Imagination Machine is a startup studio: we come up with big ideas, find talented entrepreneurs to work on them with us, and act as a cofounder for the long-term. We provide initial financing, a powerful network of partners in France and Silicon Valley, and intense hands-on help. Startups we have launched since starting in 2017 include Jho, ViteMonMarché, and MyPaperMag.
Within Imagination Machine we find promising ideas then attempt to validate their potential. Early on in the process, we create teams of two or three entrepreneurs-in-residence to study ideas and test them in the market. Entrepreneurs-in-Residence engage full-time, work out of our office in Nantes, France, and are paid a salary during the early phases of research and development.
We use a custom methodology that combines elements of Design Thinking, Human-Centered Design, and Agile Engineering. The goal is to come up with ambitious concepts rooted in real user problems, then very rapidly find out if (and how) they’ll work.
Entrepreneurs-in-residence are responsible for managing the project, using their creativity and specific skillsets as needed. Within three to six months, if the concept validates, we create a new startup and Imagination Machine provides the initial financing to go to market.
