Sylvain Fleury, co-founder of Wyve

“Student-entrepreneur status, a springboard for creation.”

His idea? To rethink the manufacturing of surfboards to reconcile athletic performance and environmental protection. In 2019, following a degree in engineering, he enrolled in the UPPA’s “Tools for Entrepreneurship” DU (university degree) and created Wyve. 

What made you choose this course? 

I actually started the Wyve adventure with Léo Bouffier, who is also passionate about surfing, and we spent many an evening perfecting our idea. But when we finished our respective engineering courses – at the ENSTA for Leo and at Centrale Lyon for me – neither of us felt sufficiently prepared. Drawing up a business plan for a bank is not something you can improvise. It’s best to stack all the odds in your favour! In early 2019, we went to see the CCI Bayonne Pays Basque bank, which told us about ESTIA Entreprendre, the department of the ESTIA (Higher school for advanced industrial technologies) devoted to the creation and development of new technology-focused businesses. It’s the ESTIA that pointed us in direction of the “Tools for Entrepreneurship” degree at the UPPA and the national student-entrepreneur status (SNEE). A really practical, one-year training course. As its name implies, it’s a springboard between being a student and becoming a company leader.

What did this training course bring you? 

The “Tools for Entrepreneurship” degree helped us climb the first rung on the ladder. Despite the constraints of the Covid-19 pandemic, we received lectures from professionals every week – including bankers, jurists, tax experts, chartered accountants, entrepreneurs, researchers – which gave us a solid basis to create, and probably helped us make fewer mistakes along the way. This degree was a great source of emulation and also gave us a network. We regularly met with our student-entrepreneur colleagues in Pau, in a co-working space intended specifically for our course. A space for creativity in a start-up format that we would never have dreamed finding at a university. Many universities offer “Tools for Entrepreneurship” degrees, and they deserve greater visibility. We also took the opportunity during this year to present our project at the Pépites contest, which we won and which gave us a boost of 10,000 euros. And much better knowledge of the local ecosystem.

When did you create Wyve? 

In late 2019, halfway through the degree. This course also enabled us to deconstruct certain die-hard stereotypes. The banks were pretty helpful, despite what we’d been told. The Crédit Agricole included us in its Village by CA program, and we obtained funding to invest in 3D printing, a process that enables us to produce surfboards suited to each user, which are more resistant and have a low environmental impact. In 2022, we delivered 300 boards, and we should reach 700 in 2023.

A couple of words that you spontaneously associate with the UPPA?

Stimulation, progress and team spirit.

A piece of advice for UPPA students seeking to create their own business?

You can find everything you need at university, as the student entrepreneur status and the “Tools for Entrepreneurship” degree are available all over France. Before you apply, make sure your idea is mature, prepare a convincing pitch for the interviews, and dive in. The adventure is worth it!

VERBATIM

Léo Bouffier, co-founder of Wyve

“The year’s degree at the UPPA enabled me to meet key players in my network and it was a great springboard for Sylvain and I. Concerning the educational aspects, I particularly remember the advice from the lecturers on industrial property. After that, when I had to file a patent for Wyve, I didn’t feel daunted by the whole process.”