Medcam

Medcam: a high-quality image for laparoscopy

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300,000 laparoscopies are performed every year in France. At ten euros per minute spent in the operating room for procedures that last from one to ten hours, any time that can be saved is significant. Medcam helps save precious minutes by reducing the time required to clean the camera used. This makes it possible to schedule one additional patient per operating day. 

 

It was over a family dinner, which would conclude with making initial sketches, that the idea for Medcam first took shape. That day, Clément, an engineer in fluid mechanics, his sister, an expert in the medical sector, and his brother-in-law Yann, who teaches mechanical engineering, were talking about laparoscopy. This minimally invasive surgical procedure widely performed in digestive, urological and gynecological surgery, is based on inserting a camera in the abdomen. The problem is that condensation, accumulated smoke and blood and visceral fat projections are deposited on the lens and constantly degrade the image. Every ten to fifteen minutes, the surgeon must interrupt the procedure to extract the camera and clean it, which leads to a loss of concentration and wastes time when the camera is removed and reinserted.

One device, three benefits

The solution invented by the brand new SMICES company (Smart Medical Devices) in close collaboration with Dr. Joël Da Broi, a surgeon specialized in visceral and digestive surgery, makes it possible to automatically clean the camera during the procedure. The device, which can be adjusted to fit all camera models, does not in any way interfere with surgeons’ use of the camera or practices in the operating room. But it single-handedly solves three problems: it allows the surgeon to work more comfortably so he/she can remain concentrated on his or her work, it saves time and allows the surgeon to add a patient to the operating schedule.

The start of clinical evaluations after promising tests

Developed in collaboration with the mechatronics platform at IMT Mines Alès, the operational prototype only uses components that already exist in the operation room. Medcam has been successfully tested in real conditions on a cadaver at a university hospital center and will begin preclinical evaluations for CE marking in June 2018 so that it can be marketed in 2019. SMICES will be responsible for manufacturing and distributing Medcam and has set a clear objective: to become the market leader for healthcare institutions in France (300,000 laparoscopies per year) and Italy in its first year, in Europe (over 1 million laparoscopies per year) in four years’ time, and ultimately conquer the world (10 million laparoscopies per year).

Aizimov BEYABLE startup artificial intelligence

Artificial Intelligence hiding behind your computer screen!

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Far from the dazzle of intelligent humanoid robots and highly effective chatbots, artificial intelligence is now used in many ordinary products and services. In the software and websites consumers use on a daily basis, AI is being used to improve the use of digital technology. This new dynamic is perfectly illustrated by two startups incubated at Télécom ParisTech: BEYABLE and AiZimov.

 

Who are the invisible workers managing the aisles of digital shops? At the supermarket, shoppers regularly see employees stocking the shelves, but the shelves of online sales sites are devoid of human contact. “Whether a website has 500 or 10,000 items for sale, there are always fewer employees managing the products than at a real store,” explains Julien Dugaret, founder of the startup BEYABLE. The young company is well aware that these digital showcases still require maintenance. Currently accelerated at Télécom ParisTech and formerly incubated there, it offers a solution for detecting anomalies on online shopping sites.

BEYABLE’s artificial intelligence algorithms use a clustering technique. By analyzing data from internet users’ visits to websites and the data associated with each project, they group the items together into coherent “clusters”. The articles that cannot be included in any of the clusters are then identified as anomalies and corrected so they can be reintegrated into the right place.

“Some products do not have the right images, descriptions or references. For example, a pair of heels might be included in the ‘boots’ category of an online shop,” explains the entrepreneur. The software then identifies the heels so that an employee can correct the description. While this type of error may seem anecdotal or funny, for the companies that use BEYABLE’s services, the quality of the customer experience is at stake.

