On 21 May 2026, Jonk Entrepreneuren Luxembourg (JEL) organised the first edition of its new flagship event dedicated to youth entrepreneurship: JEL Day. The event brought together the finalists from two of the organisation’s flagship programmes, the Mini-Company and the Startup Programme, in a dynamic format combining competition, innovation, networking and celebration.

JEL Day 2026 marked the culmination of several months of hard work, creativity and dedication on the part of the participants. From developing a business idea through to real-world sales and final presentations to the judging panel, the students demonstrated their skills in innovation, teamwork, financial management and resilience.

The event also brought together the entire JEL ecosystem – partners, teachers, mentors and alumni – providing a unique platform for discussion and networking around youth entrepreneurship.

Several representatives from the Luxembourg government also attended the event. Lex Delles, Minister of the Economy, SME, Energy and Tourism, attended the mini-company presentations, whilst Martine Hansen, Minister for Consumer Protection, and Claude Meisch, Minister for Minister of Education, Children and Youth, took part in the awards ceremony.

 

A day dedicated to innovation

Mini-Company Fair at the Kirchberg Shopping Centre

From 10.00 am to 1.30 pm, the finalists of the Mini-Company programme took on their final business challenge at the Kirchberg Shopping Centre. In a real-life sales environment, the teams were assessed on their stand presentation, their sales strategy and their interaction with customers.

Pitching Competition at Kinepolis Kirchberg

In the afternoon, the finalists from the Mini-Company and Startup programmes presented their projects to a panel of experts at Kinepolis Kirchberg. The teams defended their business concepts, demonstrated the viability of their projects and highlighted their capacity for innovation.

Awards Ceremony & Networking

The day concluded at Kin’Eck with an awards ceremony and a networking evening celebrating the innovation, impact and entrepreneurial spirit of the young participants.

Awards were presented in several categories across both programmes, and the overall winners – namely the Best Start-up and the Best Mini-Company of the year – will now represent Luxembourg at Gen-E 2026, Europe’s largest competition dedicated to youth entrepreneurship, to be held in Latvia from 7 to 10 July 2026.

 

2026 Winners

Mini-Company – The Signature Awards

The ‘Social Entrepreneurship Award’ from the Ministry of Labour: EelinkA – Lycée Michel-Rodange, Luxembourg
The ‘Consumer Protection Award’ from the Directorate for Consumer Protection: Pawzz – Lycée des Arts et Métiers
The ‘Responsible Consumption Award’ from the Directorate for Consumer Protection: LuxGréng – Ecole Internationale de Differdange et de Esch-sur-Alzette
The ‘Financial Management Award’ from Investas: FAVA – Lycée Aline Mayrisch
The “Business Plan Award” from ArcelorMittal: Elloria – Maacher Lycée Grevenmacher
The “Marketing Strategy and Campaign Award” from Cactus: Stick N Sip – Athénée de Luxembourg
The “Innovation and Value Creation Award” from the Federation of Young Managers (FJD): Pawzz – Lycée des Arts et Métiers

 

Mini-Companies – The Podium

• 1st place: SoilStallion – Lycée Aline Mayrisch

SoilStallion is a mini-company that produces and sells a premium organic fertiliser made from horse manure pasteurised at 70°C. It is a natural and more environmentally friendly solution that helps to improve soil quality and structure in the long term. The team consists of Pierre Clemes, Ilias Derchoul, Amin Licina and Samuel Petri. The students were supervised by their teacher, Tom Emeringer.

The team wins a prize of €2,000, sponsored by BIL.

• 2nd place: FAVA – Lycée Aline Mayrisch

The team, comprising Carlotta D’Alimonte, Etienne Guivarch, Lou Bodson, Magnus Tysland and Silvio Teixeira David, produces and markets a plant-based milk powder made from broad beans grown in the heart of the Greater Region, containing between 21% and 26% protein. Unlike dairy farming, bean cultivation naturally enriches the soil by fixing atmospheric nitrogen, thereby reducing the need for chemical fertilisers. Teacher Sandra Thibeau supported the team throughout the school year.

The students won a prize of €1,500, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.

• 3rd place: Gëlle Match – Lycée/International School Michel Lucius

Gëlle Match is a card game inspired by Dobble, the aim of which is to find the symbol shared by two cards. Each card features iconic elements of Luxembourg (monuments, cultural symbols, traditional objects). The team members are Melissa Silva, Mathis Birel, Rafael Mota, Tebo Barbey, Lara Santos, Marie Henrion and Dylan Do Rosario. Teachers Adnana Hodzic, Gilles Kuffer and Fabio Martins supported the project.

The team wins a prize of €1,250, sponsored by the Chamber of Skilled Trades and Crafts.

 

Startup Programme – The Podium

• 1st place: Lux-LDS (Leak Detection Solutions) – Lycée Guillaume Kroll (LGK)

Supervised by Professor Vittorio Siciliano, Anton Savitchi, Diogo José Bento Soares, Alexandre Greven, Bruno Bichwiller and Daniel Francisco Silva have developed an innovative sensor capable of detecting water leaks in real time by analysing vibrations in the pipes, without the need for excavation or service disruption. The project impressed the jury with its environmental impact, its innovative nature and its concrete progress, with the team already working on a pilot project with a local council.

