Jackpot

January 2025. Unexpectedly, I was honored to be awarded first prize in the entrepreneur student category of the Incubateur Lorrain project call. This award was a (very) big surprise, and it helped me cover my prototyping expenses.

Less than two months after (even bigger surpise!), I received the jury’s award of the CentraleSupelec Foundation grant for entrepreneurship. I was really fortunate to be coached by my friend Laurent Abril, who challenged my presentation repeatedly, helping me build a stronger, and more coherent pitch.

Beyond the boost in confidence and recognition, this financial support allowed me to aim much higher. It enabled me to revise my roadmap and dive deeper into prototyping!

Just a few days later, I completed a new prototype with a 3D-printed enclosure and my own custom printed circuit boards:

Now it was starting to look like something serious. But to be honest, there were a few design flaws in the electronics, especially in the reliability of the buttons. (Imagine how it would have turned out if Eric, electronician from Metz, hadn’t reviewed my designs before I placed the order!).

But honestly, the real challenge was still ahead: the enclosure design. I was aiming for a metal and wooden enclosure (my clients are musicians, artists, that love beautifully designed gear and instruments!)… But we’ll talk about this next week!