Some websites offer thousands of articles with product references that are constantly changing. It is important to make sure visitors using the website do not feel lost from one day to the next. “If a real merchant sold t-shirts one day and coffee tables the next, you can imagine all the logistics that would be required overnight. For an online shop, the logistics involved in changing the collection or promoting certain articles is much simpler, but not effortless. The reduced number of online store ‘department managers’ makes the logistics all the more difficult,” explains Julien Dugaret. Artificial intelligence tools play an essential role in these logistics, helping digital marketing teams save a lot of time and ensuring visitor satisfaction.

BEYABLE is increasingly working with websites run by major brands. These websites invest hundreds of thousands of euros to earn consumers’ loyalty. “These websites have now become very important assets for companies,” the founder of the startup observes. They therefore need to understand what the customers are looking for and how they interact with the pages. BEYABLE does more than perform basic analyses, like the so-called “analytics” tools—the best-known being Google Analytics—it also offers these companies, “a look at what they cannot see,” says Julien Dugaret.

The company’s algorithms learn from the visits by categorizing them and identifying several types of internet users: those who look at the maps for nearby shops, those who want to discover items before they buy them, those who are interested in the brand’s activities… “Companies do not always have data experts who can analyze all the information about their visitors, so we offer AI tools suited to this purpose,” Julien Dugaret explains.

Artificial intelligence for professional emails?

For those who use digital services, the hidden AI processes are not only used to improve their online shopping experience. Jérôme Devosse worked as a salesperson for several years and used to study social networks, company websites and news sites to glean information about the people he wanted to contact. “This is business as usual for salespeople: adapting the sales hook and initial contact based on the person’s interests and the company’s needs,” he explains.

After growing weary of doing this task the slow way, he decided to create a tool to automate the research he carried out before appointments. And that was how AiZimov was born, another startup incubated at Télécom ParisTech. “It’s an assistant,” explains Jérôme Devosse. “All I have to do is tell it ‘I want to contact that person‘ and it will write an email based on the public data available online.” Interviews with the person, their company’s financial reports, their place of residence, their participation at trade shows, all of this information is useful for the software. “For example, the assistant will automatically write a message saying, ‘I saw you will be at Vivatech next week, come meet us!”, AiZimov’s founder explains.

The tool works in three stages. First, there is the data acquisition stage which uses technology to search through large volumes of data. Next, the data must be understood. Is the sentence containing the targeted person’s name from an interview or a financial report? What are the associated key words and what logical connections can be made? Finally, the text is generated automatically and can be checked based on different criteria. The user can then choose to send an email that is more formal or more emotional—using things the contact is passionate about—or a very friendly email.

Orange and Renault are already testing the startup’s software. “For salespeople from large companies, the time they save by not writing emails to new contacts is used to maintain the connections they have with existing customers to continue the relationship,” explains Jérôme Devosse. Today, the tool does not send an email without the salesperson’s approval. The personnel can still choose to modify a few details. The entrepreneur is not seeking an entirely automatic process. His areas for future development are focused on using the software for other activities.

“I would like to go beyond emails: once the information is acquired, it could be used to write a detailed or general script for making contact via telephone,” he explains. AiZimov’s technology could also be used for other professions than sales. In press relations it could be used to contact the most relevant journalists by sending them private messages on social networks, for example. And why not make this software available to human resource departments for contacting individuals for recruitment purposes? Artificial intelligence could therefore continue to be used in many different online interactions.

AskHub DessIA WaToo

Startups AskHub, DessIA and WaToo receive interest-free loans

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On June 7, the Digital Fund of the Grandes Ecoles and Universities Initiative selected three new startups to receive interest-free loans. AskHub and DessIA, from ParisTech Entrepreneurs, the Télécom ParisTech incubator, and WaToo, from the IMT Atlantique incubator, will each receive €20,000 interest-free loans. These financial aid programs co-financed by Fondation Mines-Télécom, la Caisse des Dépôts and Revital’Emploi provide these growing companies with the funds they need to pursue their development.

