Mediacentre
- 05 Jul 2024
- ·
- Sustainability
The Cellnex Foundation has selected five startups to incorporate into its acceleration and social impact programme
Fourth edition of the Cellnex Bridge programme
- Through this initiative, the Foundation supports entrepreneurial projects in which technology, connectivity and sustainability are key to solving social and environmental challenges.
- The five selected startups, Atom H2, Domotik Mind, StartKidsUp, Talxapp and Vamos Rural will receive mentoring, training and financial support of €15,000 to develop a proof of concept over 8 months.
- A total of 14 projects have been promoted since the programme was launched in 2021, thereby strengthening the Cellnex Bridge community as a benchmark in accelerating social impact projects.
Barcelona, 5 July. – The Cellnex Foundation begins the fourth edition of its Cellnex Bridge startup acceleration programme. In collaboration with the accelerator AticcoLab and the social innovation consultancy Innuba, this edition welcomes five promising social impact startups that will receive financial support, training and mentoring to promote their projects.
The programme focuses on supporting projects with a positive impact and ensuring inclusion in an increasingly digitalised society and will last for eight months. During this time, the startups must develop a Proof of Concept that helps to reduce the social, digital and/or territorial divide.
Comprehensive support and strategic resources
To help them achieve this goal, the entrepreneurs will enjoy privileged access to top-level mentors specialised in innovation, entrepreneurship and impact who will accompany and support them throughout the start-up and development process. They will take part in training sessions, workshops and practical classes taught by sector experts, and will work on key aspects such as the business plan, financing, communication strategies, creativity and soft skills, with the constant support of telecommunications company Cellnex Telecom.
The programme will also provide a €15,000 grant to each of the startups to allow them to develop and validate their innovative ideas in a real environment. This initial investment is part of the Cellnex Foundation’s commitment to foster the growth and viability of projects that promote a positive and sustainable social impact.
“We are excited to be kicking off the fourth edition of Cellnex Bridge with the incorporation of five promising startups. Their dedication and innovative proposals are a reflection of the type of positive impact we want to foster. It is our goal to provide them with the necessary tools and support to help them turn their ideas into real and effective solutions” underlined Àngels Ucero, director of the Cellnex Foundation.
This year the startups will again have the chance to experience the Mobile World Congress 2025 from the Cellnex Telecom stand, benefiting from the growth and visibility advantages of attending a global event of these characteristics. They will further enjoy special advantages when subscribing to various digital services and platforms offered by AticcoLab partners, such as Amazon, HubSpot and Stripe, among others; coworking spaces to work and develop their projects; plus two free job openings at Aticco Workspaces (Barcelona or Madrid) for each participant.
Initiatives to bridge the divides
Reducing the social, territorial and digital divide has been a leading element in all the selected initiatives, covering a variety of approaches ranging from applications focused on protecting vulnerable groups, fostering sustainability and rural areas, to inclusive projects focused on education.
The call for projects, which was open from 8 May to 16 June, attracted a great many interesting initiatives committed to social impact. Five of these have joined the fourth edition:
First of all, Atom H2, which offers a modular on-site hydrogen generation and storage system, uses surplus renewable energy and produces only water as a by-product. Its metal hydride technology allows for safe and long-lasting storage, which is ideal for remote locations.
Domotik Mind, which offers a monitoring service for dependent people using artificial intelligence. Its sensors respect privacy while monitoring in real time, detecting emergency situations and requesting necessary help.
StartKidsUp develops social and emotional skills in children and adolescents to prepare them as actors of change in a technological world. It offers extracurricular activities, teacher training and curricular projects that promote entrepreneurship and leadership.
Talxapp helps people with disabilities through innovations in software and distributive manufacturing. Its flagship product, TalX, is an “inclusive WhatsApp” that connects people with disabilities with their social environment and the services they need.
And finally, Vamos Rural, which helps small producers and hosts to digitalise their tourism offer at no additional cost. It has created a platform that allows users to book directly with local suppliers, ensuring that more than 85% of the revenue stays in the community.
These startups will meet up in mid-July at the headquarters of the Cellnex Foundation (Barcelona) to celebrate the formal starting day of the programme in which they will present their projects and the first basic workshops on financial, legal, marketing or business.
Commitment to social innovation
Since it was launched in July 2021, the Cellnex Foundation has supported a total of 14 startups, fulfilling its objective of promoting innovation and social entrepreneurship. The Cellnex Bridge community continues to grow with the incorporation of these five new startups, consolidating itself as a benchmark in accelerating projects with positive impact. It is a living space where entrepreneurs of high human value and with powerful projects, mentors and Cellnex staff share ideas, resources, experiences and other materials of interest among the members of all the editions, expanding horizons beyond the end of the programme.
This initiative reinforces the commitment of the Cellnex Foundation and all its collaborators to contribute to a more connected and sustainable society, facilitating an environment where ideas can flourish and transform reality.
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: www.thecellnexfoundation.com
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 startups, innovation and entrepreneurship. Their experience, knowledge and contacts drive and maximise accelerated startup projects.
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.