Do you want to be an Imagination Machine entrepreneur ?

Ideas & projects

Choose a challenge you want to tackle with us

#circularretail

Large-format retail for the circular economy

We believe there is an opportunity to make a significant environmental impact by creating a chain of large department stores in France dedicated to circular economy brands.We also believe in the continued future of physical retail, despite the growth of ecommerce, if we can innovate to create a store that builds local communities while reducing our environmental footprints. We are inspired by a successful Swedish model (Retuna).

#democratizecareers

Boost apprenticeships in France

Apprenticeship is meant to be a democratic alternative to the traditional career entrance ramp of prestigious schools. But the result is often disappointing for both the apprentice and the company. There is an opportunity to have a huge social impact while adding real value for employers!

#givemore

The app to give more charity

There is a significant gap between the amount people are willing to donate to charities and what they actually give. We believe that a better digital user experience could reduce this gap and increase the global amount of donations by tens of billions of euros per year.

#heatwave

An eco-friendly alternative to air conditioning

Global warming is increasing the occurrence of extreme heat waves. Existing air-conditioning is making the problem worse by consuming immense amounts of energy and releasing refrigerant gasses into the atmosphere. We believe that low-tech solutions can provide an answer.

#rewilding

Tourism that rewilds the earth

The local "slow tourism" movement is in full expansion. We believe that there is an opportunity to invent a new type of vacation village combining ecological living, natural rewilding and re-connection to nature and agriculture.

#something-else

Entrepreneur in Residence

Do you want to become a co-founder of a start-up project with a positive impact? Apply to join us and launch the exploratory phase of a new start-up project with us.

A proven methodology

We engage as a cofounder on high-impact projects

Startups

Inspired by design thinking and agile development, we use a custom methodology for each project that is always centered around the user. We proceed by iteration, trying to learn as much as possible about user habits, needs and use-cases in a given sector. Working with you, we search for the best solutions to boost your startup growth over the long-term.

Our commitment

We are strategic partners, with task-force teams in product, development, communications, design and HR.

We are **strategic partners**, with task-force teams in product, development, communications, design and HR.

Early stage investment (up to 500k€ over 2 years)

**Early stage investment** (up to 500k€ over 2 years)

Compensation for founders during the early phases of the project

**Compensation for founders** during the early phases of the project

Full remote work, with regular in-person meetings

**Full remote work**, with regular in-person meetings

Founders from all over Europe are welcome (we work in English!)

**Founders from all over Europe** are welcome (we work in English!)

Next steps

Application

1 month after

Kick-off meet-up week

We spend a week all together in person to frame the launch of the product, draw the roadmap, and carry out the first user tests.

From months 2 to 4

3 months of exploration

You strengthen your entrepreneurial position by taking part in strategic thinking and operations of existing projects. At the same time, you refine your expertise by leading the exploratory phase of the project that we are launching together: you conduct numerous user tests and test different value propositions.

Validation

Following all the interviews you’ve carried out, you have some strong intuitions and ideas for how to proceed with the project. Having validated the market opportunity, together we design checkpoints for you before you continue with research. After this, we’ll refine the value proposition and start working on a prototype!

From months 5 to 8

Prototyping

We build a Minimum Viable Product, whatever its form, with the help of our internal developers, and submit it to users for feedback. We go through lots of iteration until we find THE formula that hits the mark(et)!

From months 9 to 14

Early stage investment

Depending on the progress made and the milestones reached by the team, we can, with board approval, reinvest in the project to reach a total of 500k€.

Is this you?

Ambitious

We co-create startups with the goal of scaling them up. Let’s have a huge impact together!

Humble

We are looking for entrepreneurs who can challenge their intuitions and adapt to fully embrace their users’ points of view.

Idealist

We want to change the world in a positive way by combining business opportunities & strong values.

Experienced

We are looking for both experts and generalist profiles - preferably with a track record in entrepreneurship – willing to address problems and able to build relevant solutions. Do you want to take on the challenge?

Meet our co-founders

FAQ

Find the answers to most of your questions here. If you need more details, do not hesitate to contact us!

How much funding will IM invest in a start-up?

I have a start-up project already; can I work on it with Imagination Machine?

How often do you call for applications?

What means or resources do you offer to ensure the success of the start-up?

Where is IM based? I don’t live in Nantes, can I apply? Do I need to speak French?

You launch several start-ups in parallel: what happens after the launch & when my team is complete? How do you stay involved?

What happens if the research stage does not succeed?

What happens when the start-up is incorporated? Who owns it? What is the split?

Will I be paid?

Can we apply as a pair?

How do you build co-founders teams?

I’m interested in one of your projects, but I have no experience in this sector. Can I apply?

Some of our thoughts

Here are some of our thoughts about our daily work, some of the major issues that we’d like to solve, and our inspirations.

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40 Rue la Tour d'Auvergne, 44200 Nantes (France)