 

[one_half][box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]askhub

AskHub is a platform that analyzes requests that were not understood by chatbots and then offers an ecosystem of ready-to-use chat plug-ins to improve the user experience. Find out more

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[box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]DessIA

DessIA is design software for mechanical engineering. Using an approach based on artificial intelligence, the software can select the solution best adapted to users’ needs from among billions of possibilities. Find out more

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logo watoo

WaToo offers a solution to prevent the misappropriation and falsification of sensitive documents by authorized users by concealing digital watermarks in the documents to protect them. Find out more

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Learn more about previous winners

 

Koovea

Koovea: an intelligent system for monitoring temperature-sensitive drugs

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Koovea offers a service for monitoring temperature-sensitive drugs that ensures safe packaging conditions throughout the entire shipping process. The startup has just raised €60K through Créalia Occitanie. The interest-free loan will help the startup finance its R&D and strengthen its own capital before launching its product in June 2018.

 

One out of every two drugs is temperature-sensitive. These fragile and expensive drugs are vulnerable to alterations during shipping if the cold chain is broken. This could result in serious consequences: time lost in transit, significant financial loss for the laboratories, safety risks for patients if they consume altered, ineffective or even dangerous drugs. In response to this problem, Koovea has invented a connected tracking and recording solution that reports data in real time.

Adrien Content and his associates worked together for two and a half years to develop this solution. The incubator and mechatronics platform at IMT Mine Alès provided the startup with the support it needed to overcome technical challenges and create a prototype. This dual assistance combining both economic and technological support helped structure the company as it developed and offered the opportunity to present its innovation at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in January 2018.

From manufacturing to use, the integrity of the cold chain is guaranteed

Koovea’s solution makes it possible to track the temperature and location of batches of drugs in real time, providing an opportunity to react if necessary. Its major benefit is that it sends warnings if it detects a deterioration in storage conditions for a supply of products.  The young company’s solution is based on three elements. First, it relies on a flexible temperature sensor the size of a credit card, which features a system for recording and displaying data.  This sensor is complemented by an intelligent and self-reliant router which can report data in real time, anywhere in the world. Finally, a “Koovea” application provides an optimal solution for sharing and using this data.

The device is currently in the midst of a full-scale test phase in the French Hérault department. It has already proven its appeal by winning several awards: Coup de Pousse 2016, Bourse French Tech Emergence 2016, Booste Ton Projet 2016. Today, the startup’s growth has reached a new milestone thanks to the interest-free innovation loan it received from Créalia Occitanie.  Koovea makes no secret of its desire to become a benchmark in the intelligent monitoring of drug product. It then hopes to branch out to include other costly and sensitive products.

Better monitoring solutions for fragile and expensive products

Koovea’s solution is an interesting one for stakeholders in the medical sector: specifically, for laboratories and transport systems for blood, bone marrow and organs. Yet other sectors could also benefit from intelligent real-time monitoring. All the sensitive and expensive products handled in the agri-food sector, viticulture, cosmetics, luxury market and the art world could benefit from this type of solution. This is especially true since Koovea aims to extend its range to integrate other controlled parameters, such as brightness and humidity.  This expansion would pave the way for numerous fields of application. The data could even make it possible to predict the time, place and circumstances under which a product was altered.

virtualisation, virtualization

From design to management, virtualization is inventing the industry of the future

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How is industry reinventing itself? Three startups from the Télécom ParisTech incubator give us a glimpse of the changes underway in industry.

 

If the industry of the future is difficult to define, it is because it is as nebulous as the term used to describe it. Does it still make sense to talk about the “future” when the industrial world is already several years into its digital transformation? Although artificial intelligence and object network technologies may still be little-used, the modernization of processes is already a pressing issue for today’s industries. We can hardly use the term “industry of the present”— it isn’t sexy enough—and some prefer the term industry 4.0 over “industry of the future.” If indeed industries 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 can be precisely defined and no one wonders what patch 2.1 or 3.2 refer to, we are free to choose our favorite term for this rapidly changing industry. Would “industry in transformation” not be a better name? This concept encompasses a plethora of technologies that do not have much in common, other than contributing to the same goal: reorganizing production facilities in a more intelligent way. This makes it difficult to attempt to identify a common thread to explain how industry is transforming. However, virtualization remains a cross-disciplinary theme for many different types of technologies. Technicians, engineers and managers increasingly rely on virtualization in their approach to the technical and organizational challenges they face.

