Wavestone's Shake'Up start-up program unveils its 1st golden nugget

While Beekast successfully carries out its first capital increase, Wavestone reveals its start-up incubation program. Since its launch, around six young innovative companies have received the Group's consulting support within the framework of this virtuous program designed to benefit start-ups, clients and the firm's teams.

 

Shake Up: Open innovation made in Wavestone

Launched at the end of 2015, the "Shake'Up" start-up incubation program reinforces Wavestone's determination to work closely with the innovative world of start-ups and to emphasize the added value brought to its clients. “Through Shake'Up we create the means to scrutinize this extensive ecosystem, to develop a knowledge of the key players of tomorrow, to select and work with promising companies, and to expose our clients to new approaches within the right time frame” says Reza Maghsoudnia, Strategic Development Director at Wavestone. “This program equally stimulates the culture of innovation, promotes agility and the spirit of entrepreneurship amongst our teams”

All of the start-ups in the Shake'Up program benefit from Wavestone's in-depth knowledge of the market and the major sectors of the economy. Apart from accommodating the start-ups at the heart of its teams, the firm also gives them access to its consulting expertise, its ability to take ideas to the prototype stage and offers the start-ups the possibility of making contact with major groups.

Since the platform was launched, six start-ups have benefited from Wavestone's support and, like Beekast, been able to develop their activity.

Beekast: a Shake'Up program nugget

A product of French Tech, Beekast was co-founded in 2014 by a group of three engineers.
Within the space of 2 years, the firm has established itself as an HR solution provider with a simple, mobile web application designed to simplify corporate events by promoting interaction, participation, exchange and productivity.

The firm's success was confirmed today by the capital increase of €2.7m carried out with iSource and a group of private investors of the Paris Business Angels and Val'Angels networks. The start-up already has a portfolio of 300 clients (including Microsoft, Google, Dassault Systemes, EDF, EY, Crédit Agricole, etc), and is gaining ground both in France and abroad.

Beekast CEO and cofounder, Yassine CHABLI declared, "We are very proud to have been the first start-up accepted into the Wavestone Shake'UP program in February 2016. We have benefited from the personalized support and solid backing of a major firm, been able to roll out our solution in-house so that we can try out our latest functions, and received the full benefits of specialized training in terms of HR, strategy, marketing, etc. In addition, we have been able to share our experience with major groups and will be guided in facing our new challenges arising from the strong growth of the company".

 

The Shake'Up start-up program

Since Wavestone launched its start-up program, the firm has lent support to 6 start-ups:

Beekast: a simple and mobile web solution designed to enhance productivity and interaction during meetings, events and training sessions. www.beekast.com

Buddiz.io: a simple application based on an innovative approach designed to help users find ideas for gifts, outings and group voyages, and to elect the best proposals by implicating participants. http://buddiz.io

Felix: an application that connects electric-scooter drivers and passengers who, in just a few clicks, can book a ride to take them to their professional meetings, sports events or dinner engagements, etc. without running the risk of getting stuck in traffic jams, etc. The aim of Felix is to make the electric moto-taxi a service that is as accessible as the conventional taxi in cities which are becoming more and more congested. http://www.felix-app.com/

Yuca: a mobile application designed to promote healthier eating habits by scanning food products and rating their nutritional quality. This enables users to visualize the products that are good for their health and those to be avoided, in which case Yuca recommends similar products that are healthier. https://yuca.fr/

Kinov: a platform designed to enable the innovative teams of major groups to place the employees, at the core of their Open Innovation strategies. On the platform, employees have access to the latest daily news and information on start-ups which they are invited to like, share, and comment on. The aim here is to encourage maximum team participation upstream in the innovation-project process and to facilitate the identification of in-house sponsors that would work with external start-ups. https://www.kinov.io/

THiMe: One name; one theme: Trust Humans in Motion and Emotions. The approach of THiMe is to put women and men at the heart of transformation and to include them in the change process. To achieve this, THiMe draws on skills that are little or badly used in companies. The idea is to call upon the timely intervention of experts in human sciences, therapeutic arts, equine-assisted therapists, and communicators, etc. in order to free up energy, step up change and generate the capacity for change of organizations.

 

About Wavestone

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In a world where permanent evolution is the key to success, Wavestone's mission is to enlighten and partner business leaders in their most critical decisions.

Wavestone draws on some 2,500 employees across four continents. It is a leading player in European independent consulting, and the number one in France.

Wavestone is a new consultancy firm created from the merger, at the beginning of 2016, of Solucom and Kurt Salmon's European activities (excluding Retail & Consumer Goods consulting).

More information on www.wavestone.com

@Wavestone_