DÉCLIC DAY: THE WORLD OF START-UPS CONTINUE TO GAIN VISIBILITY!
THE biggest student festival for innovation and entrepreneurship was back for the 5th time on October 24th! This year, more than 70 start-ups and major groups were invited to the event in Rouen by the student association, Déclic Entreprendre.
This highly influential event was held at the Halle aux Toiles in Rouen on Thursday, October 24th. Many young students, graduates and members of the general public came along to discover this attractive, but otherwise mysterious world of the start-up. “We still struggle against stereotypes,” Marine Lambert et Clémence Rérolle, from ELINOI, a start-up recruitment company. “Many people still associate the word ‘start-up’ with insecurity and a new branch of the job market reserved only for the younger generation. These ultra flexible profiles only work between games of table football and for very little pay. But the reality is actually quite different. The start-up world offers a wealth of different professions. You find people from many different backgrounds, including many experienced seniors. Today, working in a start-up means working first and foremost for a common project. Working towards developing a concept where everyone’s ideas count!”
Raising awareness and real career opportunities
There is true feeling of excitement in the aisles. On one side are the booths run by the 70 or so invited start-ups and on the other side, the inspirational lectures, including one by Ayumi Moore Aoki, founder of Women in Tech. Plus, there are introductory sessions in virtual reality and mental energy. Visitors can discover new concepts, new markets and new trends at the numerous themed villages. The start-ups also have the opportunity to raise awareness about their products and services. “Today, for a start-up, having people from a wide range of backgrounds and different ages come along and tell you what they think of your product is a unique, not to be missed opportunity. A real boost for development,” explain Daniel and Ludovic, co-founders of Feels, a new meeting app.
Déclic Entreprendre is the NEOMA student association for entrepreneurship and innovation behind this annual event. “We have a number of objectives in putting on this event,” explains Emilien RUELLAN, President of the Rouen Association. “The first is to raise awareness about the world of start-ups. This is why we contact a diverse range of companies and sectors each year to show the wealth of potential professions. The second objective allows students to discover new concepts and ideas and an opportunity to become part of the development through employment opportunities. The attending companies can therefore meet people with interesting profiles whilst having the opportunity to test their products on potential targets. Déclic Day therefore aims to connect students and the world of start-ups with a view to creating as many synergies as possible for everyone concerned!”
StartupOnly, a powered by NEOMA BS story
Matthias GOLDENBERG, graduated from NEOMA BS (PGE) only a few months ago. Today, he has come to introduce “Startuponly”, the company he set up with numerous partners during his first-year internship at NEOMA. The Concept? A platform that offers jobs and internships exclusively for start-ups. “I’ve attended every D-Day event since it was launched 5 years ago. We have a number of objectives in attending. First, it allows us to meet potential candidates we may hire to help our business development. Then, we make the most of our presence to promote our site, which in turn allows us to enhance the diversity of the candidates who consult our platform. This event also allows us to further our development, since all the start-ups present are potential customers. Last but not least, I try to attend as many NEOMA events as possible. The fact that we are still here after 4 years is also thanks to the School’s Incubators. They have given me a lot of support that is ongoing today. Financially, in the beginning, and then with ideas and advice to help with organisation and development.”