Modeling and simulation software have been used in the design sector for several decades. The abbreviation CAD (computer-aided design) has become an everyday word for those involved in designing and manufacturing industrial parts. But the arrival of artificial intelligence (AI) has brought its share of changes. Smart tools are being developed. These tools do more than simply make it possible to design engineers’ ideas more efficiently: they have become an integral part of the design stage. “What’s important with AI is optimization,” explains Pierre-Emmanuel Dumouchel, founder of the startup Dessia. “The engineer works on pieces at the unit level and it’s difficult for him to optimize complicated layouts because he has to think about a large number of structures to find the best one.”  The startup has developed a software program that uses AI to study a large number of layouts at the same time and find the best ones. The tool then models them virtually and provides engineers with different propositions.  Engineers may then print the engineering drawings after they have been approved. In sectors such as the automotive industry, where drive shafts are increasingly complex, the Dessia software helps save time on the design and prototyping stages. Here, virtualization goes beyond helping to visualize systems. It bypasses a long process of study, reflection and comparing.

“A major headache”

For Philippe Gicquel, founder of CIL4Sys, there are other benefits to virtualization. One of them is that it helps simplify product specifications. The specifications stage involves establishing a written description of the product’s behavior, part by part. “This must be done to create specifications books for suppliers” explains the entrepreneur. With the rise of electronics, parts function in increasingly complex ways, making specifications increasingly long to write. “The electronic control unit for a car, which includes GPS, telephone and other functions, requires specifications with over 10,000 lines of text,” says Philippe Gicquel. “This is a huge headache for the engineering teams!” Rather than continuing to work on increasingly complicated documents, CIL4Sys uses advances in software engineering to simplify the specifications stage. Instead of writing out lines of text, engineers can use the startup’s tools to create diagrams to describe the objects involved, their actions and their interactions. In short, they create a sort of tree covering the events associated with the object and how it works (see video below). The generated codes may then be executed in a simulator developed by the startup and the specifications text is automatically generated. “We still send the requirements in a text document, but before doing so we also send a model showing how the product works and a simulation to ensure that the product behaves as it is supposed to,” explains the founder.

 

Example of the use of CIL4Sys tools on an automated parking lot management system:

 

The benefits of the CIL4Sys tools were demonstrated in a concrete example, when PSA put the startup in competition with an engineering firm to develop a specifications document. “We only used one engineer instead of the two our competitor used and we were given a 30% higher score by the PSA experts,” says Philippe Gicquel. By virtualizing this step the startup helps improve the clarity of operations. Engineers can now quickly get a sense of the progress of the specifications process for a given part, whereas before they had to decipher a lengthy text. “The design process is often represented as a V-shaped cycle: throughout the process leading to the prototype, the downward portion of the V, teams make their way through a dark tunnel because no one really knows where they are in the process. By introducing simulation starting in the specifications stage, we bring some light to this tunnel.”

Looking to video games for inspiration

Design in the broad sense has greatly benefited from the virtualization of specific processes in industrial activities, but it is not the only field to take advantage of the technology. The startup Perfect Industry develops tools for managing production lines inspired by technology from the video gaming world. The startup’s founder, Emmanuel Le Gouguec, sees two major strengths to draw on: “In the world of video games, there aren’t any consultants who spend hours training the player. And there is a motivational aspect that makes the experience fun and lively.” Based on this observation, the startup provides a complete virtualization of production lines. Sensors are installed in key locations to aggregate data about the machines’ performance. Using its Perfect Twin product, a manager can therefore visit a production line from his office using virtual reality (VR) and can access different data, such as the speed of the machines. This data may also be consulted using smartphones. “We are developing applications based on this idea, such as tracking virtual trips made by individuals with VR headsets,” says the founder. This helps provide a better understanding of how the space is situated and how people move through this space.

