, students, entrepreneurs and technology enthusiasts, all united by the same goal: to transform bold ideas into concrete projects based on Inria technologies. Thanks to expert guidance and a collaborative approach, the teams were able to benefit from high-quality support, perfectly illustrating Inria's commitment to stimulating technological innovation.
One of the winning projects, which won the jury's grand prize, is about to join the Inria Startup Studio program, thus taking a decisive step forward in its development. This success embodies the added value of Inria's support: far beyond the event itself, participants benefit from long-term coaching, from the design phase through to business creation. The 2023 edition of the hackAtech thus bears witness to Inria's ability to hatch ideas and transform them into forward-looking businesses, helping to energize Bordeaux's entrepreneurial ecosystem.