First Step Challenge gets an overwhelming response

This year’s inaugural First Step Challenge—designed to identify the most promising start-up ideas based on CEA Tech projects (see the October 2012 issue of Minanews)—received an overwhelming 23 applications from aspiring young entrepreneurs. 14 of these applications have been selected for the next phase of the challenge; most of the projects selected were officially launched so that they could be submitted to the Challenge. This confirms the Challenge’s role in encouraging the emergence of new projects. Challenge participants have an average age of 36; the youngest person is 29. T
he 14 first-round winners will undergo a two-month training program, then nine of them will present their business ideas to a jury in either December 2012 or in 2013. The jury will decide how much funding to award to individual projects to help them overcome technical and commercial hurdles. The other projects will begin CEA’s incubation process in early 2013.

Contact: stephane.fontanell@cea.fr

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