The entire goal of Perfect Industry’s projects focuses on managing the complexity for operators. Improving the performance of production lines is one of the challenges facing industry today. The data collected and quick immersion make it easier to identify losses. “Our tools provide managers with the same sorts of recommendations made by consultants,” explains Emmanuel Le Gouguec. To prove his point, he cites the example of a SME that needed to optimize its production line to reduce the cost of a product to respond to a call for tenders. “The recommendations made based on an analysis of data and the production space allowed them to increase line speed by 15%,” he says. He was able to achieve these results by looking for tools in another sector, that, according to the founder is not that different from industrial data processing. “There is a major division in the digital sector between people who do the same thing: make codes. From a technical perspective, what we do is a common part of the video gaming world. We simply apply it to factories.” So transforming industry may not only mean looking to future technologies. Importing what is done in neighboring sectors also appears to be a promising way to drive progress.

 

 

interest-free loans

New interest-free loans for startups Cyrating, Galanck, myLabel and WaryMe

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On February 8, 2018, the approval committee for the Digital Fund of the Graduate Schools and Universities Initiative chose four new startups to receive loans for amounts up to €40,000 with a 0% interest rate. Cyrating, which was founded through the ParisTech Entrepreneurs incubator, Galanck and myLabel, both of which were developed through the IMT Starter (Télécom Sud Paris and Télécom École de Management), and WaryMe, created at the IMT Atlantique incubator will benefit from these loans to help kickstart their business. Co-financed by Fondation Mines-Télécom, la Caisse des dépôts and Revital’Emploi, this loan program helps startups created through incubators at IMT graduate schools obtain the resources they need to grow. In 2018, the program has set a goal to support 30 startups, for a total of over €560,000.  

 

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[box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]Logo Cyrating

Cyrating provides a service for analyzing and rating companies’ cybersecurity performance. It therefore allows them to position themselves in relation to their competitors and identify weaknesses in order to improve their services. Find out more

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[box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]logo myLabel

myLabel is a digital platform where consumers may define their own environmentally-friendly labels and take advantage of associated features, which help the brands and labels present on the platform position their products more effectively.

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[one_half_last][box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]logo GALANCK

Galanck is developing a smart backpack for cyclists which is connected to an application. A brake light, signals and vibrators are built into the straps to guide cyclists, making bicycles safer and more visible on the road.

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[box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]logo waryme

WaryMe has developed a mobile, decentralized alert system to help establishments manage crisis situations, especially intrusions or terror attacks.

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VivaTechnology

23 startups from IMT incubators at VivaTechnology 2018

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The VivaTechnology trade show offers three days to discover the most promising startups in the tech sector. For IMT, this is the perfect opportunity for highlighting its comprehensive support and entrepreneurship services and presenting 23 startups from its schools’ incubators. These startups come from sectors including mobility, smart cities, AI, fashion, media and cybersecurity. Mark your calendars for May 24 and 26, 2018 and head to Porte de Versailles (Stand B38) to discover all these innovations and more.

 

Startups incubated at IMT Atlantique:

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Blacknut Start-up Vivatech

Blacknut offers unlimited access to an extensive catalogue of video games on your computer and TV through a monthly subscription.

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logpickr start-up Vivatech

Logpickr develops the Logpickr Process Intelligence v2.5 software which provides you with all the information you need about your processes simply by using your operational data. Logpickr technology, which combines process mining and artificial intelligence algorithms, is accessible to everyone.

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Shopopop start-up Vivatech

Shopopop is an online platform connecting individuals for grocery deliveries. Order your groceries online from a partner brand and a private individual will deliver your groceries to your home.

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car expresso start-up Vivatech

Car Expresso is an online platform that simplifies the purchase of used vehicles for individuals.

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logo pledg

Pledg allows you to reserve several seats on a commercial website, while only paying your own. Your friends are notified via email and can directly pay for their spots.

