Powerful Tree, Hobeen and Dryfing, winning startups of the Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council call for proposals

The seven finalist startups of the Vitoria-Gasteiz Green Deal Youth Challenge

The Villa Suso Palace in Gasteiz hosted last Friday the final of the Gasteiz Green Deal Youth Challenge, an international municipal call aimed at startups that aims to stimulate and help original and innovative projects, driven by people aged between 18 and 35, as well as to promote initiatives based on the green economy, talent and innovation.

The seven finalist companies presented their projects to the jury, which then announced the selected initiatives. Three proposals were finally awarded, Powerful Tree, Hobeen and Dryfing. The winning projects will enjoy a 16-week acceleration process in which they will have the help of mentors and experts to move forward.

Specifically, Powerful Tree develops renewable energies and technifies crops in terms of agriculture 4.0 and promotes the concept of plant welfare. Hobeen, on the other hand, is an energy efficiency platform focused on homes. Finally, Dryfing is a startup that designs, manufactures and markets machines for washing, disinfecting and drying wetsuits in the water sports sector.

“We wanted to attract talent and encourage the creation of companies based on innovation and the green economy that fit in with the philosophy of the Vitoria-Gasteiz Green Deal, a pact with which we want to move from being a green city to a green economy. And that is why we are promoting this process that today allows us to hear the ideas of young people who want to contribute to Vitoria-Gasteiz continuing to be a benchmark in this field. Zorionak”, said the mayor, Gorka Urtaran, during the presentation of this private event.

A jury made up of experts analysed the presentations made by the finalist companies and, from among all of them, the three start-ups mentioned above were chosen, which will have the opportunity to participate in this acceleration programme, a four-month itinerary in which the selected projects will have first-class mentoring. The best ones will also receive an investment to start up their respective businesses.

This initiative of the Gasteiz City Council is one of the first start-up acceleration programmes promoted by a public institution, with the technical support of the company BerriUP, which has extensive experience in this field.