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Each month, discover the profile of an 🌍 impact entrepreneur alumnus in collaboration with CentraleSupélec Alumni
At a time when expensive energy is hindering Europe's essential reindustrialization, Highcast is a startup to watch. Founded in 2021 by the duo Flore de Lasteyrie and Vivien Robert, both alumni of the MSc Data Sciences & Business Analytics program at CentraleSupélec and ESSEC Business School, the young company has developed an AI-powered SaaS energy management platform for factories. Artificial intelligence is used here to leverage what are known as electrical flexibilities. In other words, it helps factories consume energy at optimal times, when electricity is cheaper and less carbon-intensive (which are often related).
"Manufacturers are torn between decarbonization goals on the one hand, and cost reduction constraints related to their low-margin activities on the other. With our solution, we enable them to reconcile both," states Flore de Lasteyrie, now an expert in industrial energy planning.
A hundred interviews conducted before launching
But before reaching this point, the engineer explored her path to find her way between data and impact. At Arts & Métiers, from which she graduated, she pursued the "foundry" specialization before turning her attention to digital transformation. She oriented her internships in this direction and notably joined Sopra Steria, where she tackled digital innovation issues. However, as she wanted to acquire skills in data science and machine learning, she chose to enroll in the MSc Data Sciences & Business Analytics as a dual degree program, which included an internship in Singapore.
This was followed by two years at the data and AI consulting firm Artefact, then a first entrepreneurial venture (Outcome) that did not survive the 2020 Covid crisis. "You have to be ready for the possibility of failure when you start a business. It taught me a lot," she reflects. Flore de Lasteyrie quickly bounced back, this time connecting with Vivien Robert, whom she had met several times along her path: during prep school, in her Master's program, and then at Artefact. It's all about connections. "We wanted to use our data skills to address an impactful issue," she explains.
After many months of iteration, discussions, and reflection, the duo defined their scope: energy in industry. "We then conducted about a hundred interviews with industrialists and experts in the energy sector. We wanted to understand how our skills could help them." Several of these individuals would later become clients, investors, or advisors. In October 2021, Highcast was founded.
The developed solution is poised for success. It aims to enable factories to achieve a dual benefit: economic first, with up to 20% savings on energy bills; and environmental second, "because we are fortunate in France that the cheapest energy is often also the least carbon-intensive," notes Flore de Lasteyrie. With the rise of intermittent renewable energies, an increasing portion of energy production is not dispatchable. As a result, wholesale electricity prices fluctuate more sharply. "This trend has intensified since 2021," observes the CTO, who states that six out of every 100 hours in 2024 saw negative or zero electricity prices on the market. Highcast aims to guide industrialists towards these low prices during their planning phases.
Specifically, the solution comes in the form of a dashboard, featuring a unique index created for the occasion: the ICE (Electricity Cost Index). "Our solution creates a digital twin of the factory, based on all its energy supply contracts, to produce simulations," explains the CTO. During the planning phase, dedicated views help industrialists visualize the optimal time to launch their energy-intensive operations. "Highcast's strength is not being a broker, but a trusted, vendor-agnostic third party," emphasizes Flore de Lasteyrie. The startup also develops a long-term advisory and support role.
"To become the indispensable player in this field for the industrial sector in France"
Supported by the 21st by CentraleSupélec accelerator, Highcast completed a €2.1 million seed funding round in 2024, co-led by CentraleSupélec Venture. "A real boost," this investment should enable them to reach a new milestone: "To become the indispensable player in this field for the industrial sector in France, and soon elsewhere in Europe," specifies the co-founder. One of the major projects for 2025 will also be to get a recognized methodology for measuring greenhouse gas emission reductions certified. "We have obtained encouraging initial results that we need to get certified."
Meanwhile, Flore de Lasteyrie and Vivien Robert are moving forward with impact as their compass. "Entrepreneurship can be mentally tough, so you have to be resilient. That's where impact helps you stay motivated," Flore confides. "When I talk to our clients and feel their satisfaction with the savings achieved during this difficult period for the sector, the pride I feel drives me!"