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realspeaker start-up Vivatech

Real Speaker is high-speed speech-to-text multilingual translator. A deep learning solution allows it to automatically translate audio, video, and content from a microphone or camera.

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Startups incubated at IMT Mines Albi:

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Drone ForFuture is working to develop new autonomous drone systems for civil applications, particularly decision-making assistance systems for crisis management.

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Marianka is a company that specializes in interactive surfaces developed using innovative materials that can transform any type of surface into a switch.

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Startups incubated at ParisTech Entrepreneurs (Télécom ParisTech):

[one_half][box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]Aizimov Start up

AiZimov develops artificial intelligence for sales representatives that can select relevant profiles online and write a personalized email based on the situation and individual.

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ICEboard is a web and mobile application that brings together stakeholders, managers and decision-makers into a virtual and smart crisis room.

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[one_half][box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]himydata start-up VivatechThe Himydata platform offers a new integration approach for companies that promotes creativity and accelerates innovation. Do more with your data, securely connect applications and objects by adding your business rules using a simple, modular process.

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stenusys start-up VivatechIn the technology industry, the way you manufacture your software can make a difference. Stenusys provides software publishers with collaborative tools and advice. Their first product, Scrumboard, provides your team with all the features Scrum has to offer, while providing improved traceability and predictability.

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[one_half][box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]HomePotager start-up VivatechHomePotager designs connected vegetable garden kits to simplify urban gardening through all-in-one kits offering an easy and fun experience that is accessible for everyone.

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[one_half_last][box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]Logo CyratingCyrating Cyrating offers a service that analyzes and rates the performance of companies in the area of cybersecurity. It allows them to position themselves in relation to competitors and target their weak points to improve their services. Find out more

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Startups incubated at Mines Saint-Étienne:

[one_half][box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]The company Milphi Technology (Movin’ Smart) develops and markets technology and services for the general public, offering solutions for tracking users’ physical, biomechanical and physiological parameters in real-time. The objective is to optimize their performance in situations involving significant spatio-temporal and energy constraints.

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[one_half_last][box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]Air Space Drone (ASD) is developing a secure solution for managing the air traffic of unmanned aerial vehicles that is applicable anywhere in the world.

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[one_half][box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]opti'waves start-up vivatechOpti’Waves develops and markets technology for the sintering ceramics using microwaves ten times faster than those currently available on the market to produce dental prostheses.

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[one_half_last][box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]imope start-up VivatechIn response to the complex challenges currently facing sustainable cities, IMOPE offers a powerful tool that provides an unprecedented amount of information, from the energy map of a building to an overall view of an entire region.

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Startups incubated at IMT Mines Alès:

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evo pods start-up Vivatech

eVo Pods is a shared transport system that allows users to transform any bike into an electric vehicle that is fast, safe, fun and protected from bad weather, all in only one minute.

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SMICES provides pragmatic and powerful solutions to problems encountered in operating rooms. Its first medical device, MEDCAM, offers constant visibility during coelioscopic surgeries.

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Startups incubated at IMT Lille Douai:

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Maestra start-up Vivatech

Maestra offers a foldable electric scooter that allows users to travel more easily while carrying loads. Its patented system allows the user to fold the scooter through a simple movement and use it as a cart.

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les companions start-up Vivatech

Les Companions is developing technology combining robotics and automated vision to provide flexibility, intelligence, effectiveness, and adaptivity to the building and industrial production sectors.

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Startup incubated at IMT Starter (Télécom SudParis and Télécom École de Management):

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watiz start-up Vivatech

Watiz designs, develops and markets new services intended for professionals based on technology that detects and re-identifies objects in real-time in image and video streams.

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AiZimov

Adrock.Tv, AiZimov and Seaclick: three new startups get interest-free loans

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On April 5th, the approval committee for the Digital Fund of the Graduate Schools and Universities Initiative chose three new startups from IMT incubators to receive interest-free loans: Adrock.tv and AiZimov, from the ParisTech Entrepreneurs incubator and Seaclick, from the IMT Starter incubator.

