Created by two KEDGE Alumni, Cosme is a custom made, 100% natural mattress, Made in France!

Alexandre: After obtaining a BAC S, I decided to go into sales and joined the Sales Technique programme at the IUT in Sceaux. I wanted to pursue my studies in a general education programme, so I sat various entrance exams to join a Business School. During my oral exams, I really fell for KEDGE Bordeaux (BEM at the time). I was seduced by the liberty offered by the custom made programme: my desire to be an entrepreneur was already there!

 

Baptiste: Similarly to Alexandre, I started my higher education with an IUT in Sales Technique. From the beginning, I chose that path in order to prepare myself for the Business School entrance exams. So, naturally, I sat the Tremplin 1 exams at the end of my two years of IUT. I immediately recognised myself in the values of KEDGE Bordeaux. "Write your story": I was ready to write my story.

Alexandre: During my time at KEDGE, I worked at a Marketing Assistant: at IBM, La Martiniquaise, or even Kellog's. Baptiste had more experience in event planning: he worked for Morgane Production for example. Once we obtained our degrees, we immediately decided to launch our own business. We didn't feel like we fit in in the world of major companies: we wanted to create our own projects, have our own freedom of action, and work with passion everyday. 

 

 

Baptiste: Bedding, it's a family business! We have been working in the natural resources and bedding industry for three generations. After school, my dad offered that I sell the products he was making. But I didn't want to do that, I wanted to have my own project, something that was really mine. Alexandre and I met at school and we wanted to launch our own business together. We had complementary skills and a strong friendship. We spent a few months refining our business model. We wanted to base ourselves on our family know-how but we also wanted to offer an innovative product. That is how Cosme was born: a mattress that adapts to the needs and wants of every sleeper. Coco fibres, horsehair, camel fuzz: we carefully selected natural fibres and materials in order to offer sleepers a mattress they really wanted. Just like in Haute-Couture, the idea is that everything is custom-made! And in order to match our values, we wanted all of our products to be 100% natural and 100% Made In France! We had several articles written in the press about our adult line: BFM Business, Télé Matin, Madame Figaro, Elle,...

 

 

Our adult line has really found its public. But, after four years of existence, we needed a new challenge. We improved sleep for a number of sleepers and we thought that the little ones shouldn't be left behind. That is how Le Petit Cosme was born: an evolving mattress for babies, 100% natural and 100% Made In France. In order to finance, we decided to launch a crowdfunding platform. Indeed, this alternative financing mode really fits our values. You can still find our crowdfunding campaign on Ulule: 

 

 

 

Alexandre: KEDGE really helped us open up. With the custom made programme, we were able to shape our path in our image and do something that really responded to our needs. The other strength of KEDGE lies in the association projects. I did a BDE (student bureau) list and Baptiste did a BDA (arts bureau) list. Baptiste was a member of the CDA (Council of Associations). I has head pf the Video Department Com'on. These experiences prepared us for the professional world but letting us manage major projects autonomously and by letting us figure out how to did things on our own...like in a start-up.

 

"Don't hesitate, go for it!" Often, students are afraid to go for it right after school. They want to gain experience, wait for the right time. Except, you have to understand that there will never be an ideal moment! After school, we don't have a lot of responsibilities (no family to take care of) and are professional situation isn't fully established. It's a great time, because it's a time in our life where we have "nothing to lose".