On September 21 in Mende (48), the AGT company and Lozère Développement, the BloomUp initiative, welcomed the two winners of this call for projects. Lozérienne HobbyStreet and Normandy-based Fusyon will follow a mentoring and acceleration program.
BloomUp is a partnership between an SME, the Mendoise-based company AGT, and a region, Lozère, who wish to open up together to more innovation by strengthening third-party projects.
AGT and economic development agency Lozère Développement are offering a mentoring and acceleration program, for which they launched a three-month call for projects in spring 2016. The two winning companies were welcomed on September 21 at AGT's premises.
The first, Fusyon, is a start-up from the Rouen region (Normandy), founded in November 2015 by Xavier Quesnot and Florent Bouyer. It develops a software solution, in SaaS, to organize the operation of IT departments. Based on big-data, machine-learning, through predictive artificial intelligence, it helps prevent malfunctions and obtain adapted decision-making indicators.
The second prizewinner is already being supported by Lozère Développement: HobbyStreet, founded by Sandrine Planchon, puts individuals in touch with local shopkeepers and craftspeople to share their know-how in all areas (sewing, plumbing, make-up, etc.).
Promoting Lozère
For the past eighteen years, AGT, based at the Mende technology park, has been developing management and decision-making solutions to improve organizational performance. The company markets its solutions to some fifty retailers, generally organized in networks, representing over 16,000 points of sale worldwide. It has sales offices in the Paris region, Quebec and the United States.
To enhance and strengthen this network organization, AGT CEO Laurent Dubernais suggested that Lozère Développement pool resources to promote Lozère as a destination dedicated to the performance of young innovative companies in the digital sector.
"The aim of the Lozère-based entrepreneur is to foster collaboration and innovation between a mature company, expanding internationally, and young up-and-coming start-ups, the BloomUp program aims to achieve. Many innovative young companies could accelerate their access to the market by collaborating with AGT's technical teams".
Sophie Pantel, President of Lozère Développement and the Conseil départemental, declares: "The Département, with Lozère Développement, is playing its part when it promotes the environment for a company that is expanding, and attracts new talent to Lozère that needs to be welcomed under the right conditions. This collaborative approach reinforces Lozère's attractiveness in the digital sector.
Responding to a dual challenge
In return, "AGT seeks to enrich itself with the innovative freshness of young companies, while sharing the experience and know-how of its employees and network", stresses Laurent Dubernais, AGT's CEO.
This program responds to two issues that are obstacles to growth," he explains. We're having trouble attracting talented people to Lozère, and I also wanted to expose my own employees, who have often spent 15 or 20 years at AGT, to the ideas and workings of young start-ups, integrating all of today's business and technological challenges. In very concrete terms, it's a matter of co-constructing an SME/start-up action program that is beneficial to both employees and the company in Mendès, as well as to the young entrepreneurs."
For five months, the Communauté de communes will provide accommodation to facilitate the stay of the winning team in Mende.
Source: article from La Tribune written by Cécile Chaigneau on Wednesday, September 21, 2016
