“Each return will help fund a future student loan,” explains Alexander Mars. photo press
With Infiiiite, his new innovative and solidarity-based start-up, the entrepreneur and philanthropist wants to introduce more social diversity in the Grandes Ecoles and among the leaders of tomorrow.
The lack of diversity in the benches of the Grandes écoles persists. 70% of students are children of senior leaders, and only 9% have parents who belong to a disadvantaged socio-professional category (1). One of the obstacles remains the financing of these schools, whose tuition fees often exceed several thousand euros per year. “Every year, 2,000 young people should be admitted to prestigious schools, but this should not be done due to lack of funds,” assesses many entrepreneurs, Alexander Mars. For ten years the author Be brave. Anyone can become an entrepreneur (2) devoted his business ventures to charity; he first created Epic, a foundation to support social organizations that help children victims of inequality; then Blisce, an investment fund in start-ups that combines performance and CSR. Always driven by a desire to serve society, he just launched his brand new company, Infiite, on June 21st. His project. to offer a funding solution to combat the social injustice faced by many working-class youth.
Business with Attitude 2023: go behind the scenes of the award
Fight against self-censorship
Every third student refuses long or expensive studies due to lack of money. For Alexander Mars, it is time to fight against the self-censorship of these students. “Our goal is to offer a different future to these talented young people who deserve it, in order to create a new generation of leaders representing the society,” he summarizes. The startup helps them specifically finance their studies in French, European, but also global schools (business, engineering or even political science schools).
Changing student loan codes
For this, the company offers them a zero-interest loan without a guarantor, with a maximum value of 45,000 euros, to cover the tuition and living expenses of two to four years of higher education. Reimbursement is made over twelve years and is tailored to each person’s situation. “These conditions make it possible to meet the needs of students who do not have the guarantees required by the system created by the state,” promises the entrepreneur.
The concept goes further. “Each return will secure a future student loan with the logic of recycling and sharing to sustain future generations,” he says. Hence the name Infiiiite, because the system never stops.” Thus, Alexander Mars wants to give meaning to the repayment of loans usually given to banks. “In addition to financial aid, students will benefit from mentors throughout their studies and will then have an address book of merit from our future. graduates“.
Selection of the worthy
Infiiite selects these deserving students by partnering with renowned high schools, social organizations, universities and colleges. Among these actors we find HEC Paris, Sciences Po Paris, Télémaque, École polytechnique or even the United World Colleges network and McGill University of Montreal.
The selection is made in two stages. first, with a file containing the pre-selection form and supporting documents, namely the student’s school results and parental family income; followed by a thirty-minute interview where a panel of judges, made up of personalities from the business world, education and association sectors, will determine the prospective student’s motivation, commitment and leadership.
Interviews for the first class of 2023 begin this week, but will continue into July and then September for the second and final session.
(1) According to a study by the Public Policy Institute and the Inequalities Observatory, published in 2021. “What democracy of the Grandes Ecoles since the mid-2000s?”
Source: Le Figaro
