Laura, a sophomore in the Grande Ecole Engineering Programme the Aix-en-Provence campus, reflects on her journey as a student entrepreneur. She created Ec’H2O,“the showerhead that reduces your water consumption by 80%,” and explains how, with support from Arts et Métiers Pépite Provence, she turned her idea into reality.
Did you already have in mind to create a start-up when you joined Arts et Métiers
I have always been drawn to the world of entrepreneurship. For me, start-ups are the economic model of the future, but I had never really considered launching one myself.
I had a real revelation, a moment of inspiration, during the JITCAM, a business game organized every year by the campus and the Junior Etude d'Aix to raise student awareness of entrepreneurship. It brings together 150 students, mostly first-year students, and enables them to develop the entrepreneurial skills that will be essential for engineers of the future.
I was really impressed by the multidisciplinary nature of the event, the energy of the coaches, and the richness of the discussions.
You won first prize at JITCAM with your Ec’H2O project. Can you tell us about it?
Ec'H2O enables families investing in new homes and mobile home builders to reduce their shower water consumption by at least 80% (representing a one-third reduction in their total water consumption) thanks to a plug that fits under the shower tray and allows the water to circulate in a closed circuit.
This project won first prize at last year's JITCAM. We even had the opportunity to accompany the event's sponsor, VINCI Energies at the VivaTech trade show, but the health situation decided otherwise!
What motivated you to participate in the Entrepreneurship and Technological Innovation Program (PEIT) offered by the school this year?
JITCAM was a decisive event in my career path and brought the PEIT as an obvious choice in my second year, as well as for my third-year expertise.
The PEIT program enabled me to complete the entire pre-incubation phase of the project. This involved conducting a marketing and financial study. The technical feasibility study was integrated into my academic program in the form of a group project (PJT) in which we proceeded to size the system.
As I approach the end of my studies, I am preparing to pitch to a jury and will find out whether Ec'H2O is ready to be incubated.
What were the main difficulties encountered?
The biggest challenge I've faced is managing to balance everything. With lots of classes and a very active and demanding social life, your days quickly become very busy. The pace is very fast and sometimes difficult to maintain over the long term!
How did Arts et Métiers Pépite Provence support you in your project and your training?
Joining the PEIT program and benefiting from the support of the Pépite entrepreneurial network allowed me to move forward with real peace of mind and never get stuck. But above all, we are constantly challenged on our project. It's a constant process of questioning, enriched by lots of discussion. It's extremely stimulating.
Thanks to PEIT, we have additional classes on Thursday afternoons and Saturdays where we cover "general" concepts related to innovation, marketing, finance, communication, etc. These modules really take our personal projects into account, and we apply each theoretical concept to our respective projects in a practical way.
I also received support from Pépite Provence, which is a very dynamic local network. I was assisted by personal coaches on my project. We have easy access to a wealth of resources (legal, marketing, etc.), services, and advice. Mutual assistance and exchanges between student entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs in the region allow us to build a network and challenge ourselves effectively.
We are also required to attend at least one entrepreneurial challenge during the year. I chose to participate in the entrepreneurship escape game 8h chrono. My team came in third!
The speakers are passionate and really available to us, which is a huge source of motivation!
What are your ambitions after completing this program?
I'm leaving next February to complete my Master of Science in Master of Science and Innovation at the University of Queensland in Australia.
In the meantime, I would like to get to the proof of concept stage for Ec'H2O. That means launching a small series to test the product in real-world conditions and thus demonstrate the feasibility of the project. This is a major step toward a fully functional prototype and will determine how things proceed from there.
