SKEMA students' social startup wins third prize at the CREA'SUP competition

Published on October 02, 2023

On 19 September in Lille, the startup ColombAge was won the third prize at the CREA'SUP competition for business creation in the Hauts-de-France region. Incubated at SKEMA Ventures, the entrepreneurship incubator-accelerator of SKEMA Business School, this innovative startup was recognised for its novel vision which aims at bringing different generations closer together while offering students with a unique housing experience.

It's often just a matter of taking the first step to make a business idea a reality. Jean-Baptiste Sérot and Paul Schneider, students in the Master in Management (PGE) programme at SKEMA, took that and launched ColombAge. Their startup offers students or young professionals under 30 the opportunity to share an accommodation with a senior citizen in exchange for small services and regular companionship. It was this project that captivated the attention of the CREA SUP award jury on 19 September, securing them the third place in a fiercely competitive event.

Reducing isolation among the elderly

Founded by Jean-Baptiste Serot and Paul Schneider, also a student in the Master in Management (PGE) programme, ColombAge is committed to solving two major social issues: the isolation of the elderly and the high cost of student housing. They are offering to create custom "senior-student" pairs and connect young people and senior citizens based on their "expectations and needs".

Startup Kafé: a springboard for the startup

Supported by SKEMA Ventures from its inception, Jean-Baptiste Serot's idea was first pitched at a Startup Kafé organised on the Lille campus, and later strengthened at a Bootstrap workshop on the Sophia Antipolis campus the same year.

If you have a startup idea like Jean-Baptiste and Paul, come and pitch it at the next Startup Kafé on October 16. You never know where it might lead you!