The team wins a prize of €1,250, sponsored by Goodyear.

Coach: Bernard de Villepin (PwC).

• 2nd place: FundsEvents – École d’Hôtellerie et de Tourisme du Luxembourg (EHTL)

The FundsEvents team, supervised by Professor Julie Crampton, comprises Christian Chondrogiorgakis, Kim Ruberto de Leon and Geronimo Plein.

FundsEvents is an online platform enabling both investment in and financing of events, aimed at investors, service providers and organisers. The project was praised for its polished prototype and its solid, well-developed business model.

The team has won a prize of €1,000, sponsored by the Federation of Young Executives (FJD).

Coach: Ioan Sabau (Goodyear).

• 3rd place: MedFast – Lycée Nic-Biever

The MedFast team from Lycée Nic-Biever in Dudelange took 3rd place under the supervision of Mr Jeff Lemmer. The team members were Chris Correia Pego and Pauline Sudre.

The MedFast project is billed as the ‘Uber Eats of medicine’, enabling the delivery of medicines 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The project won over the jury thanks to its effective marketing, as well as the quality and persuasiveness of the pitch presented during the final.

The team won a prize of €500, sponsored by Aureus Ars & Scientia.

Coach: Delmée Maxime (AM 4 AM).

 

Alumni Leadership Awards

The Jonk Entrepreneuren Luxembourg Alumni Committee highlighted the commitment of young leaders. Throughout the event, committee members conducted interviews with the leaders of the finalist mini-companies and start-ups to gain a better understanding of their vision, their journey and their leadership style.

Following this process, the Leadership Award was presented to six students who stood out for their ability to motivate their teams, manage challenges and embody the entrepreneurial spirit:

• In the Mini-Company category: Carlotta D’Alimonte, Samuel Bost, Yannis Dumortier and Julie Delcominette.
  In the Startup Programme category: Christian Chondrogiorgakis and Pauline Sudre.

In recognition of their efforts and impact, the Federation of Young Business Leaders (FJD) awarded them a cash prize.

 

Two jury panels made up of experts

Mini-Company Jury:

• Augustin Bascuas, Chef adjoint du Département Crédits et Prêts, SNCI
• Brandi Karlstedt, Managing Director, JPMorganChase
• Catherine Wurth, Deputy Director, co-labor
• Fanny Schlesser, Head of Corporate Communication and Happiness Officer, Raiffeisen
• Gérard Thein, Directeur, Bonaria Frères
• Jeremy Bosquet, CEO & Founder, ECOM LUX
• Jonas Bossau, Membre du Conseil d’Administration de JEL
• Joy Sanchis, Professeure au Lycée Technique d’Ettelbruck
• Laura Ferber, Partner, Ferber Groupe
• Laura Polsinelli, Rédacteur, Ministère de l‘Economi
• Maximilian Chorus, Managing Director, Streff
• Olivier Dauvister, Head of Marketing & Business Development, Reka
• Philippe Weisen, Senior Corporate Advisor, BIL
• Timo Jahabgard, Analyst, JPMorganChase
• Véronique Schmitt, Directrice Marketing et Communication, Cactus

Startup Programme Jury: 

• Amélie Madinier, Regional Director Aureus, Master of Business Creation
• Eric Henrotin, Vice President Product Development
• Rudy Mazzalovo, Managing Director, Global Executive Partnerships Accenture
• Sonja Frères, Directrice Générale de Soclima
• Tony Ewen, CEO Eldoradio

 

About Mini-Company

The ‘Mini-Entreprises’ programme run by Jonk Entrepreneuren Luxembourg enables students aged 16 to 19 to turn an idea into a concrete project, whilst developing entrepreneurial and professional skills. Supported by a teacher and a coach from the professional world, students take an active role in their own learning and discover their talents and passions.

The programme also promotes mentoring, putting young people in touch with volunteer professionals who share their experience and provide a practical insight into the demands of the job market.

For the 2025/2026 edition, 115 teams comprising more than 550 students from 25 different secondary schools took part in the programme. 16 teams had the opportunity to participate in JEL Day, which included the 25th final of the ‘Mini-Entreprises’ competition.

 

About the Startup Programme

The Startup Programme (formerly the Young Enterprise Project) is aimed at higher education students. Working in teams of 2 to 6, participants develop an innovative product or service idea and build a business model with the support of coaches from the professional world.

Throughout the year, they receive training, create prototypes and present their project to juries made up of professionals and potential investors, thereby gaining a practical understanding of the challenges of entrepreneurship.

For the 2025/2026 edition, 20 teams comprising around 80 students from 10 different courses (Bachelor’s and BTS), including Luxembourgish students studying abroad, took part in the programme.

 

Continuing your entrepreneurial journey with the Launchpad programme

The JEL Launchpad is a new initiative from Jonk Entrepreneuren Luxembourg designed to support young entrepreneurs following their initial experience in a school setting. Building on programmes such as Mini-Company and the Startup Programme, it enables former participants to continue developing, testing and validating their ideas within a structured framework.

Through practical support in market analysis, business model creation and idea validation, the programme helps young people turn their projects into concrete, viable businesses. Launched as a pilot in 2025/2026, it has already facilitated meetings with mentors and key players in Luxembourg’s innovation ecosystem, and will continue in 2026/2027 with a new edition.

Applications are now open via our online form.