HEC Paris Deep Tech Center｜Mission & Objectives

Why It Matters

The Deep Tech Center’s expanded CDL program creates a high‑velocity pipeline linking cutting‑edge science with market‑ready ventures, amplifying Europe’s deep‑tech ecosystem and offering investors early access to scalable innovations.

Key Takeaways

• Sixth season of Creative Destruction Lab launches at HEC Paris.
• Over 400 startups accelerated across 20 cohorts since 2020.
• New synergies link Climate, AI, Computing, Space, Carbon Removal.
• Deep Tech Center bridges science, business, and HEC education.
• Record applications signal growing demand for deep‑tech support.

Summary

The video announces the kickoff of the sixth season of the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) at HEC Paris, highlighting the Deep Tech Center’s role in fostering deep‑tech entrepreneurship. Since its inception in 2020, the program has accelerated more than 400 companies across 20 cohorts, and this year it is expanding to interconnect its Climate, AI, Next‑Gen Computing, Space, and Carbon Removal streams.

Three core missions underpin the Deep Tech Center: supporting startups through CDL and related programs, enriching HEC’s curriculum by pairing MBA and Executive MBA students with founders and mentors, and advancing academic research via the ION Management Science Lab, which studies startup selection and support methodologies. The Center aims to translate scientific breakthroughs into viable business strategies, creating a pipeline from research to market.

Program directors emphasize the unprecedented volume of applications and the breadth of cross‑industry collaboration, noting that the new synergies will enable founders to leverage complementary technologies—such as AI for climate solutions or space data for carbon removal. They express optimism about scaling impact over the next five years, inviting stakeholders to stay engaged.

The initiative positions HEC Paris as a hub for deep‑tech talent, offering investors, corporations, and policymakers a concentrated source of innovative ventures. By integrating education, research, and entrepreneurship, the Center accelerates technology transfer, potentially reshaping multiple sectors and strengthening Europe’s competitive edge in high‑growth industries.

Original Description

Discover how the HEC Paris Deep Tech Center supports the emergence, acceleration and scaling of the next generation of science- and technology-based ventures. At the intersection of research, entrepreneurship and impact, the Center is designed to help transform cutting-edge innovation into ambitious, market-ready companies capable of addressing major societal and industrial challenges.

Through its flagship programs, the HEC Paris Deep Tech Center supports founders at different stages of their entrepreneurial journey:

- Creative Destruction Lab – Paris (CDL-Paris): a non profit, world-class program for seed-stage deep tech startups, built around objective-based mentoring and access to top entrepreneurs, scientists and investors.

- HEC Challenge +, the HEC Paris’ historic flagship program for high-potential innovative entrepreneurs, helping founders structure, validate and scale their venture.

- LuminEdge: a dedicated initiative designed to support ventures emerging from photonics and frontier scientific innovation, and help bridge the gap between breakthrough research and real-world applications.

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Listen to Aymeric Penven, director of the Deep Tech Center at HEC Paris, introducing the mission and objectives of the center.

Learn more about the Deep Tech Center at HEC Paris: https://www.hec.edu/en/institutes-and-centers-expertise/innovation-entrepreneurship/our-centers/deep-tech-center