These loans aimed at financing the development of young promising companies have a 0% interest rate and can be awarded for amounts up to €60,000. They are co-financed by Fondation Mines-Télécom, the Caisse des Dépôts and Revital’Emploi.

 

[one_half][box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]start up adrock.tvAdrock.tv offers an artificial intelligence tool that analyzes images from editorial content online and integrates relevant ads from advertisers. [/box]

[box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]start up seaclick

The online tool Seaclick makes it possible to view and buy tickets to local cultural and sports events in just a few clicks.[/box]

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[one_half_last][box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]Aizimov Start up

AiZimov develops artificial intelligence for sales representatives that lets them select pertinent profiles online and write personalized emails based on the individual’s circumstances.[/box][/one_half_last]

 

startups, start-up, prêts d'honneur, Fondation Mines-Télécom, interest-free loans

12 startups supported with interest-free loans in 2017

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Thanks to its generous sponsors, Fondation Mines-Télécom was able to fund 22 interest-free loans in 2017 for entrepreneurs supported by IMT incubators. A total of €440,000 was awarded to 12 startups. In 2018, the Foundation intends to take its support for entrepreneurship a step further by awarding 30 interest-free loans.

 

Promising figures

To support the development of startups at IMT incubators, Fondation Mines-Télécom awards interest-free loans to entrepreneurs through the Graduate Schools and Universities Initiative. In 2017, twelve startups selected by the Foundation’s corporate partners benefitted from an interest-free loan. A total of €2.3 million in loans has been awarded since 2008, with an attrition rate of under 8%.

These no-collateral loans ranging between €20,000 and €40,000 help leverage funding for projects. Startups that received these loans have raised considerable funds this year, especially fintech Pledg (€1.2 million) and Seaver, which specializes in the IoT (Internet of Things) for the equine industry. The fact that many of these startups take part in the Las Vegas CES every year also attests to their strong performance. The objective for 2018 is to award interest-free loans to 30 new entrepreneurs to support 15 projects, representing a total of more than €560,000. To help achieve this goal, program partners Caisse des Dépôts and Revital’emploi are renewing their support.

Innovative services and products in the field of digital technology

The startups supported by these loans respond to different needs in the field of digital technology and take advantage of opportunities provided by big data. One such startup, Predictice, provides analytic solutions for court decisions designed for legal professionals.

Many of the startups specialize in connected objects. HEROZ, for example, is a connected accessory that protects smartphones from being stolen, lost, forgotten and also protects against intrusion. Keepen offers an autonomous alarm that everyone can access which is both more convenient and more reliable than current systems.

They also provide innovative services and create new user experiences. ThingType provides an online service for electronic design and creation that makes prototyping simple, easy and affordable, while Bruce, a digital and mobile temporary employment agency, helps businesses meet their needs for temporary employment.

Find out more about the interest-free loan program

Nearly 100 startups and spinoffs are created through the IMT incubator network every year. This is why Fondation Mines-Télécom finances a portion of the Digital Fund of the Graduate Schools & Universities Initiative, part of the Initiative France network, which aims to foster the development of new businesses at graduate schools, universities and research laboratories in France.

The interest-free loans play a key role in the development of startups that strive to expand rapidly, both in France and internationally. The loans provide the project with legitimacy, are accompanied by the incubators’ technical expertise and help leverage funding for startup costs. These loans for an amount of up to €40,000 have a one-year grace period and must then be repaid within five years. Repayments are in turn used to provide funding for loans for other entrepreneurs.

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The original version of this article was published on the  Fondation Mines-Télécom website

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eOdyn

eOdyn: technological breakthrough in the observation of ocean surface currents

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Existing methods for measuring ocean surface currents are expensive, difficult to implement and limited in the amount of information they can gather. The solution proposed by the eOdyn startup, based on the algorithmic analysis of data from maritime traffic, represents a real technological breakthrough. It is very affordable and more effective, enabling the real-time and delayed observation of marine currents across the entire surface of the globe. Using this technology, eOdyn is developing many different services for the those involved in maritime transport, from the offshore oil industry, to sea rescue and research on climate change. Incubated at IMT Atlantique, the startup’s customers and partners include CMA CGM, Airbus Defence and Space, the European Space Agency and IFREMER.

