Ready, steady… Go! Congratulations to the three winners of the ‘Coup de Pouce’ competition !

15 June 2020 By

On Wednesday 10 June, eight startups incubated at NEOMA faced one another in the final of the Le Roch-Les Mousquetaires Foundation’s Coup de Pouce competition, for the chance to win one of three prizes worth €4,000, €6,000 and €10,000.

The competition has the aim of encouraging young entrepreneurs to set out in pursuit of their ambitions and this fifth edition was exceptionally organised via ZOOM due to the health situation in France and around the world. The 100% digital format ensured that each candidate was able to present their project in compliance with all health and safety guidelines.

“It was all the more important for this year’s Coup de Pouce Competition to go ahead as the lockdown has had such a huge impact on startups,” explains Nathalie Moock, Managing Director of the Le Roch-Les Mousquetaires Foundation. “The competition, as its name suggests, acts as a springboard and an incentive for fledgling startups by providing encouragement as they set out on their journey.”

Eyes were eagerly fixed on webcams as the results were about to be announced by the jury, which this year included Nathalie Moock, General Delegate of the la Fondation Le Roch – Les Mousquetaires, Christophe Paumard, Director, Le Roch – Les Mousquetaires Foundation, Gautier Dhaussy (PGE 07), BudgetBox, founder, Carmen-Maria Medina, Analyst and Business Manager, SoWeFund and François Jolly, Head of NEOMA Incubators.

Huge congratulations to the three start-up winners of the 2020 competition!

1st Prix : NicoMed, a medical device for medical staff carrying out Blood Gas tests, launched by Lucile Derly,  MSc Marketing Research and Decision Making 2019. “We are thrilled and honoured to be named winners of this competition. This prize is aptly named because we really needed a helping hand! This financial boost will go towards the completion of our R&D phase and will be a huge help in our development. We need funding to make a 3D print-out of our prototype and carry out the required conformity tests for all medical equipment. This also gives the startup, NicoMed,  a strong argument to launch a fundraising campaign to finance a functional prototype. Many thanks to the Fondation Le Roch – Les Mousquetaires for believing in our project and supporting us.”

2nd Prix : ergonimmo, a real estate investment strategy simulator. Having answered an online questionnaire, users receive a 100% personalised strategy and a suggestion of the real estate project best suited to their situation. Created by Jonathan Bonnet, PGE graduate 2017.

“Winning second prize in the Coup de Pouce competition came at just the right time for ergonimmo. Since  the website was launched  last February, I’ve advised hundreds of real estate investors and I really  want to maintain this excellent momentum! The prize money will allow me to improve the user experience by contracting external service providers. The award and the prize money are also a true recognition of the work accomplished so far and an additional incentive for us to be constantly improving the quality of the service. Once again, thank you to the jury and the Foundation for your support!”

3rd Prize : Quiiet. Thanks to its fully-equipped soundproof booths, Quiiet offers employees the possibility to cut themselves off from the outside world at work by reducing noise pollution and improving communication confidentiality. Launched by Clément Lemaire, Global BBA graduate 2016.

“This helping hand is a real godsend that will allow us to accelerate the development of a number of ideas we wouldn’t have otherwise been able to explore, including: advertising, logistics and also a few surprises! Our aim is to supply as many companies as possible, and to do so we need to be perfect. The prize awarded by Le Roch – Les Mousquetaires Foundation will help us do this. In 2021 you will see Quiiet soundproof cabins everywhere!” 

We wish them all the best of luck in their development!