The second edition of the Cellnex Foundation acceleration programme for start-ups kicks off

Second edition of Cellnex Bridge

• After the success of the first edition, the Cellnex Bridge programme is again searching for start-ups with a social impact that provide solutions to the double challenge of reducing the digital divide and contributing to environmental sustainability.
• The call, open until 18 July, will select up to 6 start-ups that will take part in an acceleration programme together with expert mentors who will guide them in the development of their project.

Barcelona, 10 June 2022. The Cellnex Foundation reiterates its commitment to innovation with a social impact by launching the second edition of the Cellnex Bridge acceleration programme for start-ups, once again with the support of the social innovation consultant Innuba and the start-up accelerator AticcoLab.

After the success of the first edition, the Cellnex Foundation will again select start-ups taking up the challenge of reducing digital, social and territorial gaps using technology and connectivity. Furthermore, this second edition will also select projects addressing environmental sustainability issues. “For now, this second programme will again focus on Spain, although we are now working on opening up to international bids in future editions,” explains Àngels Ucero, General Manager of the Foundation.

With the Cellnex Bridge programme, the Foundation aims to build cooperation networks to promote the talent and innovation of entrepreneurs with social impact initiatives. To this end, it helps the selected projects to define, execute and measure their proofs of concept and offers them financial support of up to €15,000 to develop their project.

The first edition of Cellnex Bridge attracted more than 50 applicants, from which were chosen three finalist start-ups that addressed social impact from different perspectives: Nixi for Children, an immersive application based on virtual reality that reduces the anxiety of children undergoing medical treatment; Voluta.coop, a cooperative that brings IoT technology closer to the rural world with nearby elements such as smart chicken coops; and eAgora an all-in-one app that allows municipalities to promote citizen participation and the transfer of knowledge and solutions in a simple way.

“The first edition delivered even more than we had expected. We have been through an exhilarating process, with great work from all the parties involved, which maximised the use of resources”, explains Lluís Deulofeu, president of the Cellnex Foundation. “The proofs of concept were impeccably performed and today we can say that the three start-ups that took part are already running successfully and show great promise for the future and social outreach”.

This second edition of Cellnex Bridge is open to start-ups with a social impact linked to areas like education, environmental sustainability, care for vulnerable groups and promoting rural areas, as well as those that can help to reduce the digital divide. The call will be open from Friday 10 June to Monday 18 July on the Foundation’s website (thecellnexfoundation.org). At the end of July, a committee of experts will select up to six projects to take part in this new edition of the programme.

Mentoring and training to promote success stories

Each of the selected start-ups will be accompanied by a group of mentors from the AticcoLab network, experts in entrepreneurship and open innovation, as well as directors and specialists from Cellnex. The mentors will be selected case by case according to the particularities of each project.

During the five months that the programme will last, the mentors will guide the start-ups to develop their proofs of concept and provide them with support in their business and social impact plans.

The mentoring sessions will be accompanied by theoretical and practical workshops, round tables and other group training on business, impact, developing soft skills or personal and group development. Cellnex will also make its technology, knowledge and resources available so that the projects can become success stories.

In addition, the various editions of the Cellnex Bridge programme will serve to create a network for the exchange of knowledge and experiences among the various start-ups that have passed through the programme and future participants.

With this initiative, the Cellnex Foundation and its collaborators Innuba and AticcoLab intend to contribute to reducing social inequalities and improving digital capacity, quality of life and environmental sustainability.

About the Cellnex Foundation

The Cellnex Foundation, backed by Cellnex Telecom, works to reduce existing digital, social and territorial divides through initiatives that improve access to connectivity. It also works to promote positive solutions for the environment. Its business model is based on three pillars: Proprietary programmes led by the Foundation, joint programmes in alliance with other organisations and institutions, and corporate volunteering.

For more information: https://thecellnexfoundation.org

Innuba

Innuba is a strategic design consultancy in social innovation that, since 2016, has been supporting and mentoring companies through their social transformation, injecting social impact and sustainability into the heart of their businesses. It works towards corporate goals, fostering holistic and systemic change, and by designing products and services that have a positive impact and a financial return, and designing innovation projects with a measurable impact. It also designs and delivers transformational training programmes.

AticcoLab

AticcoLab, Aticco Ecosystem’s entrepreneurship support platform, has the mission of strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem and the connections between entrepreneurs, start-ups and corporates. It develops acceleration programmes that maximise opportunities for start-ups, shortening their growth timeline and avoiding the risks that can affect the early phases. Furthermore, it supports corporations on the path to change through open innovation and brings investors closer to its network of entrepreneurs so that they can discover which projects have the most potential and intensify the deal flow. AticcoLab has an extensive network of mentors, specialising in start-ups, innovation and entrepreneurship. Their experience, knowledge and contacts drive and maximise accelerated start-up projects.