Leonard, the Vinci Group's innovation incubator, is celebrating seven years of existence in 2025 under the management of Julien Villalongue. Launched in 2017 with the aim of accelerating the transformation of the construction sector, Leonard has become an essential platform for innovation and foresight in infrastructure, mobility and real estate.
In a sector long perceived as not very agile in the face of technological disruptions, Vinci understood as early as 2017 that innovation could no longer be solely internal. The idea behind Leonard was then to create an open platform, where intrapreneurs, startups and institutional players could collaborate to imagine the future. Three pillars were defined from the start:
- Innovation and foresight : identify trends, support entrepreneurs and propose concrete solutions to transform construction jobs.
- Openness to the external ecosystem : Leonard is not limited to Vinci, but also supports independent startups that meet the challenges of transforming the sector.
- A physical space dedicated to innovation : a place where entrepreneurs, manufacturers, researchers and decision-makers meet to exchange and co-build the innovations of tomorrow.
Leonard in numbers
In seven years, under the impetus of Julien Villalongue, Leonard has experienced impressive growth.
- 300 supported projects since 2017
- 50 to 60 new projects supported each year
- 32 new businesses created via the intrapreneurship program
- 500 applications for the SEED program in 2024, from 60 countries
- 250 public events organized every year
- 50 events directly designed and animated by Leonard
- 8 editions of the Building Beyond festival, an unmissable event for construction and mobility professionals
📌 Watch the full interview with Julien Villalongue on YouTube :
The evolution of innovation in construction and public works
In 2017, the digitalization of the construction sector was still in its infancy. Innovation was mainly focused on SaaS solutions (management software, collaborative platforms, site monitoring tools). Today, the ecosystem has evolved towards more concrete challenges, especially environmental and industrial challenges.
Environmental issues, which were already present in 2017, are now central. Julien Villalongue underlines that these imperatives now structure all the new innovations supported by Leonard. Adapting to climate change, reducing carbon emissions, managing natural resources: each incubated project must meet one of these challenges.
Vinci even launched Scale Up, a program dedicated to internal innovations aimed at accelerating the integration of sustainable solutions within the group.
At the same time, artificial intelligence has taken a prominent place. Although in 2017, this subject remained secondary, Leonard quickly identified its potential. As early as 2018, a working group was launched to explore its applications. Today, several startups supported by Leonard are developing AI-based solutions to:
- Optimize construction site management
- Automate infrastructure maintenance
- Improving team productivity
- Accelerating the development of new materials
Leonard's startups and major projects
Over the past seven years, Leonard has supported numerous projects, some of which have become references in the industry.
Startups resulting from Vinci intrapreneurship
- Waste Marketplace : platform optimizing the management of construction waste
- Sudmine : photovoltaic solutions for industrial infrastructures
- Resilience : innovations to adapt infrastructures to climate challenges
External startups integrated into the Vinci ecosystem
- Kraft : digitization of construction processes and real-time monitoring
- Machine 26 : German platform for the resale of used construction equipment
- Strong by Form : development of new wood materials, combining robotics and AI to optimize their resistance and their use in the building
One of the major lessons of recent years is the rise of industrial innovations. While the first promotions of startups supported by Leonard were mostly digital oriented, we are now witnessing a diversification towards more concrete technologies.
This is explained in particular by the need to provide tangible solutions to the challenges of decarbonization. Innovation can no longer be limited to improving productivity through digital tools: it is necessary to rethink materials, manufacturing processes and construction methods.
Leonard in 2025: what are the ambitions for the future?
While Leonard has become a key player in innovation in France, Julien Villalongue now aims to amplify its impact internationally.
- Internationalization : Vinci is present in more than 100 countries and Leonard must follow this dynamic. Already, initiatives such as Building Latam in Lima made it possible to identify and support promising startups in Latin America.
- Support for industrial startups : the emergence of new technologies in materials, robotics and automation requires specific support, different from conventional incubation models.
- A role as a facilitator for the financing of startups : moving from innovation to industrialization requires considerable financial resources. Leonard wants to play a key role in helping startups find the right investors and partners for their development.
Julien Villalongue affirms it: Leonard must remain an open ecosystem. Its objective is not only to accelerate projects, but to federate all those who participate in the transformation of the industry.
As he likes to remind you: “Come on, it's open.”