2022 highlights - Incubator

Published on October 23, 2023 – Updated on November 6, 2023
2022 was a busy and productive year for the Centrale-Audencia-Ensa incubator, which continued to build on its momentum by supporting start-ups as they grow, and inspiring student and alumni communities by promoting entrepreneurship.


Raising awareness of entrepreneurship

 
The Incubator's remit goes far beyond supporting its startups: over the course of 2022, more than 600 students were made aware of entrepreneurship through a wide variety of formats: INSPIRE videoconferences, which are meetings between students and entrepreneurs, and numerous partner events linked to the 3 schools and the student entrepreneurship ecosystem: Weekend Dare, Rencontre Entrepreneuriat Deeptech, Instant carrière, Spice Up, Doctinnov Concours Audace, Deeptech Tour.

Numerous awareness-raising meetings and events were also held throughout the year at the 3 schools. An Instagram page and a monthly newsletter were set up, again with the aim of enabling students to explore entrepreneurship, at their own pace.


Supporting innovation

 
Thanks to the two calls for applications launched in 2022, a total of 21 innovative companies have been supported by the Incubator, with a fine diversity of business sectors: Software & services, Marketplace, Cleantech, Healthech, Winetech, AI & data, Fintech, Edtech. Among them are 14 impact startups and 5 Deeptech startups, illustrating the incubator's growing commitment to supporting innovations that create value for society.

To help our graduate entrepreneurs meet the challenges of entrepreneurship and provide them with the tools they need to turn their project into a success, over 300 hours of expertise in office hours and mentoring have been mobilized with our growing community of 150 experts by the end of 2022. More than 30 workshops on methodology, strategy, business development, marketing, tech, financing, legal affairs, management and HR were held during the year.


Outreach

 
Aurelien Babarit présentant Farwind Energy à la Ministre Sylvie Retailleau
The incubator attracted a great deal of attention during the year.

Demo Day brought together the entire ecosystem (investors, experts, alumni entrepreneurs) around the incubatees. The incubator also partnered Startup Innovation Day, during which 6 prizes were won by incubated startups. A startup from the Incubator won a prize in the Coup de Pouce 2022 competition organized by the Fondation Le Roch Les Mousquetaires and IMT Atlantique at Centrale Nantes.

The end of the year was marked by an official visit from Sylvie Retailleau, French Minister of Higher Education and Research, during which 3 startups from the Centrale-Audencia-Ensa Incubator: FARWIND ENERGY, AKRYVIA and Miura Simulation presented their innovations: a welcome highlight that underlines the government's interest in Centrale's innovations and the deeptech entrepreneurship that is emerging at Centrale Nantes.

In terms of fundraising, in 2022, no less than €19 million was raised by incubated startups and alumni.

A productive year for the incubator, with some fine achievements:
 
  • Farwind Energy in Challenge magazine's 100 startups to invest in
  • Stimcar attracted equity investment from Stellantis, the world's 4th-largest car manufacturer
  • Greenov won the European Innovation Council's EIC Accelerator program, receiving a €2.39 million grant for its "SubSea Quieter ©" underwater noise reduction system.
  • SuperCargo inaugurated its 1st container converted into a workspace
  • La Ruche à Vin won the CCI Nantes Saint-Nazaire prize in the Start West 2022 competition
  • Miura Simulation won the iLab 2022 innovation award
  • Healshape raised €6 million in capital
  • Articonnex opened its third warehouse in Vannes

Published on October 23, 2023 Updated on November 6, 2023