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ENTREPRENEURSHIP START-UP GRANTS 2025 : Tiffany presents π-World
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Read the testimonial of Tiffany Raharimanana, winner of the Entrepreneurship start-up grants for the π-World project: getting students interested in math again through “Escape Game” or “Treasure hunt” games.
Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Tiffany Raharimanana and I’m a doctoral student at ISAE-SUPAERO. I’ve always been passionate about anything creative, I’ve always loved helping children and I started giving lessons when I was in undergraduate studies, I think. I started with 6th graders, then moved up the levels and each time, what I really liked was to give them a taste of something they didn’t understand or like at first, and then say to me at the end”. in fact, it’s easy! I like it! “. It’s a feeling I’ve always wanted to find in my future job. Apart from that, I’ve always loved building things and drawing. In fact, when I was at university, at the beginning, my teachers often asked me ” but are you more of a scientist or a literary type?” and I never felt comfortable in just one box: I like to dabble in everything.
Can you tell us about your project?
The aim of the π-World Project is to make young students love maths. Indeed, there are indicators that show that the level of maths in France has dropped, and this could be critical for the future. We’ve also noticed a gap between young girls and boys in terms of the interest they may have in maths. So the aim would be to bring in this course aspect, without it being too strictly categorized as a course, but rather as a game, as fun. So what we propose are escape games. Personally, I love them, and I think they’re a great way of getting people to manipulate maths. It’s true that there are board games related to math, but most of the time they’re just about calculations. What I’d like to show is that maths isn’t just about calculations and numbers, it’s also about other things, and escape game puzzles can bring a new perspective.
The basic idea was to create a video game, but that’s an expensive project that takes a long time to develop. So we decided to start with a board game. I create the puzzles myself, and imagine the story. For example, right now, The story to be tested is called the Story of Barbe d’Olonne, which will be offered to 5th graders in Les Sables d’Olonne: the idea is that this pirate’s ship has been found somewhere in Vendée, and data has been recovered from the ship; it is this data that will enable the treasure to be found and the chest to be opened. To understand how to use this data and what to do, step by step, you need to solve the mathematical puzzles. All this helps to give a pictorial aspect to maths and to live an adventure at the same time. I hope they won’t feel too much like “doing math”. The project is being carried out in partnership with a maths teacher at a secondary school in Les Sables d’Olonne, and we’ll be testing the concept with his two classes of 5th graders.
For the moment, as we’re testing the game in a classroom, our time is limited and I can’t make an escape game that lasts as long as I’d like, so I’m forced to adapt. What I’d like for the final product would be to have an application that acts as the game master, because for the moment what we’re going to do is divide the students into small groups, giving each of them enigmas, and we’ll be there to time them, to give them clues if they need them. Our ambition is for it to be a game they can play at home, and for that, the app should replace us, more or less in the long term. The main short-term objective is to check if the concept works, what people like, what they don’t like, if there are things to rectify; that’s really the priority for the moment.
How did you feel when you learned that you had been selected as one of the winners of the Entrepreneurship Start-up Grants 2025?
Honestly, I couldn’t believe it, I had to reread the e-mail several times. I was in training at the time, I was a bit stressed during my performance, because I had to catch the train right afterwards, I questioned myself about my performance in front of the jury, I wasn’t sure I had defended my project properly, I was convinced I wouldn’t get it. When I heard the news, it was a total surprise, and I was really happy and moved. My first instinct was to call my mother, because she was right behind me.
What are the next steps for your project?
This will depend on the results of the intervention: if the students like it, then we could consider creating a more finished, professional product. Potentially extend the puzzles, and test the game in other classes. With the rest of the grant, we’ll also be able to launch the creation of the company and register the trademark. For the moment, I’m in the 3rd year of my thesis, so we’ll really get the project up and running at the end of my thesis.
Any final words?
Many thanks! Entrepreneurship is something I’ve always struggled with a bit. I always thought it sounded great, but that I’d chosen the wrong path, so it wasn’t accessible. And in the end, I realize that if, thanks to the donors, I’m going to be able to carry out a project that’s close to my heart and that I hope will help people. All this wouldn’t have been possible without the donors!
Thank you very much, because today I can’t see myself doing anything else with my life.
I would also like to thank the staff at Innovspace, without whom this project would not be possible!