Pépite PON

What Pépite PON does

Pépite PON is the local node of France's national PEPITE student entrepreneurship network for the western Paris / Ouest-Nord territory, hosted and coordinated by Université Paris Nanterre. Created under the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research's PEPITE program launched in 2014 and operational since 2015, it is staffed by 11 people and serves as the licensed issuer of the Statut National Étudiant-Entrepreneur (SNEE) and the Diplôme Étudiant-Entrepreneur (D2E) diploma in its catchment.

Its core offer sits in three layers: a status and credentialing layer (SNEE recognition and D2E diploma, with student fees of 450-500€); a support layer, including a 9-month I-Engage incubator for social and solidarity economy (ESS) ventures launched in January 2018 (405€ fee) and PEPITE Starter residency at Station F for top-performing student entrepreneurs; and an engagement layer, including POSSIBLECamp, a multi-day student startup bootcamp (50-100€ fee). The platform is backed by a network of 10 partner higher education institutions providing access to over 70,000 students and more than 70 external experts, mentors, and professionals.

The business model is that of a publicly funded non-profit program node rather than a commercial enterprise. Operating budget is anchored in transfers from the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, Région Île-de-France, and Université Paris Nanterre, with modest self-generated revenue from program participant fees. Distribution is institutional: cohort intake is driven by member universities, not by commercial sales, and the named leadership team (Julien Meykerque as Coordinator, Khanh Tran as Director, Marion Brunel leading I-Engage, Maixent Genet on animation and coordination) oversees a small, mission-defined portfolio. National PEPITE awards in 2016, 2019, and 2020 provide external validation but the entity's value capture is policy and educational impact, not financial return.

Name

Pépite PON

Legal name

PÉPITE Paris Ouest Nord

Website

https://pepite-pon.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pépite PON is the western Paris node of France's national PEPITE student-entrepreneurship program, hosted by Université Paris Nanterre and authorized to grant the Statut National Étudiant-Entrepreneur (SNEE) and D2E diploma across a 10-institution consortium reaching more than 70,000 students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Entrepreneurship Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM)

Keywords

• Student entrepreneurship support
• Incubator services
• Social entrepreneurship
• Innovation support
• Higher education partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Nanterre

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding and Institutional Support: Pépite PON operates as a public initiative funded by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, the Region Île-de-France, and hosted by Université Paris Nanterre. Revenue comes from institutional subsidies and public funding programs rather than commercial revenue streams.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pépite PON is a French public student entrepreneurship network (Pôle Étudiant pour l'Innovation, le Transfert et l'Entrepreneuriat Paris Ouest Nord) coordinating student entrepreneurship support across 10 higher education institutions in the Paris Ouest Nord region. It delivers the National Student Entrepreneur Status (SNEE), the D2E diploma program, dual-tutor mentorship, co-working spaces, the I-Engage social economy incubator, and the PEPITE Starter acceleration program at Station F.

Product overview

Pépite PON is a French public network (Pôle Étudiant pour l'Innovation, le Transfert et l'Entrepreneuriat) supporting student entrepreneurship across 10 higher education institutions in the Paris West North region. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected programs: the core SNEE status and D2E diploma for student entrepreneurs, supported by dual-tutor accompaniment and co-working facilities; the I-ENGAGE sub-brand incubator specifically for social economy entrepreneurs; and the PEPITE Start'up IDF X Station F acceleration program at the world's largest startup campus. The programs are designed as progressive pathways from idea emergence through to business launch.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• I-Engage: Incubator for social entrepreneurship projects in the Économie Sociale et Solidaire (ESS) sector, created by the entrepreneurship pole of Université Paris Nanterre in January 2018
• PEPITE Starter
• PEPITE Start'up

Quantifiable outcome

• 145 students received entrepreneur status in 2019-2020
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and key.

