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A look back at the Deeptech Tour with IP Paris

10 Jan. 2025
Last December, the Institut Polytechnique of Paris (IP Paris) hosted a major event of the Deeptech Tour, organized in partnership with Bpifrance, on the occasion of the Institute's PhD students welcome day. The event brought together nearly 600 participants (students, researchers, entrepreneurs, and main innovation players) around a common goal: raising awareness about deeptech entrepreneurship and encouraging projects from research laboratories.
A look back at the Deeptech Tour with IP Paris

This initiative, led by the National Deeptech Plan and orchestrated by Bpifrance, highlighted the excellence of emerging technologies developed in the laboratories of IP Paris.

The event is part of the University Innovation Cluster (PUI) IP³, a project coordinated by IP Paris in collaboration with CNRS, SATT Paris-Saclay, and Inria. The goal of PUI IP³ is twofold: to increase the transfer of technological innovations to companies, both small and large, and to double the number of deeptech startups emerging from academic research.

The Deeptech Tour showed that the valorization of research can take various forms, from the creation of startups to technological transfer to the socio-economic sector. »

Valérie Cornetet, coordinator of PUI IP³.

A day filled with inspiring exchanges

The program began with a presentation of the deeptech ecosystem's achievements, attended by Thierry Coulhon, President of IP Paris, and David Boujo, Deputy Director deeptech at Bpifrance. A video produced by Bpifrance highlighted two startups from the IP Paris ecosystem: Mimpot Technology (incubated at Télécom Paris incubator) and Phyling (founded by alumni of École Polytechnique and incubated at the Drahi-X Novation Center).

The participants then attended pitching and testimonial sessions. Startups, along with their support structures, shared their experiences, discussing the challenges they faced and the crucial support they received.

Four startup directors—Metyos, shift89, Peekcell, and Retras—also shared their journeys and engaged with the audience on topics such as funding, commercialization strategy, and managing finance and salaries in an entrepreneurial context.

The day concluded with a networking cocktail, where participants could exchange with startup founders, discover innovative projects at dedicated booths, and explore the support offered by the PUI IP3 and Bpifrance partners.

A record turnout and promising prospects

With an unprecedented participation rate, particularly among PhD students, the Deeptech Tour at IP Paris was a real success. 

This stage marked a turning point. The rich and concrete testimonies from entrepreneurs planted seeds in the minds of young researchers, helping them better envision the valorization of their work.»
 

David Boujo, deputy director deeptech at Bpifrance.

From the perspective of the Institut Polytechnique de Paris, the event helped raise awareness among the doctoral community about the opportunities offered by innovative research. 

Combining the Deeptech Tour with our PhD students welcome day was an excellent idea. The event opened up new perspectives for our young researchers and sparked innovative ideas.”

Adriana Tapus, Director of the Doctoral School at IP Paris