This weekend, IAE Aix hosted the 10th edition of WEI3 (IAE Innovation In Vivo Weekend), a true entrepreneurship accelerator for the school’s students that introduces them to the skills of the future. Over the course of three days, first-year MSc students embarked onan entrepreneurial adventure: devising an innovative product or service, testing its economic feasibility, and presenting it to a panel of judges.
WEI3: A Weekend of Team-Based Entrepreneurship
WEI3 is an entrepreneurial weekend offered to MSc1 students. Its goal: to generate startup ideas and assess their economic viability, with a particular focus on social and environmental issues. Teams must therefore clearly define the environmental and societal impact within their project’s business model.
As the flagship activity of Lab I3—an institutional project of IAE Aix aimed at imparting the skills of the future through innovative educational approaches—WEI3 relies on the guidance of professionals from the school’s alumni network. This year, 251 students organized into 42 teams participated in this anniversary edition, coached by more than thirty professionals.
Beyond the competition, WEI3 is a hands-on experience: forming a team in just a few hours, testing their business ideas against real-world realities, and presenting their project within a time limit. These are all essential skills for all future managers, whether they become entrepreneurs or not.
The winners of the 10th edition
🏆 1st place: VENTUS, outdoor backpacks made from repurposed Dacron sails
The team: Lucy Meric, Alina Martyniuk, Julie Navarro, Léane Cuchet, Alexis Gillet, Gabin Jauneau, and Jeanne Dumas.
VENTUS was born from the convergence of two worlds: the sea and the mountains. The project began with a practical question: What happens to boat sails at the end of their life cycle? The team designed RAFALE, a hiking backpack made in France from upcycled sails, transforming what would otherwise be waste into a sturdy, ergonomic, and sustainable product. Through its brand, VENTUS targets outdoor enthusiasts who are mindful of their environmental impact and want to consume less but better.
For the team, WEI3 was a“particularly intense and enriching”experience that allowed them to quickly turn an idea into a concrete project. They say they’re proud that VENTUS was selected as the winner.
🏆 2nd place: SWITCHOES, shoes with interchangeable soles for all sports
The team: IlonaAmato, Antoine Seiberras, Bonnie Achard, Lalie Stoler, Melody Leclanche, Mathis Guilbaud, and Chakib Boubecha.
SWITCHOES is a sports shoe with interchangeable soles, designed for athletes who participate in multiple disciplines: a single shoe with four soles adapted to each use (running, fitness and CrossFit, tennis and padel, trail running and hiking), so you no longer have to buy a separate pair for each sport. The team’s slogan sums up the idea:“one pair, multiple insoles, multiple sports”; The project aims to be both cost-effective for the customer—who no longer needs to buy a separate pair for each sport—and environmentally responsible, since only the worn-out sole is replaced, not the entire shoe.
The idea arose from a desire to work on a product innovation, as sports naturally emerged as a promising market and a field close to the team members’ hearts. Based on the observation that multisport athletes often need multiple pairs of shoes, the idea of a modular model emerged.
For the team members—who were already friends before WEI3—their cohesion was a real asset throughout the project.“We’re very proud to have been able to present Switchoes to a jury and very happy with the result, as well as to have been recognized for this collaborative effort.”
🏆 3rd place: KUDZAROM, a powdered dietary supplement designed to help smokers who want to cut back on their tobacco use
The team: Lou-Ann Coutelier, Hugo Lefaucheux-Guillon, Margaux Pettex-Sorgue, Guillaume Dubois, Zoé Lemoine, and Quentin Herbin.
KUDZAROM was born out of a real social issue: smoking, a habit deeply ingrained in everyday life. The team offers individual sachets of flavored powder made with kudzu, raspberry, cinnamon, and lavender, to be mixed into a water bottle, yogurt, smoothie, or dessert. The goal: to gradually transform a moment associated with a habit into a new dietary ritual.
For the team, WEI3 was a real challenge: in just a few days, its members went“from strangers to a real team, and then from a team to a group of friends.”
❤️ Alumni’s Favorite: MOBICAP, a collaborative mobile app for accessible travel designed for people with reduced mobility
The team: SashaWhitkind, Noureddine El Kallachi, Cécile de Boutray, Aubin Lions, and Mariem Khemakhem.
MOBICAP was born from a simple observation: a route can be perfectly navigable for an able-bodied person and completely inaccessible for another. A sidewalk that’s too narrow, a broken elevator, an inaccessible station, or construction can turn a daily commute into a real challenge—and it’s not always easy to know this in advance.
With MOBICAP, users specify their needs, and the app suggests an accessible, personalized walking route. The community can also report obstacles, outages, or accessible locations in just a few seconds to update the information and adjust routes. The team ultimately hopes to integrate mutual-aid features, such as an SOS button, location sharing with a loved one, or the ability to book accessible taxis. The goal is to offer a comprehensive solution for inclusive mobility. MOBCAP’s ambition isto improve the daily lives of everyone by helping to make our cities more accessible.
“We’d like to thank the IAE and the WEI3 organizers for this wonderful entrepreneurial experience, as well as all the coaches who supported, advised, and challenged us throughout the week. This week allowed us to turn an idea into a real project, to test our concept against different perspectives, and above all, to work as a team.
Being chosen as the coaches’ favorite is a wonderful reward for the work we accomplished as a team.”
A huge thank you to everyone involved in WEI3
This 10th edition would not have been possible without the dedication of everyone who brought the weekend to life: the coaches and professionals from the alumni network, the IAE Aix teams who helped organize the event, and of course all the students, whose creativity, dedication, and energy were on full display.
Congratulations to the winners and to all the participants. See you next year for the 11th edition!