• Université Paris NanterrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead institutional partner hosting Pépite PON headquarters. Provides administrative infrastructure, co-working spaces, and access to university resources including libraries, restaurants, sports facilities, and research collaboration opportunities.
• Université Paris 8 Vincennes – Saint-DeniscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember institution and partner hosting the second I-Engage incubator location in Saint-Denis (territory 93).
• EMLV - École de Management Léonard de VincicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness school member institution involved in entrepreneurship education and I-Engage incubator partnership.
• ESILV - École Supérieure d'Ingénieurs Léonard de VincicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering school member institution contributing to the PEPITE network.
• IÉSEG School of ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAACSB and EQUIS accredited business school, member institution with strong research credentials.
• EDC Paris Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember institution with strong entrepreneurial DNA, co-directs Pépite PON.
• IIM - Institut de l'Internet et du MultimédiasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital school member institution contributing digital expertise.
• ISEP - Institut Supérieur de l'Électronique et du NumériquesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering school specializing in electronics, computing, telecommunications, and multimedia.
• EPF - École d'Ingénieur·e·ssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering school member institution.
• ICP - Institut Catholique de ParissupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatholic institute member contributing to the diversity of the network.
• IPAG - Institut de Préparation à l'Administration GénéralesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness school member institution.
• ISG - Institut Supérieur de GestionsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness school member institution.
• IESA arts&culturesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts and culture school member institution.
• PSH Sup - Lycée Passy Saint HonorésupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigh school member institution providing access to pre-higher education entrepreneurship awareness.
• ComUE Université Paris LumièressupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal university grouping member.
• I-Engage IncubatorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESS incubator created by Université Paris Nanterre in January 2018, operating at two locations (Paris Nanterre and Paris 8). Forms an integral part of the Pépite PON ecosystem.
• POLD - Paris Ouest La DéfensekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerTerritorial actor of Paris Ouest La Défense, key partner in the I-Engage incubator and broader ecosystem development.
• MEDEF Hauts-de-SeinekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness federation providing access to entrepreneurial network and mentorship.
• HDSI - Hauts de Seine InitiativekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative France network member providing support for business creation and I-Engage incubator partnership.
• COOPANAMEkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative of economic activity and employment, key partner in I-Engage incubator for social entrepreneurship support.
• Incub'ESSCAsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorESSCA business school incubator offering complementary support services.
• Station FkeyChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorld's largest startup campus hosting the PEPITE Starter program for student entrepreneurs from all 8 Île-de-France PEPITEs.
• SchoolabkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in PEPITE Starter program operation at Station F, providing acceleration expertise and infrastructure.
• PEPITE FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network of student entrepreneur PEPITEs coordinating national programs, competitions, and standards.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute: Top French business school's entrepreneurship center offering incubators (HEC Challenge+, Station F presence), accelerators, and degree programs. Comparable as a higher-education-driven entrepreneurship support hub, though single-institution versus Pépite PON's consortium model.
• Initiative France: National federation of local Initiative platforms (including partner Hauts-de-Seine Initiative in Pépite PON's I-Engage). Provides zero-interest loans and mentorship to business creators — a comparable accompaniment-plus-financing model at greater scale.
• Réseau Entreprendre: France-wide non-profit network of entrepreneur mentors providing accompaniment and loan-based financing to growing businesses. Comparable as a French mentor-driven, public-interest entrepreneur support organization, though serving later-stage founders than Pépite PON.
• Bpifrance: French public investment bank co-funding the national Prix PEPITE prizes and serving as a broader financial backstop for French entrepreneurs. Overlaps as a public-sector entrepreneurship supporter but at a national, capital-providing scale versus Pépite PON's local, non-capital support role.

Regional players

• Paris&Co: Paris-based incubator and innovation platform running multiple sector-specific programs across the Île-de-France region. Comparable as a publicly-backed regional player offering incubation, workspace, and corporate connections to early-stage ventures in Paris.

Direct peers

• PEPITE France: The national network that coordinates all PEPITE organizations, including Pépite PON. It sets SNEE standards, runs the national Prix PEPITE competition, and provides the policy umbrella under which Pépite PON operates.
• Schoolab: Operates the PEPITE Starter program alongside Pépite PON at Station F. Directly comparable as an education-meets-entrepreneurship operator running cohort-based acceleration for students and early founders in Paris.
• Station F: World's largest startup campus hosting the PEPITE Starter acceleration program for Pépite PON student entrepreneurs. Comparable as a student/early-stage startup support hub offering workspace, mentorship, and ecosystem access in Paris.

Peers

• France Active: Network supporting social and solidarity economy (ESS) entrepreneurs via financing and accompaniment. Closely comparable to the I-Engage sub-brand's focus area and mission of supporting impact-led entrepreneurs in France.

Emerging players

• École Polytechnique Entrepreneurship Programs (X-UP, Drahi-X): Engineering grande école's dedicated student entrepreneurship programs and incubator at Station F. Directly comparable as a French higher-education institution offering structured student founder support, dual tutoring, and acceleration pathways in the same Paris ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pepitepon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pepite-pon
• Instagraminstagram.com/pepitepon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Pépite PON