After several weeks of mentoring and support, the seven start-ups selected for the 2026 Innovation Challenge, run by La Turbine, ER Group’s incubator, are getting ready to defend their projects. Launched on 17 September under the theme “Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Innovation”, the two-month programme will culminate in the Pitch Day on 12 November 2026. The seven start-ups that will pitch on the day are Enersight, WillPost, Hospitality Green Academy (HGA), NexTherma, Belyaeva House, Valkyra Equestrian and reponn.mu. The Pitch Day is a key milestone for the start-ups, which will present their solutions to a jury made up of professionals and representatives of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The Innovation Challenge reflects La Turbine’s commitment to supporting innovative projects that contribute to the economic, social and environmental development of Mauritius. The solutions presented address several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), Climate Action (SDG 13), Life Below Water (SDG 14) and Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17).
“The Innovation Challenge is, above all, a journey that enables entrepreneurs to develop their ideas, test them against market realities and build viable businesses. Over the weeks, the start-ups benefit from tailored support, the expertise of mentors and exchanges with key players in our ecosystem. The Pitch Day is an important step along that path: it gives them the opportunity to present the solutions they have developed and to share their vision. Through this initiative, La Turbine wishes to encourage the emergence of innovative companies capable of providing concrete answers to the economic, social and environmental challenges facing Mauritius,” says Swarna Gujadhur, Head of Operations at La Turbine.
Founded in 2016 by ER Group, La Turbine is celebrating ten years of commitment to entrepreneurship and innovation in Mauritius this year. Since its inception, the incubator has received more than 1,000 projects, supported 150 entrepreneurs through pre-incubation and helped create 35 start-ups. Through its programmes, it helps entrepreneurs validate market needs, structure their business model and develop solutions with commercial potential.
The 2026 Innovation Challenge is supported by MCB, ER Group, Eclosia Angel Fund, Blue Azurite and ER Hospitality. Axess, TGH Holdings and Journal des Archipels are among the partners and media associated with the initiative.
The finalists speak:
1.Thibault Israel and Anaïs Ah Chin (Enersight)
“Enersight is an energy intelligence platform that turns complex data into clear, actionable insights. It helps identify anomalies, consumption peaks and opportunities for improvement. We are initially targeting hotels in Mauritius, where energy management is a major issue. The Innovation Challenge helped us move from an idea to a structured proposition. The programme pushes us to test our assumptions, define the problem we want to solve more precisely and better understand the needs of our future users. Exchanges with mentors, entrepreneurs and potential partners are also preparing us for the next stage of Enersight’s development.”
2.William Mayer (WillPost)
“WillPost uses artificial intelligence to simplify social media management for Mauritian businesses. Users simply upload photos to generate posts tailored to their brand identity, approve them and publish them on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and X. Since March 2026, four Mauritian companies have already been using the platform, with more than 1,300 posts published. The Innovation Challenge’s workshops and coaching led me to work more on the commercial aspects of the project: market research, pricing, finance and presentation. The Innovation Fair also allowed me to present WillPost to the marketing teams of major groups and to gather valuable feedback on market needs.”
3.Daren Moodely (Hospitality Green Academy, HGA)
“Hospitality Green Academy is a Mauritian start-up that aims to make professional training more accessible, practical and sustainable. Our platform turns companies’ operating procedures into interactive training modules tailored to different roles and incorporating environmental best practices. It also makes it possible to assess skills, track progress and keep a record of completed training. The Innovation Challenge helped us refine our business model, strengthen our market positioning and meet mentors and strategic partners. This support is helping to prepare HGA’s commercial roll-out.”
4.Faddil Mosaheb (NexTherma)
“NexTherma is a Mauritian company specialising in energy engineering and technologies. We help businesses reduce their energy costs and emissions while improving the reliability of their supply. Our approach is to intelligently coordinate electrical systems, batteries, thermal storage, and heating and cooling needs. The programme gave us greater visibility and allowed us to meet potential customers and partners, notably at the Innovation Fair. These exchanges give us the opportunity to discuss businesses’ real needs, present our approach and build relationships that are useful for NexTherma’s growth.”
5.Polina Belyaeva (Belyaeva House)
“Belyaeva House helps businesses assess the impact of their activities beyond financial results alone. We draw in particular on the B Corp framework and on Greenly, an AI-powered carbon accounting platform. The aim is not to add another task for companies, but to give them well-organised data so they can better understand their business, identify opportunities for improvement and define an action plan suited to their environment and community. The Innovation Challenge led me to reflect on a key question: why should companies care about these issues when there is no regulatory requirement in Mauritius? The answer must lie in the practical value of the approach and its relevance to each business.”
6.Julie Byraub (Valkyra Equestrian)
“Valkyra Equestrian was born from my passion for horses and textiles, and from a desire to meet a need I experienced myself as a rider. I wanted to create a technical, breathable and practical garment designed to support women during their menstrual cycle without compromising on elegance. The Innovation Challenge gave me a framework, structure and support that helped me turn an idea into a genuine business. The experience also allowed me to envisage developing Valkyra beyond Mauritius. I am now preparing the brand for export, with the ambition of showcasing Mauritian textile expertise in international competition arenas.”
7.Jeff Thomas (reponn.mu)
“reponn.mu is an interactive marketing platform designed for WhatsApp and tailored to the Mauritian market. We help brands boost consumer engagement through short interactive surveys that let participants win rewards. Businesses can thus attract customers in store, track the use of their discount vouchers and better understand consumer preferences. Taking part in the Innovation Challenge allowed us to meet key players in the sector, as well as mentors. Their feedback helped us refine our business model, better define our value proposition and prepare for our market launch.”
