Launch of the Impact Lab Academy to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem in its drive towards impact

On Friday February 2, an Academy led by France's leading Impact experts was launched to help the entire start-up ecosystem become more professional in this area. For these well-known and recognized pioneers, Impact can no longer be an option or a marketing argument, but must become a core part of support programs to improve the economic, ecological and social robustness of start-ups and scale-ups. 

84% of startups consider ESG commitment to be an important criterion when choosing their incubator (Source: EDHEC Entrepreneurs and Station F, 2022). Yet throughout the ecosystem -incubators, gas pedals, networks- that has driven the development of French Tech, the concept of Impact is often blurred, and risks becoming a mere marketing distinction. 

This situation limits the development of French start-ups: 

• The growing number of Impact start-ups developing ecological and social innovations needed by society as a whole are finding few or no players capable of understanding their business model, and therefore of supporting them effectively as they grow and one day become Impact Unicorns.
• Start-ups, which are increasingly having to integrate ESG issues, particularly in their dealings with major corporations and with rapidly changing regulations, are not prepared. Some will lose their attractiveness, or will have to transform at a time when they should be expanding. 

With this in mind, Impact France has created the Impact Lab Academy with France's leading experts in Impact and ecological and social transformation: La Ruche, Makesense, Pulse (Groupe SOS), Corporate for Change (Ticket for Change) and INCO. An unprecedented alliance for players who are often competitors, who have chosen to join forces to disseminate their vision and know-how as widely as possible, in order to achieve a real shift in the way entrepreneurs are supported. 

30 support structures have already joined the Impact Lab Academy, including La French Tech, AgroParisTech, Singa, WILCO, Les Déterminés and Réseau Entreprendre... They will benefit from exclusive access to monthly masterclass sessions, a hundred or so tools developed specially for them by the coalition (Impact Wiki), support in creating programs for their companies, and the exchange of practice between committed peers, ready to help each other, and driven by the same objectives. 

The Impact Lab Academy aims to support around a hundred public and private players in business creation and development each year, thereby helping to raise the skills of the entire economic world and to bring about an urgent professionalization of these issues. "Innovating through new models does not just belong to entrepreneurs, but to the entire entrepreneurial chain", concludes Sophie Vannier, President of La Ruche.

About Impact Lab : 

The action tank created by Mouvement Impact France in coalition with La Ruche, makesense, Pulse (Groupe SOS), Corporate for Change (Ticket for Change) and INCO to formalize and produce the best consolidated expertise on impact in France. Further information: https: //www.impactlab.eco/#offres

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📩 Want to join the community? Write to us at impactlab@impactfrance.eco