7 March 2019 | Paris
Prof. Thomas Baaken, Managing Director of S2BMRC, and Arno Meerman, Director of Business Development of S2BMRC and CEO of UIIN Amsterdam, served as final judges in the 2019 Australian eChallenge France in Paris. 16 young and passion entrepreneurial teams managed to get through to the final pitch. The pitch and the following celebration of the winners were held close to the Louvre in Paris.
The concept of the Australian eChallenge is created and powered by The University of Adelaide and run by the Entrepreneurship, Commercialisation, and Innovation Centre (ECIC). Sponsors like Microsoft and Moore Stephens are funding the initiative significantly.
Prof. Carolin Plewa, Adjunct Professor at S2BMRC and Director of the ECIC in Adelaide took responsibility for the entire event.
Prof. Thomas Baaken, Managing Director of S2BMRC holds an Adjunct position at ECIC as Adjunct Professor since 2008.
Also, Prof. Todd Davey, Director of International Projects at S2BMRC and Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Institut Mines-Télécom Business School in Paris supported the Australian eChallenge by delivering seminars and workshops.
The Australian eChallenge France offers French students from all Universities an opportunity to launch their entrepreneurial ventures globally using the Adelaide start-up springboard. The aim of the program is to assist students to develop new products and services that create innovative ways to engage in existing, emerging and new markets.
Over a 23-week period, French teams are offered support and guidance in the form of a series of workshops and mentors from the South Australian business community. To ensure participants have all the necessary tools and are geared for success, The Australian eChallenge participants are given access to a specially designed online environment developed by the ECIC.
Each year the competition draws tremendous interest and support from sponsors, mentors, and judges from the business community who are keen to promote innovation and new business talent.
Winners 2019 have been:
- 1st prize: Hexa Surfboard (Ecole Centrale Lyon): 20.000,00 AUSD
- 2nd prize (1): Fashion Mavericks (EPF Ecole d'ingenieur): 5.000,00 AUSD
- 2nd prize (2): Eco Prototyping (ENSAM Arts et Metiers): 5.000,00 AUSD
- 3rd prize: Jean-Fils de Coton (Ecole Centrale Lyon): 2.000,00 AUSD
- Special prize for Social Entrepreneurship: Tigoun (Ecole Centrale Lyon)