From Menton to Avignon, the entire innovation economy of the Southern Region was highlighted last Thursday on the stage of the Palais des Congrès in Juan-les-Pins during the 3rd Hypercroissance Trophies, organized by RisePartnersthe firm based in Sophia Antipolis and Aix-en-Provence specializing in innovation and financing.
As the name of the event indicates, it is a question of rewarding entrepreneurial success via four prizes – preselected by the four regional French Tech (Côte d’Azur, Toulon, Aix-Marseille and Avignon) – which are are distinguished by the performance of their business throughout 2023.
The price Change the Worldawarded to Aixoise Tamba Labs, rewarded the nature of the entrepreneur’s impact, whether societal, environmental or economic, describes Jonathan Laroussinie, co-founder of RisePartners. Boosthe went to Marseillaise PESS Energy is aimed at companies which achieve more than 40% increase in their turnover, even if the latter remains below 2ME.
“The price Scale Up concerns companies that like to look at their balance sheet, laughs Jonathan Laroussinie. They have reached a certain degree of maturity, are profitable, raise significant funds and are important in their sector.” Like Toulonnaise Egerie which, last year, raised 35ME. This year, the prize goes to Sophipolitaine Smart Global Governance.
Good entrepreneur
Finally the last trophy, that of Favorite Risegoes beyond numbers and success. “It rewards the personality of an entrepreneur who we want to pat on the back because he is a beautiful person”, summarizes Jonathan Laroussinie. This year, the beautiful person is the Marseillaise Pauline Marmoyet, founder of Seecly.
If the awards ceremony is the high point of the event, the nominees greatly appreciated the opportunity offered to them to meet the major investment funds and business angels who came in large numbers from Paris to talk business. “More than a hundred individual meetings were organized. Not everyone has access to Eric Marty, the CEO of the Demeter IM fund or François Paaulus; the founder of Breega Capital”enthuses the co-founder of RisePartners.
Become visible to them, benefit from fifteen minutes of advice, have access to their sprawling network or potentially follow-up… The dream of every entrepreneur. And Jonathan Laroussinie slips: “All the winners and nominees of the previous edition were all successful in their fundraising operations.”
To the wise…
The leitmotif of RisePartners leaders? “Highlight innovation in the region,” respond in unison Delphine Gardia, Jonathan Laroussinie (right) and Yohan Aimard.(Photo K.W.).
The Vinted of optics
Pauline Marmoyet, the optician and founder of Seecly in Marseille, is the Favorite Rise of this 3rd edition of the Hypergrowth Trophies.
Created in 2020, Seecly is a platform dedicated to second-hand optics, certified and guaranteed by opticians. Like Vinted, sellers – individuals and professionals – put their unused frames up for sale. “Once sold, they pass through our workshop where we repackage them, restore them and, above all, adapt the lenses to the buyer’s view before sending them back.”
The marketplace takes a commission on sales and is paid on purchases of corrective lenses. The startup which has formed a partnership with the optician Krys offers a virtual fitting room for more than a thousand models out of the 12,000 available on its site. It processes 500 orders per month for an average selling price of €50 per frame and discounts of up to 80% compared to the new price.
Pauline Marmoyet, founder and director of Seecly in Marseille. “The name of the company? See, for see, and Cly for cycle; the cycle of sight”.(Photo K.W.).
PESS Energy boosted
Last year, he was the winner of the Favorite category. Here he is who wins the trophy this year Boost.
Rémi Pillot, director and founder of Marseillaise PESS Energy (for Pillot Energy Storage Solutions) which develops high-power generators that emit neither CO2 nor particles, particularly appreciated in the audiovisual, events and construction sectors.
In 2023, the startup raised €2.4M, invested in a production factory, grew from 7 to 25 employees and achieved a turnover of €1.8M. PESS, which also delivered 300 batteries last year, is one of the suppliers of clean mobile energy for the technical service providers of the Paris Olympics.
Enough to give it visibility in order to have its innovative technology accepted in conservative markets such as construction…
Marseillais Rémi Pillot is tackling the events, audiovisual and construction sectors with his zero-emission generators.(Photo K.W.).
Small Global Governance helps mitigate risks
The Sophian software publisher Smart Global Governance get the prize Scale Up for its automated platform which helps companies identify the risks (geopolitical or economic, etc.) that they may one day encounter.
“We also allow them to operate legally by complying with all the laws and regulations they face on a daily basis: GDPR, CSRD, cybersecurity, etc. explains its CEO Olivier Guillo. By providing a clear vision of the situation, managers are able to anticipate these risks and obligations, make informed decisions and define continuity plans.”
The Azuréenne GRC platform – for Governance, Risk and Compliance – is aimed at large groups, mid-sized companies and SMEs to whom it offers greater agility. “We equip 300,000 users in a hundred countries and count among our customers 42% of major accounts such as Air France, KLM, Renault…”
Another strong point of GRC, “It makes it possible to detect weak signals and emerging risksresumes Olivier Guillo who drives the point home. In December 2019, we anticipated the pandemic: we had already purchased the masks and put in place a business continuity plan with laptops so that everyone could work offline.”
Olivier Guillo, director of Smart Global Governance.(Photo K.W.).
He wants to change the world with his mosquito repellent
Tamba Labs had already stood out last January at CES in Las Vegas when Gary Shapiro, the big boss of the innovation show, awarded it the Coup de coeur Award for Reptik, its intelligent mosquito repellent indoor diffuser, eight times more effective than any other natural product.
L’Aixoise founded in 2019 by Doudou Tamba, doctor of pharmacy, is doing it again on the stage of the Palais des congrès de Juan-les-Pins where she received the trophy Change the World. Specializing in the development of biotechnologies from African medicinal plants and traditional medicine, the startup begins the marketing of Reptik this month. “Attention, warns Doudou Tamba, there will only be 10,000 products available!”
As a little wink, he received from the hands of Stéphane Asikian, director of Pollustock and 2023 winner of this same category, a trophy by the artist Poseid made with plastic bottles recovered in his anti-waste nets.
Doudou Tamba on stage to receive the Change the World prize.(Photo K.W.).
