Why Not Factory

What Why Not Factory does

Why Not Factory (WNF) is a French business incubator and entrepreneurship support organization founded in 2017, operating as the official incubator of Groupe IGENSIA Education (formerly Groupe IGS). It is headquartered in Paris at 174 quai de Jemmapes, with additional operations in Toulouse and Lyon, and is staffed by a small core team supplemented by a curated network of 70+ vetted experts across 10 specializations including legal, finance, marketing, strategy, tech, and HR. WNF serves students, alumni, and collaborators of the parent group's 12+ schools, supporting them through a three-tier program structure: a 12-month selective Incubation Program (€19.99/month, 10-15 startups per campus per year) that takes projects from idea to launched business, a 12-month non-selective Pre-incubation Program (€9.99/month for IGENSIA affiliates) covering idea-to-project, and a self-paced Freelance Path (€9.99-€29.99/month) for aspiring micro-entrepreneurs. The portfolio is rounded out by a 24/7 Paris coworking space (€60-€300/month tiered by access days), a B2B training line sold to schools (Design Thinking, Art du Pitch, challenges, Vie Associative), a monthly events calendar of 50+ events, and the official partnership with Pépite Créaj IDF enabling the Statut National Etudiant-Entrepreneur.

The business model is a hybrid of low-priced individual subscriptions and institutional sales. Direct-to-individual revenue (incubation, pre-incubation, freelance, coworking) is high-volume, low-ARPU, and priced at a meaningful discount for IGENSIA Education affiliates. B2B training for schools and event-driven monetization (Fête des Entrepreneurs, Journée de l'Entrepreneur.e Responsable) represent higher-value revenue lines with custom pricing. Distribution is predominantly community-led and event-driven within the IGENSIA Education ecosystem, supplemented by self-serve website enrollment, partner referrals (Pépite, La French Tech, Bpifrance as ecosystem supporters), and alumni word-of-mouth. Since inception, WNF claims to have supported 400+ members, accompanied 130+ projects, and run 12 Paris cohorts plus 3 Toulouse cohorts, indicating steady, multi-year cohort-based scaling rather than venture-style hyper-growth. WNF has no proprietary technology platform, no disclosed funding rounds, no M&A activity, and no patent or trademark filings; the moat is built on institutional embedment, expert network curation, and community density rather than technology.

Name

Why Not Factory

Legal name

Groupe IGS - CIEFA (Why Not Factory)

Website

https://thewhynotfactory.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Why Not Factory is the official incubator of Groupe IGENSIA Education, running selective incubation, pre-incubation, and freelance programs for the group's students, alumni, and collaborators across Paris, Toulouse, and Lyon, supplemented by coworking, B2B school training, and a 70+ expert network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Incubation Services

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship, Startup Incubation & Pitch Programs (EDAMAKAK), Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

Keywords

• Startup incubation services
• Entrepreneurship training programs
• Business accelerator services
• Coworking space rental
• Micro-enterprise support

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Incubation Program Fees: Charges 19.99€ TTC/month for the 1-year incubation program. Revenue is subscription-based and recurring from participants.
2. Parcours Freelance Fees: Subscription model: 9.99€ TTC/month for IGENSIA Education members, 29.99€ TTC/month for external participants, for 1 year. Generates recurring subscription revenue from micro-entrepreneurs.
3. Pre-incubation Program Fees: 9.99€ TTC/month for 1 year for IGENSIA Education students, alumni, and collaborators. Non-selective, open continuously.
4. B2B Training for Schools: Why Not Factory provides bespoke entrepreneurship training modules to schools within and outside Groupe IGENSIA Education. Schools can request custom quotes for Design Thinking, Art du Pitch, challenges, and Vie Associative programs.
5. Coworking Space Rental: Flexible workspace at 174 quai de Jemmapes, Paris. Pricing tiers from 60€ (1 day/week) to 300€ (5 days/week) per fixed desk per month. Generates recurring rental revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Why Not Factory is a private business incubator and accelerator operating within the Groupe IGENSIA Education (formerly Groupe IGS) ecosystem. It offers a structured three-tier progression of subscription programs for aspiring student-entrepreneurs — a self-paced Parcours Freelance for micro-entrepreneurs, a 12-month Programme de Pré-incubation (idea to project), and a selective 12-month Programme d'Incubation (project to startup, 10–15 selected per campus) — supplemented by a 24/7 coworking space in Paris, a curated network of 70+ vetted experts, monthly community events, and B2B entrepreneurship training workshops sold to schools and institutions.

Product overview

Why Not Factory (WNF) is an incubator operated by Groupe IGENSIA Education (formerly Groupe IGS) with campuses in Paris, Lyon, and Toulouse. Its portfolio consists of three core programs — the 12-month Incubation Programme (taking 10–15 selected projects per campus from idea to startup), the 12-month Pre-incubation Programme (for those at the idea stage), and the self-paced Freelance Path (for micro-entrepreneurs) — supplemented by a Paris-based coworking space, B2B training workshops for schools (Design Thinking, Pitch Art, Challenges/Hackathons), a 12-month Student Association Life Programme, a monthly events programme (Coaching Soirées, Why Not Talks, Open Mentoring, breakfasts, afterworks), and a curated network of over 70 experts across 10 specializations. The offering forms a cohesive entrepreneurial ecosystem supporting students, alumni, and collaborators of IGENSIA Education from ideation through to launched and growing businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Programme d'Incubation A 12-month selective incubator program taking 10–15 selected entrepreneurs per campus from project to startup, structured in two phases: a 6-month 'Boost' with formations, mentoring, and expert sessions, followed by a 6-month 'Development' phase with coworking access, community, and networking. Priced at €19.99 TTC/month.
• Programme de Pré-incubation A 12-month non-selective program helping students, alumni, and collaborators of Groupe IGENSIA Education go from idea to entrepreneurial project, featuring three online training modules (concept definition, business model, market integration), coaching, mentoring, and the option to apply for the incubation program. Priced at €9.99 TTC/month for IGENSIA community members.
• Parcours Freelance A self-paced online training and coaching program for micro-entrepreneurs covering legal/administrative setup, communication and marketing, and sales/prospecting, with monthly talks and rolling monthly admissions. Priced at €9.99 TTC/month for IGENSIA Education members and €29.99 TTC/month for external participants, for 1 year.
• Coworking Space Flexible coworking workspace at 174 quai de Jemmapes, Paris (75010), offering fixed desks, soundproofed phone boxes, meeting rooms for 4 and 12 people, and community access, available 24/7. Tiered pricing from €60 TTC/desk/month (1 day/week) to €300 TTC/desk/month (5 days/week).
• Formations B2B pour les écoles Bespoke entrepreneurship training workshops and programs delivered to schools and institutions by the Why Not Factory expert network, covering Design Thinking, pitch skills, challenges (48h hackathons, 6-month projects), and Vie Associative training for student associations. Sold via quote requests to schools within and outside Groupe IGENSIA Education.

