Since the campus closed, the teams from Startup Lab at NEOMA have set up new remote-support methods and practices to ensure that start-ups hosted by the school’s incubators and accelerators continue with their development.

From the first days of the confinement, Startup Lab has prioritised the sharing of information and the continued activity of its communities through a collaborative communication platform: all the measures announced by the government supporting start-ups have been immediately relayed through this channel so all of the entrepreneurs know about them. The platform also provides a space for many different private discussions, the sharing of advice and encouragement, all within a spirit of solidarity.

The incubators
The different events that normally mark the path of start-up entrepreneurs and help them to respond to the many challenges associated with business creation are replaced by two to three thematic round tables each week. They bring around twenty participants together online. A start-up presents the day’s problem, and each participant offers the start-up advice and shares their best practices or contacts. It is an extremely effective method that perhaps will be continued after the confinement!
Personalised coaching continues through dematerialised meetings, and webinars are regularly proposed by the Boussole des Entrepreneurs network that Startup Lab belongs to.

The Accelerators
The start-ups receive advice from professional partners as part of 100% digital “sprints” in order to help them structure their various strategies concerning business development, communication, financing, value proposition, etc. Thematic workshops are also organised online. As for recruiting, the start-ups have a remote selection process that will integrate the Edtech accelerator, which has already been launched.

Through these different arrangements, the team’s commitment and the ongoing motivation of the start-ups, the results have been rather positive, as Denise Gallot, director of Startup Lab, can attest to: “Our team is perhaps more cohesive than it is in normal circumstances, and we have still managed to offer comprehensive support to the start-ups, maintain a connection with our incubated and accelerated start-ups, and continue their quality development despite the difficult economic context. Over these past days, we have also felt the strengthening of the feeling of belonging in our community, which makes us want to continue with our actions and efforts!”

>Learn more about Startup Lab at NEOMA Business School