The three-day online Bootcamp workshop, organized by SKEMA Ventures from May 17 to 19, concluded successfully last week. As the third quarantine just ended, all the coaches, the jury members and the entrepreneurs gathered online for, what we hope to be, the last online event of the year.
The SKEMA Ventures coaching team selected seven mature projects from 150 incubated projects within SKEMA Business School and its partner schools. The selection was based on the potential of the projects, the level of maturity, and the proactivity in participation of the project holders in SKEMA Ventures’ activities throughout the year.
The startup ideas this year covered a wide spectrum, ranging from food (coffee shop) to sustainable e-commerce, artificial intelligence, healthcare (coaching for Type 1 diabetics), student work, and much more.
Intensive Coaching
The objectives of the project holders were to work on their business plan and grow their business. To achieve this, the projects were given special training and dedicated coaching by SKEMA Ventures. The coaching on the value proposition pitch and the pitch deck for investors helped them to strengthen their business plan, attract potential partners and investors, and move towards acquiring initial clients.
As a bonus on the first day, we had the pleasure of welcoming Antony Giordano, a former incubee, who launched the restaurant “Père & Fish” three years ago.
The second day was dedicated to developing the business model through the refinement of the go-to-market strategy and working out the financial forecasts. “The Bootcamp workshop was intense and enriching. I can see how much work I need to put in,” said one of the participants.
“I was able to refine my concept and take powerful decisions to grow my business,” added another project holder.
Finally, on the third day, the student entrepreneurs were ready to face the jury to pitch their projects. This year’s jury included representatives from BPI, SKEMA Business School faculty, facilitators, local authorities, and PEPITE. They listened to the 15-minute pitches of the students and gave them valuable feedback on how they could improve their project.
“The Bootcamp workshop really empowered my project. I learned to synthesize my technical project and make it more comprehensible to clients and partners,” said a participant. “It was really intense; we were challenged throughout the three days. The coaches helped us to be impactful with our pitch,” emphasized another participant.
Despite the online format, this Bootcamp workshop helped SKEMA’s students and alumni entrepreneurs to really fast-track their development, ask themselves more relevant questions, and receive the motivation they needed to strive harder. This year, once again, the jury was impressed by “their passion and innovation focused on sustainability and positive impact.” Creating value for individuals, the economy and society are the three pillars that drive SKEMA Ventures.
