đ One innovation might be hiding another.
End of the line! Everyone off⌠Or maybe not... It might just be the start of a brand-new journey ! Like a new call for applications, perhaps? đ
AI is the New Browser?
For several months now, AI has been radically transforming our digital experience.
Its speed, simplicity, and conversational nature profoundly impact our daily lives, even reshaping the way we browse the web, and therefore, the way we consume.
OpenAI fully understands this shift and is currently marking a significant strategic turning point on two major fronts. Firstly, with the notable arrival of Fidji Simo, a graduate from HEC in 2008 and valedictorian of her class, who now steps into the role of âCEO of Applicationsâ.
Her appointment thus represents a highly strategic decision at a time when OpenAI recently chose to maintain its original legal status: a hybrid structure between the nonprofit entity "OpenAI, Inc." and the capped-profit subsidiary "OpenAI Global, LLC." This unique configuration clearly positions product innovation at the heart of the startup's priorities.
OpenAIâs strategy is further reinforced by the introduction of a new feature directly integrated into ChatGPT. Now, in just a few sentences, users can compare prices, discover products, and directly access e-commerce websites. The objective is clear and ambitious: to provide a seamless, personalized, and entirely intuitive shopping experience.
Want proof? Just install the ChatGPT app on your motherâs phone and watch if she continues using her web browser for searches⌠And since Motherâs Day is coming up, why not gift her this guide to becoming a Prompt Queen? đ
Talking About Innovation? Apply Now! âď¸
Each year, we support startups through a flexible, personalized, and collaborative program, helping you achieve in just four months what would normally take a year on your own. đ
đ Got an innovative project? Or know entrepreneurs ready to take their startup to the next level? Now is the time to apply! Join us at Station F or online.
Welcoming the Future of AI: IndiaAI Kickoff đŽđłđ¤đŤđˇ
Last week, we had the pleasure of welcoming 10 groundbreaking startups as part of the IndiaAI program.
This initiative is the result of a dynamic collaboration between IndiaAI Mission, MeitY, the HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute and STATION F, designed to accelerate AI innovation and foster deep tech synergies between India and France.
Over the next 4 months, these startups will scale their AI-powered solutions in Europe, supported by expert mentorship and strategic connections.
Congrats to all the startups: PrivaSapien Technologies, CoRover.ai, Staqu Technologies (Jarvis), SatSure Analytics, Storyvord, Volar Alta, Smartail, Secure Blink, NeuroPixel.AI, and Voicing AI.
đ In our next newsletter, weâll dive deeper into their journeys and the innovation theyâre bringing to Europe. đ More information here.
Join TotalEnergies On Accelerator! âĄ
Since 2022, TotalEnergies On, in partnership with the Incubateur HEC Paris, has been selecting promising startups in the power and renewables sector every six months. Just like Werover, Veer Renewables, Enline Energy Solutions and 40+ others have already joined the program. Now, itâs time for the next wave.
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Applications are open until June 14.
The Incubateur HEC Paris Goes International with LâOrĂŠal Australia & New Zealand! đ
After several successful years of collaboration with LâOrĂŠal through the Beauty Tech Atelier at STATION F, weâre thrilled to announce a major new milestone:
The HEC Paris - Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute is now the official partner of LâOrĂŠal Groupe Australia & New Zealand for the Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program 2025! đ
Together, weâre on the lookout for the most innovative Aussie and Kiwi startups ready to shape the future of #BeautyTech â and scale globally with LâOrĂŠal, especially across the SAPMENA region (South Asia Pacific, Middle East & North Africa).
Your fleetâs new best friend has a name: Gustave.
Fleet managers know the struggle: rising repair costs, long vehicle downtimes, and unreliable transport partners. A logistical nightmare that drains time and money. But that was before Gustave. đĄ
Founded by Sami Gomez and Heickel Ben Naceur, Gustave is the smart app that simplifies fleet operations, helping you find the right person, at the right time, to transport, tow, track, or repair your vehicles in just a few clicks.
From Incubateur HEC Paris to Forbes 30 under 30.
Big shoutout to Veeton, for making it to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe 2025 | Retail & Ecommerce list! đ đ Discover the full Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
With Veeton, the trio and their team are revolutionizing fashion imagery: no more traditional photoshoots â just high-quality visuals generated in a few clicks, at scale, and at a fraction of the cost.
đ Opportunities to join our startups.
Savoir / Dessiner is reinventing art education by making drawing and painting accessible to everyone.
đ Join Savoir / Dessiner
Corma is revolutionizing SaaS management by helping companies centralize their software stack, automate access control, and cut unnecessary software costs.
đ Join Corma
Solteo is streamlining solar project management with an all-in-one platform that simplifies sales, technical planning, and admin for installers.
đ Join Solteo
Michelin: Driving on the Innovation Highway
After 125 years of selling tires, Michelin could have easily continued to build on its historical leadership. But in 2012, under the leadership of its new CEO Jean-Dominique Senard, the first to come from outside the founding family, the group made a bold strategic shift: to become a global player in sustainable mobility, not just a tire manufacturer.
A three-part transformation plan:
Hydrogen: Heavy investment in Symbio, now the European leader in hydrogen fuel cells.
Open Innovation: Creation of the MovinâOn ecosystem, a global summit to rethink mobility.
Technology: Launch of VISION, a next-generation tire: airless, biodegradable, connected, and protected by 19 patents.
According to Michelin, the widespread adoption of this kind of tire could prevent up to 200 million tires from being prematurely discarded each year due to punctures, under-inflation, or irregular wear.
This repositioning has given Michelin a clear edge in tackling the major challenges of the 21st century: electrification, urbanization, and environmental transition.
đ The results?
Company valuation doubled (from âŹ12B to âŹ25B)
âŹ2B generated from services
Global leadership in sustainable mobility
Significant reduction in carbon footprint
Today, his successor Florent Menegaux is carrying this momentum forward with the strategic plan Michelin in Motion, looking ahead to 2030.
As Enguerrand Boulnois aptly put it on LinkedIn:
âThe greatest threat to a company isnât external competition, itâs internal inertia.â
When AI meets ART: The Fast Fashionâs Hidden Costs
How can art, AI, and activism come together to spark change?
Emanuele Morelli, an AI artist, offers an answer through one striking MidJourney creation: a billboard towering above a landfill. With this visual metaphor, he delivers a critique of the fashion industryâs darker side: mass overproduction, cheap synthetic materials, and exploitative labor practices.
In a time where AI is often associated with efficiency and automation, Morelli reminds us it can also be used as a mirror â to reflect our impact, raise awareness, and trigger meaningful change.
âThe problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind,
but how to get the old ones outâ
Dee Hock, founder of Visa