 

 

Two main solutions are used to measure marine currents on the high seas. The first is to throw drifting buoys into the sea equipped with GPS and track their travel. This historical technique is still just as effective, yet it is costly and difficult to implement. It requires the buoys to be spread throughout the ocean in a homogeneous manner, and the batteries of the drifting sensors must be regularly changed. The second method is to measure the ocean currents using the six altimetry satellites that are currently in orbit. At best, when the six satellites are located above the ocean, and not above the continents, they can obtain six measurements of the water’s surface at a given time that can be used to deduce the presence and direction of the currents. This technique also requires considerable financial means, as evidenced by the €1.2 billion price tag on the next project involving the development, launch and three-year operation of the new-generation altimetric satellite known as SWOT.

The eOdyn startup now proposes a simple and inexpensive solution for the digital analysis of open data, including AIS data (Automatic Identification System), to measure the currents in real time and delayed time. This data allows ships to be operated as sensors collecting information on the currents. Considering that approximately 100,000 are sailing around the globe simultaneously, this represents 100,000 measurement points, as compared to the six points currently provided by satellites.

 

A simple, affordable and complete solution for observing marine currents

Each ship emits an AIS message every ten seconds. This message contains information on the vessel itself, its position and its path. All data is collected by an international network of receivers and antennas installed along the coastlines or on satellites in low Earth orbit. These AIS messages were initially designed and used as a maritime security system for preventing collisions. “It was necessary to create an open system that allows for exchanges of unencrypted information between vessels, so that they can see each other,” says Yann Guichoux, the startup’s founder.

eOdyn collects and analyzes these AIS data and submits them to an algorithm capable of analyzing each vessel’s path in different navigation conditions and produce a model of hydrodynamic behavior. Based on the vessel’s movement in relation to its planned path, it deduces the direction and intensity of the current it is affected by. “The algorithm needs a significant amount of data to function,” explains Yann Guichoux. “This is where the concepts of big data and machine learning come into play. For the algorithm, there is a learning phase for each vessel that is analyzed.”

Read more on I’MTech: What is big data?

In addition to being inexpensive, the solution proposed by eOdyn offers more comprehensive data than the altimetry satellites: “Altimetry measurement is limited, because it only obtains information on the current that is perpendicular to the satellite track” Yann Guichoux explains. “The information provided only pertains to a geostrophic current, a theoretical current. The actual current includes this geostrophic current, but also includes the tidal current and the current affected by the wind speed, which eOdyn replicates.”

 

Fuel economy, sea rescue and climate research

“At first, our business model was to sell the data we obtained. Now, we are progressively moving towards providing value-added services to various sectors,” Yann Guichoux explains. In the field of maritime transport, rather than selling the data directly to companies that do not know how to process and use them, the startup will propose optimal navigation routes that will allow ships to take advantage of driving currents and save on fuel. Furthermore, a monitoring system is being developed for offshore oil companies. It will alert the companies in real time of the presence of whirlpools that could potentially disrupt the drilling operations, cause material damage and the release pollutants into the ocean. Yann Guichoux also plans to develop a drift prediction tool for sea rescue, which will provide an estimation of the location of a person who has drifted out to sea in order to help guide search and rescue operations. Finally, the startup is also interested in providing data for research on climate change, for example to ascertain the slowdown of the Gulf Stream current.

But eOdyn won’t stop there! Using the same algorithmic basis, modified with significant variations, the startup is working on new projects for measuring swells and wind, which will come out in 2018. “A ship is a moving object in the water, subject to the constraints of the currents, swells and waves. When we look at the data and its analysis, we gain an overview of these three parameters,” Yann Guichoux explains. With the development of new tools based on the observation of these phenomena comes the promise of new fields of application waiting to be discovered.