When Youssef and Younes Outahajala first stepped through the doors of Venn Innovation a year ago, they weren’t yet entrepreneurs, they were high school students full of curiosity and ambition. As part of the Programme Pairs Leaders, a leadership initiative for newcomer youth organized by the Francophone Sud School District, they came to Venn to learn about innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership.
That first visit made an impression. They left inspired by the energy of the local founders they met and amazed by the idea that anyone, with the right mindset and support, could build something meaningful from scratch.
“During the Pairs Leaders event, Younes and Youssef caught my attention immediately due to their passion for the subject,” shared Andre Zanoti. “Usually, tech-driven guys are quiet and shy, but they asked many questions and visited several start-ups, and I felt like they were having their first experience in what they had foreseen as a future for themselves.”
A year later, they returned to Venn with their own experimental project to participate in the SparkChange Pitch Competition, their very first experience pitching an idea. Competing among many talented teams, they placed seventh overall, an achievement that fueled their drive to keep building.
Just two months after the competition, the brothers had already developed four apps and decided to bring one of them, Picmeal, into Venn’s Garage incubator to take it to the next level.
Since joining the program, Youssef and Younes have spent countless hours brainstorming, refining, and testing their ideas. Their dedication paid off when they returned to the stage at the Startup Canada Pop-up Pitch in Moncton, pitching among 43 other Atlantic Canadian startups, a remarkable full-circle moment for two young founders who first discovered entrepreneurship right here at Venn.
“Youssef and Younes, or as we like to call them, the twins, have impressed us since day one with their exceptional enthusiasm for new technologies, app development, and getting into pitch competitions,” said Ayoub Serhani. “Their hard work, innovation, and startup spirit are inspiring. In every mentorship session, they surprise us with their remarkable progress and out-of-the-box thinking. I’m truly pleased to witness their entrepreneurial journey.”
Reflecting on their experience, Youssef shared how their journey came full circle:
“I first heard of Venn three months after I landed in Moncton. I was introduced to it when I saw a young startup trying to make it possible to buy products using a QR code. Right then and there, I told my brother, ‘One day, we will be there, too.’ I'm proud to say that we are here now, and with the help of Ayoub and André, who helped us quantify our ambitions and turn them into goals with deadlines, we're working toward the ultimate goal of empowering the consumer with the tools to stop food waste with minimal friction.”
His brother Younes echoed that sentiment:
“After joining the Venn Incubator, we had many discussions concerning our business idea and received a lot of help with pitch preparation. However, what I would say was the most helpful was knowing that there is someone who can hold you accountable in your journey toward success.”
Their journey, from curious high school students to startup founders, is one of the Garage’s main focuses: helping young innovators discover their potential, build their ideas, and grow into leaders shaping the future.
We can’t wait to see where Youssef and Younes take Picmeal next.
