Isep Start-up: Meet Seydina SY, Founder of NESTI
An interview with Seydina SY, engineering student at Isep and founder of NESTI, an artificial intelligence platform dedicated to family logistics.
NESTI, a start-up developed at Isep by Seydina SY, is an artificial intelligence solution dedicated to family logistics. Supported by the Isep incubator, the venture has recently joined the latest edition of the KESK’IA programme.
KESK’IA is a national excellence programme that supports emerging talent in developing high-impact digital solutions by bringing together local authorities, citizens, and partner organisations.
In this interview, Seydina SY, Founder of NESTI, looks back on the origins of his start-up, shares its future ambitions, and discusses the growth of the team with the arrival of his collaborator, Kahina MEDJKANE.
Could you briefly introduce NESTI? What challenges does your AI solution for family logistics aim to address?
NESTI is the first AI-powered FamilyOps platform, designed to streamline and manage everyday family operations. Our vision goes far beyond a shared calendar: we aim to build a fully interconnected ecosystem for the entire household. Our goal is to centralise, automate, and simplify every aspect of family life, giving people back valuable quality time.
By turning the complexity of day-to-day family logistics into a seamless experience, NESTI significantly reduces the mental load on parents and caregivers while, above all, fostering greater harmony within the home. Unlike traditional shared planning tools, NESTI acts as a proactive assistant: it synchronises schedules, anticipates conflicts, and recommends relevant activities.
Most importantly, NESTI is built on a sovereign, Privacy by Design architecture. Families retain full control over their data, which remains private, encrypted, and securely protected at all times.
Could you tell us a little about yourself and your team? What is your background at Isep, and how did your team come together?
My name is Seydina SY, an engineering apprentice student at Isep. The founding idea behind NESTI was born during Capgemini’s ‘Positive Futures’ competition. Following this challenge, the project took a new direction when Kahina MEDJKANE joined me. After completing her BUT (Bachelor of Technology), Kahina entered Isep, and today we are both apprentices in the same class, in our first year of the engineering cycle! Our duo is incredibly effective: I handle the technical architecture and product vision, while Kahina helps me tremendously with design, optimization, testing phases, and everything related to user experience.
You have been selected to join the new season of the KESK’IA program. How did the selection process go, and what convinced the jury?
It was Juliette JOUANNET, Head of Entrepreneurship and Incubator at Isep, who strongly advised me to participate, convinced by the vision we hold with NESTI. During the selection process, the jury was particularly impressed by the combination of my highly tech-focused profile (shaped notably through various hackathons) and the solidity of our team project. Our commitment to putting AI at the service of societal challenges made all the difference.
What does the KESK’IA program actually consist of, and what are the next steps for the development of NESTI?
“KESK’IA is a national program of excellence. I am currently participating in it in my capacity as a data scientist to develop a brand-new project: a generative AI (LLM) dedicated to career guidance and professional integration challenges. For me, this is the logical next step after NESTI in my commitment to putting tech at the service of people.
As for NESTI, the next steps are crucial. We are entering a technical improvement phase for the platform, which will be followed by a full-scale testing phase with a large, predefined user panel. Armed with this feedback, we will soon present our project to the Isep incubator jury to reach a new milestone in our development.
Your project was also a winner of the Capgemini ‘Positive Futures’ challenge. What did you take away from this experience, and what has this award brought to the project?
This challenge was the spark that brought NESTI to life. The award validated our approach and gave us the legitimacy to accelerate. Above all, it aligns perfectly with the philosophy taught at Isep: “Humanware”, meaning placing humans at the heart of digital technology. For me, technology must imperatively be designed for humans and by humans, in order to avoid any flawed or predatory use. This award recognizes that vision.
To what extent have the entrepreneurial support and the Isep ecosystem contributed to the development of your project?
Above all, the Isep ecosystem is incredibly stimulating. When you see all the projects being developed here and the network of alumni launching their own solutions, you can’t help but want to follow in their footsteps! The entrepreneurial support is essential. Beyond the resources and the outside perspective it brings, you feel truly supported. This is vital because, when you create a project, you tend to fall in love with it and become blind to its flaws. Our lack of experience could hold us back, but the incubator’s guidance helps us avoid these blind spots and constantly challenges us.
What message would you like to send to Isep students who want to become entrepreneurs but don’t yet dare to take the plunge?
Isep gives us the chance to acquire an exceptional technical background, so use it to solve real-world problems! Don’t wait until you’re “ready” or graduated. The best way to learn is by doing. Talk about your ideas, surround yourselves with complementary profiles, and make the absolute most of the school’s support. Our generation has the responsibility to build tomorrow’s “Humanware”, so just go for it!
The NESTI project is also in the running for the Moovjee competition. You can support the team by leaving a 👍 on YouTube via this link.
A huge thank you to Seydina SY for taking the time to answer our questions and share a behind-the-scenes look at this entrepreneurial project developed at Isep.
To learn more about NESTI and follow their journey, visit their website.
