Merkur highlights the growing momentum in Luxembourg’s entrepreneurial landscape by showcasing innovative startups supported by key national initiatives. Featured are startups based at the House of Startups, powered by the Chamber of Commerce, and the Luxembourg City Incubator (LCI), a joint initiative of the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Luxembourg designed to support and accelerate promising ventures. Among the featured entrepreneurs is Laura Beatrice Zanella, CEO of IDK-Y, who shares insights into helping students shape their future with confidence.
Our mission is to transform student’s uncertainties into confidence swiftly leading them from “I Don’t Know-Yet” to “Now I Know” when it comes to their university and career path.
IDK-Yet was born out of a mixture of fortuna and virtù, if I may phrase it as such.
As I was preparing to move cities yet again, this time from London to Paris, my family organized a dinner with friends and their families here in Luxembourg. Among them were their children, aged around 16-17, with whom we chatted about their high school studies, their everyday lives, and their university selection journey. In turn, they inquired me about my path and followed up to ask if I would be willing to help them explore universities and courses.
A few days later, I met with them, and as we sat in front of their laptop (for hours I shall add), we tried to untangle some of the classic big questions: What motivates you? What are you good at? In which city would you like to live? Naturally, they had vague ideas, but far from conclusive answers. As the days went by, I started to notice a growing sense of discouragement. One of them even told me: « I don’t think I will go to university at this
point. », which, while being a perfectly valid choice, I did not believe it should stem from discouragement, but rather from having fully explored all available options. This conversation stayed with me. I kept wondering: how many other students feel this same weight? Hence, I decided to find out. Through a simple Google form sent throughout the Grand Duchy, I discovered
that many students were grappling with the same doubts and feelings. The goal became clear: help students understand that uncertainty does not have to mean defeat. There are countless opportunities waiting to align with their passions and dreams: some traditional, others unconventional, but all equally valid.
From the moment we saw the need expressed by students, our answer has been: “the sooner the better”.
Being born and raised in Luxembourg, I have witnessed firsthand how deeply our country values education. This cultural foundation naturally aligned perfectly with what we wanted to build with IDK-Yet. Luxembourg has one of the highest rates of students pursuing tertiary education in the world, paired
with a highly mobile, internationally minded population. But beyond the statistics, there is a genuine openness to innovation and a willingness to support those trying to make a difference. The early backing we have received, from the Luxembourg City Incubator, Luxinnovation and Pulse, to mention a few, has shown us how actively Luxembourg supports young ventures.
We are fully committed to making IDK-Yet a success story that Luxembourg can be proud of, one that carries its values of education, innovation, and international collaboration.
The next steps are about getting IDK-Yet into the hands of students as soon as possible. We want them to use it, explore it, and tell us what they truly need; how we can improve it, what is missing, and how we can build an ecosystem where they have everything necessary to take their next step with confidence.
Beyond that, we are actively seeking partnerships with educational institutions, offering our platform to support the invaluable work they are already doing for their students. Finally, we are also reaching out to organizations dedicated to helping students navigate these transitions, so we can bring their services directly onto our platform, creating a space where students can access all the guidance and resources, they need in one place.
There are no limits to what we envision. Our dream is to bring IDK-Yet to students everywhere: across borders, cultures, and backgrounds, so that none must face their future feeling lost or discouraged. Every student deserves to believe that their path, whatever it may be, is out there waiting to be discovered.
We are deeply committed to keeping IDK-Yet’s core service free and accessible. In the risk of sounding reiterative, we do believe that every student deserves to find not just universities that align with their passions and ambitions, but also those that fit their practical realities and available resources.
This commitment is also why we have anchored our work in the principles of the Sustainable Development Goals. We wish to ensure that students have access to information about the full spectrum of university courses and opportunities available to them: including free courses, online programs, and alternative pathways that might otherwise go unnoticed. We equally champion Gender Equality by highlighting institutions actively working to increase the presence of women in STEM fields, helping break down barriers that have held too many backs.
