Look back at the 11h edition of One Night to Innovate
The Ecole nationale des ponts et chaussées organized, during the night of December 4 to 5, the 11th edition of “One Night to Innovate” (formerly Une Nuit Pour Entreprendre), a flagship event in its entrepreneurship awareness program. More than 100 participants, both French and international, took part, coming from ENPC, partner institutions of the European university EELISA (BME, ITU, UPB, FAU, SNS, SSSA), from IP Paris (École Polytechnique, ENSTA), as well as from other engineering schools in the Paris region and across France.
During this nighttime competition, 13 projects were created in teams of five students, supported by 14 coaches who were ready to guide and advise them. Among these experts were alumni, young startup founders, senior specialists, entrepreneurship professionals, entrepreneurs, academic representatives, and staff from partner companies.
The jury was composed of Thomas Lingelser, People Development & Learning Director for Operations at L’Oréal; Marion Malandain, founder of Optimiz Construction; Louis-Marie Pons, Executive Director of the Fondation des Ponts; Melanie Viebahn, EELISA Manager for the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem, FAU – Erlangen Nürnberg; Marie-Christine Bert, Director of International Relations and Corporate Partnerships at ENPC; and Eloïse Waserman, incubation officer at Descartes Développement et Innovation.
Students had one night (from 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.) to develop and submit their project, including an oral presentation, visual supports, and deliverables.
This year, the selected projects aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Each project had to meet at least one of the following four goals:
- SDG 6 – Ensure access to water and sanitation for all and guarantee sustainable water management
- SDG 3 – Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
- SDG 9 – Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation
- SDG 11 – Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable
2025 Winners
- Fondation des Ponts Award: Breath Box, a living ecosystem where plants and algae coexist—a natural air purifier that filters air while helping children understand the living processes behind it.
Coach: Catherine Psilakis
The team was composed of 5 students, including 4 from the School: Brice Forghab (IPP - ENPC) ; Kyllian Maouche (ENTPE) ; Mohamed-Larbi Gasmi (IPP - ENPC) ; Samira FOFIE DJATSA (IPP - ENPC) and Tiago Lafon (IPP - ENPC)
- L’Oréal Award: Algae Innovation, the installation of algae farms near data centers to naturally purify the water they consume. A sustainable solution turning a resource-intensive process into a regenerative cycle.
Coach: Paul Vachon
The team was composed of 5 students: Hidayet Göktan (EELISA - ITU/Turkey) ; Kathryn NGUYEN (IPP - ENPC); Marcos Cabellos (IPP - ENPC) ; Ramin Rustamov (IPP - Ecole Polytechnique) and Serena Bou Haidar (IPP - ENPC)
- VINCI Award: Atlas, a solution optimizing bridge monitoring. Atlas aims to develop a new generation of smart materials enabling bridges to self-monitor, offering intelligent follow-up to reduce repair operations.
Coach: Nina Walker
The team was composed of 5 students: Eliott Delhaye (IPP - ENPC) ; Ferdinand Fleury David (IPP - ENPC); Lunis Martinand de Oliveira (INSA lyon) ; OMAR Toufelaz (IPP - ENPC) and Victor Droissart (IPP - ENPC)
People’s Choice Award: Care Connect, a dedicated platform connecting families of children with disabilities and motivated students willing to assist them.
Coach: Cristina Paca
The team was composed of 5 students, including 4 from the School: Cypriane Martin (ENVA - École Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort) ; Dhruv Kumar Dhiman (EELISA - FAU (Germany) ; Gloria Kiprotich (IPP - ENPC) ; Margaux LE CARDINAL (ENVA - École Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort) and Mary Ann Wanjiru (IPP - ENPC)
From natural air purification to innovative online healthcare platforms and optimized water use, this 11th edition of One Night to Innovate generated many clever and pioneering projects, once again demonstrating the commitment of future engineers to finding solutions to improve daily life.
The School thanks everyone who contributed to organizing this event, as well as the coaches, jury members, alumni attendees, the d.school, the Fondation des Ponts, and partner companies L’Oréal and Vinci.
