From Student Idea to AI Startup: How Laura Built Lavelio During Her Studies at HHL

Since the interview was conducted, the company Lavelio has been renamed Everwise. To keep the original context of the story intact, the name Lavelio is used throughout this article.

For many founders, the entrepreneurial journey begins with a single idea. For Laura, it began with an environment that constantly encouraged new ones.

While studying in the Master in Management program at HHL, Laura co-founded Lavelio, an AI analytics startup that helps companies better understand the performance of their social media content. Together with her co-founders Bernhard and Morris, she turned an academic project into a real business, shaped by experimentation, pivots, and the entrepreneurial spirit that defines HHL.

Today, Lavelio helps companies transform raw social media data into actionable insights. But the journey from student idea to startup didn’t happen overnight. It started much earlier,  with curiosity, the right people, and an ecosystem that encourages turning ideas into action. Discover how this kind of environment can help turn ideas into ventures. Laura’s journey is a strong example of how an AI startup can emerge from a student idea and evolve into a real business.

Turning Social Media Data into Strategic Insights

At Lavelio, the mission is simple: bring content analytics into the 21st century.

The team developed an artificial intelligence that detects millions of data points within social media content. The technology can identify elements such as people, clothing colors, text, or logos within images and combine these insights with performance metrics like reach and engagement. The result is a new level of understanding for companies that rely on social media marketing. As an AI startup, Lavelio leverages advanced data analysis to help companies make more informed, data-driven decisions.

“Our customers are B2C companies that are regularly active on social media and promote their products there,” Laura explains. “They value our ability to transform pure data into actionable insights and replace gut feeling with truly data-driven decisions.”

With this information, companies can better understand what content resonates with their communities and optimize their communication strategies accordingly.

Discovering the Entrepreneurial Spirit at HHL

Laura’s interest in entrepreneurship started even before her studies at HHL. Leipzig’s growing startup ecosystem already offered numerous opportunities for aspiring founders.

From incubators and accelerators to co-working spaces and networking events, the city provides a vibrant environment for innovation.For many students, this ecosystem creates the ideal conditions to start a startup during their studies. A particularly formative moment for Laura was attending the student-organized Accelerate Conference before she even started her studies.

“I was really impressed by the event, the speakers, but also by the students who were able to organize such a large conference,” she recalls. “There was a very special atmosphere.”

Once she joined HHL, she realized that this atmosphere had a name. “Later during my studies I learned that this feeling is actually called the entrepreneurial spirit.”

Rather than one single trigger moment, Laura describes her entrepreneurial journey as a gradual process shaped by the people and the ecosystem around her. “The whole HHL ecosystem definitely played one of the most important roles.”

Building a Startup During the Business Plan Seminar

The initial idea for Lavelio emerged during one of the most hands-on courses at HHL: the Business Plan Seminar. In their final semester, Laura and her co-founders began developing the concept that would eventually become their startup. The course gave them the opportunity to build their first minimum viable product (MVP) and test it with real users.

“That was definitely a hype phase,” Laura says. “We were able to build our first MVP and test it with our customer group.”

Early recognition soon followed. The team won the Best of Seed Award and presented their idea at Investors Day, one of the key startup events at HHL.

At this stage, the founders were confident in their technology and the data science behind it. But one critical question remained unresolved: who exactly should their first customers be?

Learning from a Pivot

Initially, the team focused on influencers as their primary target group. Their product could help influencers analyze and improve the performance of their content.

However, feedback from the market quickly revealed a challenge. “Many people told us it was a cool product,” Laura says. “But they wouldn’t necessarily use it or pay for it.”

This realization forced the team to rethink their strategy. Instead of abandoning the idea entirely, they made a key entrepreneurial decision: to pivot. Pivoting is a common step in many startup journeys, especially in early-stage ventures searching for product-market fit. The team shifted their focus from influencers to business accounts and marketing teams.

Around the same time, the founders joined the HHL Digital Space Program, a 12-week startup incubator designed to help early-stage ventures validate their ideas.

During the program, they spoke with numerous marketing managers, gathered valuable feedback, and refined their product-market fit. Eventually, they acquired their first major customer: Dr. Oetker. “That was another real hype phase for us,” Laura says.

Like many startup journeys, the path included uncertainty and constant learning. “There are always moments where you question your decisions. But the important thing is to stay motivated, adjust your product, and keep moving forward.”

How HHL Prepared Laura for Entrepreneurship

Looking back, Laura believes her studies at HHL provided a strong foundation for entrepreneurship, both in terms of business knowledge and mindset. Courses such as Disruptive Technologies, Agile Working Methods, and the Business Plan Seminar helped her develop the analytical and strategic skills required for building a company.

But the most valuable lessons went beyond technical knowledge. “I would say even more important are the soft skills and the mindset I developed during my studies.”

This mindset was shaped by the people around her: professors, guest speakers, and fellow students who shared a similar drive to build, innovate, and challenge the status quo.

“The whole ecosystem is really inspiring. You learn to see opportunities and constantly question existing solutions.” For students who already know they want to build their own company, HHL offers a dedicated pathway with the Master in Entrepreneurship, which focuses specifically on venture creation, innovation, and scaling new businesses.

Learning to Think Like an Entrepreneur

One of the biggest changes Laura experienced during her studies was how her thinking evolved. “At the very beginning of my studies it was difficult for me to come up with even one innovative idea,” she says.

Two years later, things looked very different. “With my co-founders, we were discussing new business ideas during almost every coffee break.”

This shift reflects what many students experience at HHL: entrepreneurship is not just about learning how to start a company, but about developing a mindset. “You can definitely learn to develop an entrepreneurial mindset,” Laura explains. “Of course startup success depends on many factors, but having this mindset is the most important precondition for founding a company at all.” Developing this mindset is often what transforms students from idea generators into startup founders.

Experiences such as building an MVP in the Business Plan Seminar and participating in the HHL Digital Space incubator played an important role in this learning process, exactly the kind of hands-on learning that also defines HHL’s entrepreneurship-focused programs.

What It Takes to Become an Entrepreneur

Reflecting on her journey, Laura highlights several key qualities that founders need in order to succeed. The first is accountability. In early-stage startups, days are busy and unpredictable, and founders must be ready to take responsibility for whatever needs to be done.

Closely related is the ability to set priorities. “There will always be several tasks that are all urgent,” Laura explains. “But you can’t do everything at the same time.”

Another essential factor is teamwork. Building a company with like-minded people can be incredibly rewarding, but it also requires navigating challenges and difficult decisions together.

Finally, entrepreneurs need to balance persistence and self-reflection. On the one hand, persistence helps founders stay motivated even during difficult phases. On the other hand, successful entrepreneurs must constantly question their assumptions and adjust their strategy when necessary.

From Idea to Impact: Grwoing an AI Startup

Laura’s journey shows how ideas can grow when they meet the right environment. At HHL, students are encouraged not just to study entrepreneurship, but to actively practice it. Whether through startup projects, accelerators, or dedicated programs like the Master in Entrepreneurship, the goal is the same: turning ideas into action.

For Laura, this journey started with a class project. Today, it has become a growing AI startup.

Watch the full interview with Laura Hepper down below!