Welcome to our 2024 Activity Report! Last year marked a major milestone with the creation of the HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute, bringing together three centers dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey.
Explore the impact our startups achieved in 2024, discover our thriving ecosystem, and learn about the programs designed to fuel entrepreneurial success.
2024 Key figures
599
599
startups and companies supported
38 %
38 %
female co-founders
€1.9B
€1.9B
raised by HEC Paris startups
1000+
1000+
experts and mentors
16
16
unicorns worldwide founded by HEC Alumni (including 3 new unicorns in 2024)
One institute
and 3 centers
One size doesn’t fit all! Entrepreneurship comes in many forms. Every project, stage of growth, solution, and founder profile demands a unique set of resources and support.
That’s why, across our centers, we offer a diverse range of programs—designed to equip each entrepreneur with the right tools to turn their vision into reality.
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute
Ranked among Europe’s Top 5 entrepreneurial hubs by the Financial Times, we foster an innovative ecosystem that drives talent, corporate transformation, and lasting impact on business and society.
Bridging Science, entrepreneurship & innovation. We connect scientific research with business, accelerating the journey of science-based innovations and cutting-edge technologies from lab to market.
314 startups supported in 2024 • 39% female founders • 68% international startups • 10 programs • 1 Lab
Entrepreneurship for a more inclusive future. We empower impact-driven entrepreneurs with skills, resources, and autonomy to scale solutions that drive systemic change, foster sustainable and inclusive growth.
1 431 women trained in 2024 • 39 Social structures supported in 2024 • 3 programs
Bringing international startups to Europe and expanding French ventures worldwide. In 2024, our Institute and programs transcended borders, driving impact across the globe!
• Hello Tomorrow Japan
• France-Japan Business Summit
• JETRO Program
Canada (Toronto)
• Creative Destruction Lab Super Session
Germany
• Slush’d Heilbronn Event
• Launch of the new CDL Next Generation Computing stream
Estonia
• Visit to discover the entrepreneurial ecosystem by the HEC Paris International Affairs Direction.
United Kingdom
• Grand Pitch Night HEC Paris Launchpad
• Incubateur HEC Paris Female Demo Day
• Demo Day HEC Paris & Imperial College Enterprise Lab
Italy
• New partnership with ION Foundation
South Korea
• Programs Kised and KOSME
Qatar
• Exploring opportunities at HEC Paris campus in Doha.
Senegal
• HEC Paris Challenge+ Dakar
Saudi Arabia
• New partnership and program with NIDLP (National Industrial Development and Logistics Program)
Singapore
• Women’s Forum Singapore
Denmark and Sweden
• X-HEC Entrepreneurs Learning Expeditions.
+51%
of our startups are international
16+
countries visited in 2024
6
unicorns founded by HEC Alumni with HQs outside France
Corporate Accelerator Programs by HEC Paris
Unlock new growth opportunities by collaborating with startups and companies. Our Incubation & acceleration Center operate corporate and international governmental acceleration programs, merging industry expertise with entrepreneurial support.
Beauty Tech Atelier
No items found.
L’Oréal
AI European Startup
No items found.
Meta
TotalEnergiesOn
No items found.
TotalEnergies
Women Entrepreneurs for Good
No items found.
WE4G
TechSprint with CDC
No items found.
Caisse des Dépôts
Hectar
No items found.
Urban Odyssey Startup Studio by Icade
No items found.
Icade
Afriquia 50 Sprints
No items found.
Afriquia SMDC
French Women Entrepreneurs 40
No items found.
FWE40
Japan External Trade Organization
No items found.
JETRO
Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development
No items found.
Kised
Korea SMEs and Startups Agency
No items found.
KOSME
India AI Startups Global
No items found.
National Industrial Development and Logistics Program
With 30+ in-house events every month and 10,000 participants per year, our ecosystem at HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute is always dynamic.
From matchmaking and networking to knowledge-sharing and pitching, we create opportunities for startups and innovators to thrive. Take a look at some of the biggest highlights and events we joined last year!
B2BRocks
Berlin Global Dialog
Franco Tech
Change Now
Heilbronn Slush'D
Demo Days
Doers to Doers
i-Lab Challenge +
Prince Daniel
Vivatech
Women’s Forum Global Meeting
Women's Forum Singapore
A Recognized Ecosystem
For over a decade, rankings and indexes have shaped the landscape of entrepreneurship and innovation. While their criteria evolve yearly, they remain a key barometer of market trends. At the same time, for startups, making the list is a huge milestone—a sign of growth and impact. In 2024, we tracked how these rankings recognized our startups, showcasing their influence on the ecosystem.
RANKING
Classification / % Startups Listed
French Unicorns
27 %
Station F Future 40
42.5%
BPI Deeptech 50
20%
Challenges 100 Startups où investir
19%
Observatoire Deeptech — University Ranking
4th
Spring 50
26%
Saclay 20
25%
Sifted 50 France
18%
Linkedin Top Startups
20%
Female Founder - Vivatech
1º
LVMH Innovation Award - Vivatech
1º
Next Startupper Challenge - Vivatech
Finalist
FT Next 40/120
21 %
FT Top European Entrepreneurship Hubs
4th
They support us
We don’t build an ecosystem alone—it thrives on collaboration. With the support of our partners, we continue to expand our impact and drive meaningful change.
