What X-Hec Entrepreneurs does

X-HEC Entrepreneurs is a specialized entrepreneurship education program operated by HEC Paris in collaboration with École Polytechnique. It is offered in two formats: a dedicated two-year Master of Science in X-HEC Entrepreneurs and an M2 specialization major within HEC Paris's Master in Management (Grande École) program. The program targets graduate students and aspiring entrepreneurs, with a particular emphasis on technology startup creation, innovation management, and venture capital careers, and is designed to combine management education with technical and scientific training.

The program sits inside the HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute and gives participants access to HEC Paris's broader entrepreneurial infrastructure, including the HEC Paris Incubateur, the Startup Launchpad, and associated startup accelerators. Students apply through the centralized HEC Paris admissions process and attend classes primarily at the HEC Paris campus in Jouy-en-Josas, France, with the curriculum jointly shaped by HEC Paris faculty and École Polytechnique's engineering and scientific faculty.

X-HEC Entrepreneurs is not a separate commercial entity and does not have its own revenue line, funding history, or standalone legal structure; it is a product line within HEC Paris, a private higher education institution affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Paris Region (CCI Paris Île-de-France Education). Monetization occurs indirectly through HEC Paris tuition for the relevant MSc and Master in Management tracks, supplemented by access to HEC's network of over 80,000 alumni across more than 130 countries. The program also benefits from HEC Paris's broader network of international double-degree partners, including Tsinghua University, Bocconi, KEIO, ESADE, St. Gallen, NUS, FGV EAESP, and IIM Ahmedabad, and from HEC's international offices in Doha, the UK, North America, Greater China, Western and Central Africa, Japan, and Dubai.

Name

X-Hec Entrepreneurs

Legal name

X-HEC Entrepreneurs (Program of HEC Paris)

Website

https://www.hec.edu/fr/grande-ecole-masters/programmes-x-hec

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

X-HEC Entrepreneurs is a graduate entrepreneurship program jointly run by HEC Paris and École Polytechnique, offered as a Master of Science and an M2 specialization for aspiring technology founders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Education

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Business and Secretarial Schools (61141)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Entrepreneurship & Incubation Focus (EDAHAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

Keywords

• Entrepreneurship education
• Graduate business programs
• Master of science
• Startup training
• Innovation management

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Core offering

X-HEC Entrepreneurs is a joint graduate educational program co-developed by HEC Paris and École Polytechnique that trains aspiring founders to launch technology- and science-based ventures. It delivers a 12-18 month full-time Master of Science in Entrepreneurship & Innovation and a 16-month Major within the Master in Management, combining rigorous business and engineering coursework with hands-on venture creation, mentoring, and exposure to startup ecosystems in Paris and Station F.

Product overview

X-Hec Entrepreneurs is an entrepreneurship-focused program offering at HEC Paris, delivered as both a dedicated Master of Science degree and as a major specialization within the Master in Management program. The program combines rigorous business education with practical entrepreneurship training, providing students with the skills, network, and resources needed to launch and grow successful ventures. The offering is part of HEC Paris's broader portfolio of business education programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master of Science X-HEC Entrepreneurs (MSc) A full-time 12-18 month Master of Science program designed for graduates who want to launch a tech or science-based venture. Delivered jointly by HEC Paris and École Polytechnique, it combines business strategy, technology, and entrepreneurship coursework with practical venture creation. No GMAT/GRE required; tuition is €27,500; application process uses rolling admissions. Based in Jouy-en-Josas, Paris.
• X-HEC Entrepreneurs Major (Master in Management) A 16-month specialization track within the HEC Paris Master in Management, focusing on entrepreneurship and innovation. Tuition is €16,500; serves MiM students seeking concentrated entrepreneurship training.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Tsinghua University (via double degree programs)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012While not a direct partner for X-HEC specifically, HEC Paris has established double degree programs with Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management, offering opportunities for finance students to study in China.
• Ecole PolytechniquecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerX-HEC Entrepreneurs is a joint Master of Science program between HEC Paris and Ecole Polytechnique. The program combines HEC Paris's business education expertise with Ecole Polytechnique's technical and scientific excellence to train entrepreneurs with both business and technological skills.
• HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe X-HEC Entrepreneurs program is part of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute at HEC Paris, which leads an ecosystem for entrepreneurs, innovators, and corporate transformations. Students have access to incubation centers, startup launchpad, and various entrepreneurial programs.
• Incubation et Acceleration Center (HEC Paris Incubateur, Startup Launchpad)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerX-HEC Entrepreneurs students have access to HEC Paris's incubation and acceleration facilities including the HEC Paris Incubateur, Startup Launchpad, and various startup accelerator programs supporting student ventures.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• INSEAD Entrepreneurship: INSEAD's MBA and specialised entrepreneurship offerings (e.g., in Fontainebleau/Singapore) compete for the same European and international founder talent and operate a similar global campus model.
• HEC Paris MSc in Innovation and Entrepreneurship: A sister HEC Paris MSc program focused on entrepreneurship and innovation, sharing curricula, faculty, and incubation resources. It is the closest direct comparator within the same institution and likely competes for overlapping applicants.
• MIT Sloan School of Management (Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship): MIT's flagship entrepreneurship platform offering MS/MBA tracks combined with deep-tech venture support. Comparable as a top-tier graduate entrepreneurship program, though with a much larger engineering/tech founder pipeline and US location.
• Stanford Graduate School of Business (Stanford MSx / STVP): Stanford's management graduate programs and Stanford Technology Ventures Program together provide elite entrepreneurship education tethered to Silicon Valley venture capital. Comparable in prestige and in producing founders, but with stronger US VC network effects.
• London Business School Masters in Entrepreneurship: LBS's graduate entrepreneurship programmes target similar international founders and management students. Comparable in terms of prestigious-business-school delivery and access to European investor networks; close competitor for UK/European applicants.
• Babson College (MBA / Entrepreneurship Programs): Babson is widely regarded as the leading global school for entrepreneurship education and produces a high density of founders. Comparable in mission and program structure, though it is US-based and undergraduate-heavy.
• Imperial College Business School MSc / Imperial Enterprise Lab: Imperial's Business School programs and Enterprise Lab combine business education with deep-tech venture support, mirroring the HEC × École Polytechnique cross-disciplinary model. A direct competitor for European STEM-founder applicants.
• Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management (Tsinghua x-lab): Tsinghua's management school and x-lab platform combine business education with engineering for Chinese entrepreneurship talent. Comparable in cross-disciplinary founder development and is already a partner institution of HEC Paris.
• ESSEC Business School MSc in Entrepreneurship: ESSEC, another French Grande École, offers graduate entrepreneurship programs that compete with X-HEC for French and European applicants. Closely comparable in target market and program structure.

Emerging players

• Sciences Po Entrepreneurship Programs: Sciences Po offers entrepreneurship-focused graduate programs emphasising social impact and policy. Comparable in the French market as a competing entrepreneurship program, but with a different (social/policy) orientation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/hec_paris
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HECParis
• Facebookfacebook.com/HECParis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/x-hec-entrepreneurs
• Instagraminstagram.com/hec_paris

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about X-Hec Entrepreneurs