Every year, many students cultivate the idea of starting a business but because of fear, lack of support, administrative processes, prejudices towards young people… few decide to take the step.
This is where institutions such asUnitec and INCUB INSEEC come in. Their role is to encourage and help students to embark on an entrepreneurial adventure. Focus on this new partnership and the first company to benefit from it : OUIDROP.
UNITEC, support at all stages of a company’s life
Unitec is one of the main support structures for start-ups in the Bordeaux metropolitan area. It advises on 3 specific fields Digital, life sciences and engineering sciences. It intervenes at all levels: from the idea to the creation of the company (incubator), in its structuring and development (incubator), in its strategic growth (development) and in its scaling up via the UpGrade Nouvelle-Aquitaine gas pedal.
Since its creation, it has contributed to the creation of 588 start-ups on the territory! And this with a sustainability rate of 86% of the companies monitored after 5 years.
Each start-up benefits from personalized support and training according to the progress of its project. Since 1999, 91 projects supported by Unitec have won the National Competition for the creation of innovative technology companies (i-Lab), organized by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.
INCUB INSEEC, an incubator for OMNES Education students and alumni
The INCUB INSEEC provides free support to all students or alumni of the OMNES Education group who have a project to create or take over a company. This support takes the form of:
- Provision of a co-working space located on the docks with a meeting room, private rooms and shared offices
- Individual and group coaching on all issues that can be encountered by young entrepreneurs: legal, financing, digital marketing, accounting, personal development, story telling etc.
- Access to the network of schools, alumni and partner companies.
About ten projects are welcomed and supported each year within the Bordeaux Incubator.
More information on the projects followed and the Incubator’s news on our LinkedIN page.
The UNITEC x INCUB’INSEEC partnership
UNITEC and INSEEC share a common desire to support the development of innovative business projects in Aquitaine.
This will be done through :
- Entrepreneurship awareness and workshops open to all the schools of the OMNES Education group
- An entrepreneurship pathway open to all BACHELOR, MSc&MBA, BBA, HEIP, ECE and Grande Ecole programs to support the projects of its students,
- A common application to the 2 incubation programs allowing to benefit from a double support.
Fundamentally, INCUB’INSEEC, working to help innovative business projects emerge and mature in the pre-creation phase, and UNITEC, working to create companies and secure their maturation and economic development, wish to coordinate their actions in the interest of the young innovative companies that they support together.
OUIDROP, precursor of the double incubation UNITEC/INCUB
Created in 2017 at INCUB’INSEEC, by Thibault Soulier, still a student at INSEEC Grande Ecole, OUIDROP is a company from Bordeaux which has designed the robotic parcel drop-off/pick-up system for all operators. With the explosion of e-commerce, OUIDROP has been able to stand out thanks to a unique technology: the movement of individual racks allowing a great modularity and speed of execution.
In January 2018, OUIDROP joined UNITEC and made its first fundraising. The young company also launched its first production site and expanded its team, which now numbers 15 people. After a period of R&D, in 2021, the commercialization is launched. Several large companies choose the OUIDROP solution, including La Poste, for its 24/7 Click & Collect and self-service.
OUIDROP, the 1st robotized parcel drop-off/pick-up system for all operators
Thibault testifies to his double incubation: “I started my project while I was still a student. I realize today that without the support I received from INCUB INSEEC, it would have been much more difficult, especially for my field, Tech. I was able to benefit from a lot of advice that gave me the necessary support to move forward and accelerate. It was at the Incubator that I found my current partner: Edouard. I’m still in contact with the coaches and incubates of my class, and we still enjoy meeting and discussing our respective issues.
UNITEC accompanied me for the next phase, which is the structuring and financing phase. The team, composed of experts in their fields, gave me a thorough and personalized follow-up. They supported me in my fundraising process and gave me the visibility I needed to grow.
Thank you to these two structures that have helped me a lot in the success of OUIDROP!”
Updated 26 August 2022