[Portrait of an Incubatee] From Aquatics and Reptile Manager to President of Reflextime

Each year, the Open Incubator SquareLab supports those looking to transform an idea into a concrete entrepreneurial venture. Open to students, employees, and job seekers, it offers a structured method, practical tools, educational resources, an entrepreneurial mindset, and most importantly, a vibrant network. Its goal: to make entrepreneurship a true career path for all innovators.

In this interview originally published in Zap Magazine, Cynthia Rousseau, former incubatee and co-founder of Reflextime, answers a few questions about her entrepreneurial journey.

Describe yourself in five words.

Visionary, ambitious, collaborative, demanding, and dynamic!

What inspired you to create your startup?

The idea came during an ice-breaking session at the School. I was partnered with Thomas Pisano, a former goalkeeper, who pitched a project to develop tools to enhance athletic performance and stimulate reactivity.

We started by conducting a market study in the sports field and discovered key insights revealing strong needs in the rehabilitation sector. And that’s how Thomas and I co-founded Reflextime in January 2023.

Can you tell us about your project?

We’ve developed an innovative, portable, and adaptable motor and cognitive rehabilitation kit.

We worked for a year with healthcare professionals to design the first prototype. Then we conducted two years of R&D to create a full kit called Reflexcare, which includes:

• four contact pads,
• a control and data-recording tablet.

This kit is designed for people with reduced mobility, disabilities, or those recovering from accidents, strokes, or degenerative diseases.

How did the Open Incubator SquareLab help you?

Beyond the structured method and resources, SquareLab allowed us to join an ecosystem, identify key advisors, secure a €6,000 grant from the Clermont School of Business Foundation, and build a network of partners to obtain initial funding.

Is the team nice?

The team is great. We stayed in touch with our startup manager, who later moved to Paris and introduced us to new contacts to help expand our network.

What would you say to someone hesitant to walk through SquareLab’s doors?

You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

What is your biggest dream for the future?

My biggest dream is for Reflextime to become the global benchmark in mobile and customizable rehabilitation, and to help heal millions of people.

So… is life beautiful?

Without SquareLab, there would have been no connections, no momentum, no company created, no product launched, and no revenue generated. So yes, life is beautiful!

An article produced in partnership with the editorial team of ZAP Magazine