Driven by a desire to inspire more young entrepreneurs and start-ups to follow their dreams and ambitions, the Jeune Chambre Économique de Monaco, also known as JCI Monaco, recently launched a new event-based initiative that provides a platform for pitching and mentorship. Monaco Life went along to the inaugural edition of the Start-Up Meeting to find out more.
Since its founding in 1963, the JCI Monaco has been a keen advocate for entrepreneurship in the Principality, but this autumn, the group has stepped up its involvement in the start-up process with a series of targeted events for aspiring businessmen and women.
On 23rd October, the JCI Monaco, in collaboration with FNAC, hosted the Start-Up Meeting event at the Metropole Shopping Centre.
“We want to spotlight the abundance of ideas, entrepreneurial spirit and potential in Monaco,” JCI Vice-President Cedric Cavassino told Monaco Life at the event. “Our goal is to inspire the community, not just in the Côte d’Azur but in Paris, London and Europe too. We also want to be inspired by others, which is why this event is so valuable to us.”
The format of the event saw eight start-ups invited to present their companies to an audience of over 250 people, including fellow entrepreneurs and industry experts. Several had been participants in last year’s Concours de Création d’Entreprise, an annual competition organised by JCI Monaco in which entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to a jury. The winner receives a sum and an office for a year so that they can develop their start-ups in the Principality.
The goal was to create an incubator-like environment for innovation, allowing those behind the start-ups to share ideas, discuss challenges and gain mentorship from established professionals.
“We’re thrilled to welcome so many young start-ups here,” said JCI Monaco President Clement Marechal. “Encouraging the development of new companies across diverse sectors and industries is essential to us. This event provides a fantastic opportunity for these start-ups to network, present their ideas and expand their businesses. We’re hopeful it will continue next year with new additions.”
One attendee, a representative from Ambulance du Rocher, a newly launched ambulance service, revealed to Monaco Life, “We have been in operation for only 15 days, so participating here today, we hope to raise awareness and visibility for our company. It’s such a great opportunity… I didn’t know what to expect, but what’s great about this setup is that it’s very natural.”
Cavassino echoed this sentiment, saying, “For me, it was important for this event not to be about competition but about inspiring for the future, speaking together and finding the best solutions for the future.”
Other start-ups included: Excello Center Monaco, a tutoring service; Nivura, an IT services provider; Agora, a tech and media company; Soca, a software company and the winner of the 2023 Concours; and Sianatech Monaco, an engineering consultancy.
Looking ahead, JCI Monaco will be hosting two additional events to support the entrepreneurial community over the coming months: Monaco Inspire, scheduled for 30th November, and the Concours de Création d’Entreprise, which will take place on 10th December. For more information regarding the competition, click here.
Monaco Inspire is another new event focused on entrepreneurship. It will feature workshops and talks by successful entrepreneurs and business leaders such as Éric Larchevêque and Catherine Barba. For more information, click here.
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Photo credit: JCI Monaco
