A conversation orchestrated by the HEC Alumni Chapter in New York City and HEC Transition, hosted by Business France. Oct 23rd, 2025.

The HEC community was glad to hear from 4 seasoned entrepreneurs whose business model deeply roots in Nature:

– Maeva Coste, Founder at BioWraptor (biomaterial packaging for biomolecules), Activate Fellow.

– Audrey Philippot Dahan (H03), Head of US at VELA – decarbonized sea freight solution on the France-USA route, 100% wind-powered.

– Maximilian Ebrard (H17), Managing Director at UBEES – Tech-powered beekeeping & pollination for regenerative agriculture.

– and moderator Toby Tiktinsky (E22), Founder at Rebel Fuels – Solutions decarbonizing industrial energy.

 

IA generated synthesis

Profit First, Purpose Always

Political winds may shift, but clients and investors still want results. Across industries, the panelists agreed that performance, cost efficiency, and scalability are non-negotiable. Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a strategic advantage when tied to measurable business outcomes. As Audrey Philippot Dahan of Vela puts it, “Our clients want carbon-neutral shipping, yes—but first, they want speed, reliability, and security. Sustainability is the cherry on top of real business value.”

Navigating Nature’s Risks

Working with natural systems brings unpredictability. Vela’s vessels leverage 12 years of modeled wind data to cross the Atlantic, while UBees counters hive die-offs through strategic acquisitions and a network of sensors monitoring bee health. BioWraptor, meanwhile, narrows its focus to specific markets while rigorously validating performance of its biomimetic solutions. “Nature is powerful, but we can’t understand all of it,” says CEO Maeva Coste. “So we focus, test, and build systems that replicate what works.” Technology tames nature’s volatility—but never replaces it.

 

Offsetting costs and unpredictability

Regenerative agriculture can offset the impact of extreme weather events on agricultural yields, according to UBEES. VELA’s wind-powered energy offers a reliable, affordable alternative to the price volatility of carbon-based fuels. BioWraptor’s solutions would reduce the costs and risks associated with cold storage of biomolecules. And Rebel Fuels’ technologies help reduce the dependence on natural gas.

Scaling with Purpose

Growth looks different for each venture: Vela is expanding its fleet to meet demand, UBees scales through technology-enabled hive management and acquisitions, and BioWraptor selectively enters markets where regulatory approval is achievable. Each demonstrates that scaling a nature-based business is possible—but requires precision, patience, and vision. Dahan notes, “We start with the easiest route and will scale from there to different routes, based on clients’ demand.”

Attracting Talent and Passion

Nature isn’t just a tool—it’s a magnet. Employees flock to these startups for their mission, impact, and innovation. But Maximilian Ebrard cautions, “We’re not a nonprofit. People need to understand we deliver value—and that’s what makes it a real business.”

From the Atlantic winds to the hive and the microscopic world of biomimicry, these entrepreneurs prove that nature-inspired solutions can be profitable, scalable, and transformative. As climate pressures mount and businesses face unpredictable risks, harnessing nature isn’t just good for the planet—it’s smart business. “Companies are starting to feel the cost of not acting,” Maximilian Ebrard concludes. “Nature-based solutions aren’t just ethical—they’re economically essential.”

Key learnings by Alexis Milcent, co-president of HEC Transition

Getting the testimonials of Maeva, Audrey, Max and Toby allowed everyone to go beyond the usual debate around Nature vs Tech.

Through their concrete examples, they surfaced how much Sustainability must make business sense. UBEES performs (and so contributes to nature regeneration) because it solves a core issue of the F&B industry. VELA will succeed in reducing sea freight carbon footprint because its solution is competitive in terms of leadtime, quality and pricing vs standard options. Exploring their markets, REBEL FUELS and BIOWRAPTOR are iterating to ‘naturally’ embody sustainability within their product.

“Clients want to become sustainable, but they don’t know how to do it” shared Max. Sustainability shouldn’t be considered as a perk, as an additional constraint. It’s up to entrepreneurs to build new generation solutions that are both competitive on the markets and positively impacting social and environmental contexts.

That probably requires excellence (HEC) and global collaboration (HEC again).

 

Thanks Business France and Jérémie Sautter (H97) for hosting the evening.

Business France is the national French agency serving the international development of the French economy. It is responsible for fostering export-led growth by French businesses, as well as promoting and facilitating foreign investment in France. It promotes France’s firms, business image and nationwide attractiveness as an investment location, and also runs the V.I.E program. In 2024, support from Business France made it possible to generate €1.8 billion in additional export revenues for French SMEs and mid-size companies, accounting for more than 31,010 jobs created or planned. Business France supported 66% of the 1,688 foreign investment decisions in 2024, accounting for 69% of the 37,787 jobs created or maintained nationwide over the next 3 years.

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Living in the New York area or travelling there from time to time? Be part of the HEC Alumni NYC Community by joining the chapter and get the latest news about our events !

HEC Transition is the professional club within the HEC Alumni Association gathering all the people committed to accelerate the ecological transition, engage the HEC ecosystem, and more broadly society, towards the respect of planetary boundaries. We closely work with the School (teaching, careers…), the Alumni (events, collaboration with other clubs…) and beyond (white papers, projects…). We want our reach to be global (3,000+ members), and all are welcome to contribute!

Alexis Milcent (H.05)

 

 

 

 

 

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