Arwenn, class of 2026, a student pursuing a dual degree in Digital Marketing and Data Analytics at EMLV & IIM, is one of the young entrepreneurs who has successfully transformed her academic project into a real start-up, Brain Shell (formerly P2C).
This project was born within the De Vinci Higher Education ecosystem: DeVinci Startup, dual degrees, innovation… an offering that combines the commercial and technological skills needed to develop a business.
Devinci Startup: developing your start-up while you’re a student
Brain Shell, a start-up specialising in the creation of safe sports equipment, aims to provide technological solutions to improve safety in sport, particularly in rugby.
This project has gone through several phases of development, thanks in particular to the support of DVHE’s infrastructure, such as the Fablab and 3D printers, as well as educational and administrative support.
Arwenn Semplicini explains that the start-up was built thanks to DVHE and highlights the importance of the environment conducive to innovation that this establishment represents.
Devinci Start-up: a springboard for student entrepreneurs
Devinci Start-up is a programme run by the Léonard de Vinci Centre. It offers tailored support to students with entrepreneurial ambitions.
Arwenn, like other students, has benefited from this programme. She has been able to access a network of more than 500 entrepreneurs, meet experts and take advantage of the co-working space provided.
The support takes various forms: themed workshops, meetings with experienced entrepreneurs, and events that allow students to test their ideas in real-life conditions.
Devinci Start-up also works in collaboration with the educational managers of the Pôle’s three schools: EMLV, ESILV and IIM, each of which offers a ‘start-up’ course. This framework allows students to explore the world of start-ups and gradually become entrepreneurs, while studying at their own pace.
Like Arwenn, students have access to infrastructure and support that allows them to develop their projects while juggling their studies.
A double degree linked to start-ups
Arwenn’s decision to pursue a dual degree in Digital Marketing & Data Analytics at EMLV after completing a Bachelor Technology & Management at ESILV is not insignificant. According to her, today, in many job advertisements, even on LinkedIn, a master’s degree is highly sought after.
This double degree, which combines both the commercial aspect via EMLV and the technological aspect via IIM, is in line with the needs of her project. She explains that this training allows her to work both on the creation of the company and on the technological aspects essential to Brain Shell.
Arwenn and her team, which includes two engineers from ESILV, Lucas and Dimitri, have combined their skills to move the start-up forward. They are currently in the marketing phase and plan to test their product in several rugby clubs.
The Olympics and Brain Shell’s next steps
Brain Shell got some international exposure at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This gave them the chance to meet some big names.
Among them was Tony Estanguet, former Olympic champion and president of Paris 2024, and they also got €10,000 in funding from the Paris City Council. In addition, they received a large number of visitors at their stand during the Olympics, which brought them significant visibility.
The next major step for Brain Shell is the finalisation of their prototype, which will undergo laboratory testing to ensure user safety.
The contribution of the De Vinci Higher Education: an environment conducive to entrepreneurship
For Arwenn, DVHE and Devinci Start-up played a crucial role in the development of Brain Shell. Without this support, she and her team would never have been able to go so far.
They had access to technological resources, expert advice and administrative support that enabled them to balance their studies with the demands of developing the start-up.
Today, her goal is to make Brain Shell a commercial success, knowing that even if this does not happen, the experience will have been formative.
