Deeptech Tour: the event that boosts the ecosystem of deeptech startups
For its third edition, the Deeptech Tour brought together entrepreneurs, students, researchers, doctoral students, coaches and other players in innovation on September 10 at the Valrose park at Université Côte d’Azur in Nice to shine the spotlight on Deeptech and its players. In short, those who shape these highly technological startups called to transform our daily lives and our lifestyles, to change our society, our consumption and eating patterns and thus, our industries and our environmental impact. “It is an important event which mobilizes all innovation stakeholders at the local and national level, and which makes it possible to show the coherence and relevance of the ecosystem to bring technological innovations resulting from research to the markets academic” confides Vincent Dani, co-founder of the startup ExAdEx-Innov.
Led by Bpifrance, the Deeptech Tour highlights the driving forces of Deeptech within academic centers, where the adventure begins to bring about disruptive technologies with high impact. The objective for Bpifrance is to support the emergence of innovative startups from laboratories, making them world leaders in their fields, and strengthening the link between fundamental research and entrepreneurship. And on the Côte d’Azur, several leaders of disruptive innovations, who push technological boundaries, came to present their journeys.
From researcher to entrepreneur
Coming to testify about his journey during the event, Vincent Dani, whose adventure began at the Valrose Institute of Biology, attests that the Deeptech Tour is also an opportunity to thank all the actors of the PUI Med’Innov and to Bpifrance for their support during their previous development phases, as well as for their future support. “We are in fact part of the 4th promotion of the Bpifrance fundraising program, as a startup with high potential in the sector biotech/santé.” Founded in 2022, ExAdEx-Innov, which is currently in the fundraising phase to accelerate its international growth, produces preclinical models based on real human fat, offering a double advantage for its customers: an alternative to animal experimentation and the possibility of obtaining clinically relevant data on humans to test and develop active ingredients, products or drugs targeting fat. The Nice startup is using its biotechnology to develop original research models on human adipose tissue, particularly for the search for therapies in the fight against obesity, which currently affects 13% of adults worldwide according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
As for Darwin’s theory applied to microalgae, this is the whole subject of the research project of Hubert Bonnefond and his startup DareWin Evolution, based in Villefranche-sur-Mer. This intends, through a varietal selection approach, to develop strains of microalgae improved both in performance and productivity in order to boost a sector full of promise, which constitutes, for certain markets, the only natural alternative to petrosourced solutions. “The Deeptech Tour strengthened the visibility of the startup at the local level. It also made it possible to collaborate with the various players who support and accompany business creation. Creating an innovative business is an adventure that is both rewarding and demanding. This event is an opportunity to highlight and thank the actors who support us in the transformation of these projects into success, in particular that of Bpifrance which provided financial support in the first highly risky stages of the creation of a deeptech company” confirms Hubert Bonnefond.
The richness of the deeptech ecosystem of the Côte d’Azur
Embodying the future of technological innovation, guided by scientific research and driven by a desire to transform the world, the Deeptech Tour which stopped in Nice continues to prove that the Côte d’Azur has all the cards in hand to position itself as a key player in disruptive technologies.
Pauline Cotinat, doctor in Life Sciences from the University of Côte d’Azur and co-founder of Innov&Sea, a startup that helps cosmetics companies measure the toxicity of their products on the marine environment, material first to the finished product, states that “the Deeptech Tour in Nice is the ideal place to meet your partners, continue your discussions with local innovation players, and stay informed of the latest news from the entrepreneurial ecosystem.” Innov&Sea, the first company to offer a fully in vitro marine ecotoxicity test, is carrying out R&D projects thanks to a French Tech grant. Recently winner of the i-Lab innovation competition, the startup can now develop new technologies to offer its customers innovative toxicity testing solutions, not only for the cosmetics sector, but also for other industries and local authorities. concerned with monitoring the health of marine ecosystems. A success that is not ready to stop.
The Côte d’Azur territory thus hosts four main hubs, particularly dynamic in the Deeptech sector. Each with their own specificities, the cities of Nice, Sophia Antipolis, Cannes and Grasse, intend to make this territory a reference in the field of research. Thus, the digital, biotech, medtech sectors but also the perfume industry constitute the strength of the Côte d’Azur territory in terms of disruptive innovation which is made possible by the presence of a large number of deeptech players.
Driving forces on these questions, the CNRS and the University of Côte d’Azur are surrounded by structures of excellence such as INSERM, INRIA, and INRAE on the research side; of the IPCA on the incubation aspect; or even SATT Sud Est on the technology transfer aspect. The geographical proximity of all of these actors contributes to the emergence of a real dynamic on a territorial scale. In fact, everyone knows each other and exchanges with a view to providing the best possible support to deeptech entrepreneurs. The presence of the coastline is an all the more attractive element as it favors the development of innovative projects like the startups Darewin Evolution, ExAdEx Innov and Innov&Sea, which can continue to fully concentrate on their scientific field and thus, maximize their contribution to society.
Did the Deeptech Tour Med’innov in Nice inspire you? Find the next dates on the dedicated site. To learn more about Deeptech and how it is transforming our society, but also to find tools to get started or support projects, go to the platform lesdeeptech.fr proposed by Bpifrance and its partners.
