MEET’UP: the event that strengthens the collective spirit of the SquareLab
The SquareLab Open Incubator, located at the heart of Clermont School of Business, brought its community together for a highlight event, “MEET’UP,” a friendly gathering designed to foster synergies and open new perspectives for project leaders.
The SquareLab is more than just an incubator. It is a true entrepreneurial support ecosystem: since 2014, it has incubated more than 80 businesses, including 30 founded by former students and 50 by local entrepreneurs, generating nearly 300 jobs in the region.
With a record number of applications submitted before the summer, the SquareLab confirms its role as a catalyst for innovation in the Clermont area. This momentum can be explained by the quality of its support: incubated entrepreneurs benefit from personalized guidance, privileged connections with experts and partners, a strong academic framework, and a supportive community that encourages encounters and synergies.
The MEET’UP program included:
- handover between two cohorts of project leaders, symbolizing continuity and knowledge transfer,
- pitch sessions by the 13 incubated entrepreneurs certified in June, an opportunity to share their progress and close their incubation journey,
- welcoming the new cohort of 14 incubated entrepreneurs, launched on July 2 and supported until December 2025.
The rich and authentic exchanges encouraged the sharing of experiences in a friendly atmosphere, reminding everyone that entrepreneurship is not only an economic adventure but, above all, a human one.
The SquareLab plays a key role in the success of its incubated entrepreneurs. The support, networking, and opportunity to test their concepts are powerful levers for turning an idea into a viable project. By punctuating the year with unifying events like MEET’UP, a collective dynamic is created that fuels innovation and a spirit of mutual support.
Beyond the pitches and the welcoming of new project leaders, this MEET’UP was above all a milestone in the life of SquareLab. The event offered the opportunity to warmly thank the entire community—mentors, alumni, institutional and economic partners—whose commitment contributes every day to the vitality of the ecosystem.
Learn more about the SquareLab Open Incubator
Unlike incubators at other Grandes Écoles, which are often reserved for students or alumni, the Clermont School of Business incubator is an Open Incubator. This means it is open to anyone who wants to develop an innovative project (students, employees, job seekers, etc.). The SquareLab Open Incubator has its own incubation method, the result of co-creation between researchers, successful entrepreneurs, and startup managers.
It provides access to a network of experts and offers immediate, hands-on project implementation through an innovative, interactive, and tailored program. During the six-month incubation, project leaders benefit each month from three days of training, three hours of personalized support, and three workshops. Finally, incubation at the SquareLab Open Incubator includes individual mentoring combined with a certified training program: the Startup Culture Certificate.
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