The initiative by Grupo Baskonia Alavés, promoted by the Provincial Council of Álava and developed together with BerriUp, Easo Ventures and BIC Araba, closed its call on 30 June. The programme sought projects at different stages, ranging from MVPs developed by established startups to innovative ideas capable of addressing real challenges in the sports sector.
On 10 July, the three finalist startups selected in each vertical will present their projects to the jury, which will choose one winning project in each category.
Grupo Baskonia Alavés has closed its Startup Challenge call with a total of 119 applications. The initiative has been developed in collaboration with the accelerator BerriUp, the Provincial Council of Álava, the venture capital fund Easo Ventures and the Business and Innovation Centre of Álava, BIC Araba. The aim of the call, launched last April, is to transform the sports ecosystem into a smart sports district by collaborating with startups that bring innovative ideas and solutions applicable to sports, entertainment and sporting events.
Through this initiative, the programme sought technology startups interested in validating their products and solutions in a real-world environment in the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz. The programme was open both to startups with disruptive early-stage ideas and to those with already developed solutions ready for implementation, particularly in areas such as smart mobility, fan experience and sustainable sporting events.
The call received a total of 119 applications: 70 in the MVP or existing product category and 49 in the disruptive idea category. By vertical, the fan engagement challenge attracted 54 applications (30 MVPs and 24 ideas), followed by sustainability with 34 (25 MVPs and 9 ideas), and smart mobility with 31 (15 MVPs and 16 ideas).
In terms of origin, 93 applications came from Spain —53 of them from the Basque Country: 21 from Álava, 28 from Bizkaia and 4 from Gipuzkoa— while 26 were international, confirming the programme’s reach and the strong interest it has generated.
The selected startups will participate in an acceleration programme designed together with BerriUp, including specialised mentoring, strategic support and access to funding opportunities through Easo Ventures, with the aim of turning their solutions into solid projects that can be implemented within the group itself. In addition, BIC Araba will provide support as an entrepreneurship centre to facilitate the establishment of the selected projects in the region.
According to Aitor Jiménez, Director of Innovation and Technology at Grupo Baskonia Alavés, “the response from the entrepreneurial ecosystem has exceeded our expectations. Receiving 119 applications, 26 of them international, confirms that sport is a privileged testing ground for innovation. We are now entering the most exciting phase: selecting the projects that will help us continue evolving as a group and deliver value to our fans.”
The collaboration of all the partners involved in the Startup Challenge is key to promoting open innovation, connecting entrepreneurial talent with the sports industry and generating real solutions that transform the future of sports and entertainment.
For his part, Jon Ander Merodio, CEO of BerriUp, highlighted that “through this programme and the alliance between all partners, we aim to create a tool that, driven by innovation, fosters business impact in a region that is a benchmark in the sports sector.”
Saray Zárate, Provincial Councillor for Economic Development and Sustainability at the Provincial Council of Álava, stressed that “the response to this call, with 21 applications from Álava, confirms the strength of our region’s entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem and its ability to test disruptive solutions in real-world environments. Connecting companies and startups is key to generating new projects that bring dynamism, employment and value to the region.”
The application period closed on 30 June through the programme’s official website. The jury responsible for reviewing all submitted projects and selecting the finalists will be made up of the partners involved in the call —Grupo Baskonia-Alavés, BIC Araba, the Provincial Council of Álava, Easo Ventures and BerriUp— together with external specialist organisations bringing additional expertise: Área 101, a leading ecosystem in sports innovation; Moeve, a leading company in sustainable mobility and energy transition; and Mobility Lab, a benchmark hub for innovation applied to smart mobility. On 10 July, the three finalist startups selected in each vertical will present their projects to the jury, which will choose one winning project in each category.
The acceleration programme and pilot development phase will subsequently begin in September, enabling the selected startups to work alongside Baskonia-Alavés Group in a real-world environment.
Through this initiative, Grupo Baskonia Alavés continues to position itself as an active driver of innovation, creating new opportunities for collaboration and contributing to the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
More information: www.startupchallenge.baskoniaalaves.com