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Groupe IGENSIA Education (ex-Groupe IGS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhy Not Factory is the official incubator of Groupe IGENSIA Education. It operates as part of the group's ecosystem, drawing students, alumni, and collaborators as participants and benefiting from institutional infrastructure across 12+ campuses in Paris, Toulouse, Lyon, and other cities.
• La French TechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLa French Tech is listed as a partner/supporter. The French Tech mission is to grow French startup ecosystems internationally, which aligns with WNF's mission to develop impactful entrepreneurs.
• Pépite Créaj IDFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership enabling pre-incubation participants to obtain the Statut National Etudiant-Entrepreneur (PEPITE), a national student-entrepreneur status that allows students to defer studies and focus on their ventures. Pépite manages this government-backed program.
• VivlabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVivlab is a web agency and former WNF-incubated startup (co-founded by Caroline Jacquemin, WNF expert). It is listed as a partner and provides preferential tool rates to WNF entrepreneurs. Also designed the WNF website.
• Angi.techminorOthersListed as a supporter/partner providing preferential conditions for WNF entrepreneurs. Angi.tech (ANGI services) likely offers tools or services at discounted rates.
• IGS Insertion InclusionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIGS Insertion Inclusion is part of the IGS group focused on professional integration and inclusion. Listed as a supporter alongside WNF's broader mission of fostering diverse entrepreneurs.
• SolpedinnminorOthersSolpedinn is a WNF-incubated startup (Excel training organization, Qualiopi-certified) that provides preferential tool rates to current WNF entrepreneurs as a community partner.
• Team CréatifminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTeam Créatif is an agency partner co-organizing the Brand My Startup hackathon challenge with WNF since 2020. Students provide branding services to WNF-incubated startups during the event.
• ffollozzminorGTM or Marketing Partnerffollozz is a school partner helping WNF startups develop global influence strategies. Students conduct sector-specific analysis and provide social media strategy recommendations for incubating startups.
• ISCPA (École de Communication)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerISCPA is a school within Groupe IGENSIA Education that co-hosts the Communikathon challenge with WNF. 48-hour intensive communication strategy challenge for 11 startups.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Station F: Station F is the world's largest startup campus, located in Paris. It hosts hundreds of incubators and programs serving student and early-stage entrepreneurs — directly comparable in mission and target audience to WNF, but at vastly greater scale and with stronger investor pipelines.
• NUMA: NUMA is a Paris-based innovation hub running acceleration programs, corporate innovation consulting, and startup events. Comparable to WNF in offering acceleration services and an event-driven community, but at much larger scale and with corporate sponsorship as a primary revenue stream.

Direct peers

• H7 (Lyon): H7 is Lyon's central startup hub hosting incubators, accelerators, and corporate innovation programs. Operates in one of the same geographies as WNF (Lyon) and targets similar early-stage entrepreneurs, making it a direct local competitor.
• 1Kubator: 1Kubator is a French network of startup incubators operating in multiple French cities, often in partnership with corporates and educational institutions. Comparable to WNF in multi-city French footprint and incubation-program model.
• Les Premières: Les Premières is a French incubator network supporting entrepreneurship (with a focus on underrepresented founders) through cohort-based programs. Comparable to WNF in structured multi-month programs and mission-driven entrepreneur support.
• Schoolab: Schoolab is a Paris-based innovation school combining student entrepreneurship programs, corporate consulting, and accelerator offerings. Closely comparable to WNF's hybrid education-plus-incubation model and student-entrepreneur focus.
• Pépite France: Pépite France is the national government-backed network managing the Statut National Etudiant-Entrepreneur (SNEE). WNF explicitly partners with Pépite Créaj IDF and routes pre-incubation participants through this status — making Pépite both a partner and a direct competitor for student-entrepreneur mindshare.
• The Family: The Family is a Paris-based startup education and acceleration organization offering programs, community, and investor connections to European entrepreneurs. Overlaps with WNF's mission of supporting early-stage founders, but with a more pan-European scope and a stronger investor-network focus.

Regional players

• Euratechnologies: Euratechnologies is a large tech incubator and accelerator based in Lille, France. Comparable in incubation model and B2B training offerings but serves a different French region than WNF's Paris/Lyon/Toulouse footprint.

Others

• Bpifrance Le Lab: Bpifrance Le Lab is the innovation and foresight unit of France's public investment bank Bpifrance. WNF lists Bpifrance as a supporter; Bpifrance's broader programs (Le Hub, Le Lab) intersect with WNF's entrepreneur-support mission as a national ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/about

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Why Not Factory