1Kubator finds its marks in Toulouse
A new kind of incubator was set up in Toulouse in April 2021. The particularity of its model? Its participation price in the start-up it hosts, up to 10% of the capital and a competition of 25,000 euros. The Toulouse office of 1Kubator is the tenth national location of the network of incubators created in 2016 by the Lyon multi-entrepreneur Alexandre Fourtoy.
At its head, Élodie Duru, South-West regional director of 1Kubator, also in charge of the Bordeaux office and appointed to Toulouse in August 2022. “By investing in start-ups, we are also committed to the success of their projects. . The support program is ten months, during the proposed course, offices in the city center are offered and weekly workshops on legal, accounting or financial aspects, individual practice or points with our start-up managers are offered. “explains the director.
Several annual project selections
Each year, four start-up classes are selected based on applications and interviews. Thus, in Toulouse, nearly 138 projects have applied since the creation of the office. “We have selected 29 of them, which we have hosted for a month, during which we are testing their market potential. We also analyze their competition, their specifications, etc. A figure comparable to that of Bordeaux,” explains Élodie Duru.
In Toulouse, the next selection of projects will take place at the beginning of 2023. Start-ups embrace all fields of activity and the profiles of start-ups are varied, from students leaving their school to employees in retraining . “We are a generalist incubator but the emphasis is on innovation in all its forms,” adds the director. Beyond the ten months of incubation, the project leader takes on the status of alumni and remains supported on request, in particular for fundraising.
Capital exit after five years
Because the interest for 1KUbator remains indeed the success of the start-up, the company planning to leave the capital after five to six years of exercise. “This year is pivotal for 1Kubator, which will begin to operate its releases from the first incubated start-ups,” says Élodie Duru. Since 2016, the company has been financed by successive fundraising, reaching 14.7 million euros. 1KUbator also offers to act as an innovation operator in large groups. “In concrete terms, an employee from the network is seconded on site to source interesting start-ups from our catalog of 2,000 incubated projects throughout France. It will then set up an in situ accelerator,” explains Élodie Duru.
Isabelle Meijer
Pictured: Élodie Duru, South-West regional director of 1Kubator, working at Satt Aquitaine as head of innovation promotion. Photo credit: Hélène Ressayres-ToulÉco.