Using different 3D applications as a business innovation can be the right solution for engineering students with entrepreneurial minds. Such is the case of Alexandre, a student-engineer at ESILV and founder of Skriver 3D, a success story to be followed after the success of Caligo, a 3D anti-fog nose clip.
With the support of Devinci Startup, the pre-incubation space of the Pole Leonard de Vinci, the co-founder of Skriver 3D had the opportunity to do his 4th-year internship in his company.
As part of his entrepreneurial project, his training program included different skills which are required to become an engineer: operations (communication, maintenance), administration (accounting, labour regulations), management (supervision of several trainees and a work-study student), sales, research and development (development of new concepts, etc.). Watch a video interview.
How I created my 3D printing business while studying at ESILV
When you create your company, an extraordinary element is to have a joint project with the people you love, your friends and especially Etienne, who has been a friend for a long time, with whom you share everything and today to share that is just crazy.
My name is Alexandre de Belloy; I just finished my 4th year at ESILV. My company is today known as Skriver 3D. It was created in January 2021.
She started by making anti-fog clips; it was the initial model. We managed to grow quite rapidly: we began with six machines; today, we have grown to 64 3D printers. There are 6 of us in the team, three interns, a student on a work-study program and the two founders of the company, Etienne and me.
Other than the nose clip, we have different future development perspectives: professional scale models, property promotion, or aircraft models. We will also make small “goodies” that we can personalize for companies.
ESILV made it possible for me to do my internship within the company, to be here full time, to be able to supervise the interns and to develop the company commercially.
My average day: show up, plan how to organize the day, a team briefing, a good cup of coffee with everyone and then it’s a classic day: check emails, move forward, develop the relationship with clients.
I would advise being sure to have identified the right business problem because today we realize that the nose clip was a real problem, and today we have to find new markets, and it isn’t very easy to sell. So it’s not simply about creating a company; we had no idea that it would be so much work and so much sacrifice as well.
So you have to be willing to make sacrifices: to see less of your friends and to be able to stay in it once you’ve found the right thing.
