IQS Tech Factory, the IQS entrepreneurship center and the first industrial accelerator in Spain, launches a new edition of IQS Next Tech– the only acceleration program for industrial startups in Spain. The second edition is supported by ACCIÓ, Generalitat of Catalunya
IQS Tech Factory has created an acceleration program that will accompany industrial startups in all phases of their industrialization process. This year’s edition- which will close the application period on May 31- has opened a new call and has begun the search to find 10 startups with a scientific-technical base to accelerate their technology and take their prototype to the factory. Unlike the previous edition, IQS Next Tech 2018 will last six months and will offer a program that will allow startups to work in all phases of product development to create the first production series.
IQS Next Tech: a new step for the promotion of the new generation of Industrial startups
IQS Tech Factory seeks to support the new generation of industrial startups in Europe, and will select 10 companies that have developed a physical product and whose next challenge is to produce their first series. Applications are open for startups from the following sectors: Advanced Industrial Techniques; Automation; Energy and Environment; New Materials; Life Sciences; Wearables and Sports. Additionally, Startups should have a functional prototype, a proprietary technology and a dedicated team.
To achieve this, the entrepreneurs will have individual sessions with experts from industrial companies, who will guide and advise on the entire process of industrialization. Startups will work on the conceptualization and development of their prototype, defining the necessary requirements for its design, implementation and manufacturing, together with professionals from production departments of different industrial companies. In addition, they will also have the support of more than 15 specialized mentors in different areas of the industry, such as Isabel Amat- Innovation Director at Reig Jofre; Silvia Moriana- Innovation Director at Médicos Sin Fronteras; or Edouard Rozan-Director at Onboard Ventures.
Oriol Pascual, director at IQS Tech Factory, assures that “IQS Next Tech is a really unique acceleration program because it allows startups that have validated a technology with a functional prototype to go to the next phase, which is the industrialization of the product.” Pascual emphasizes that “a differential aspect of the program is that participating companies can receive direct feedback from experts in different industrial companies, which are used to design, produce and market large series.
The 10 selected startups, which will be announced on June 15 at the inaugural event will also have the opportunity to participate in training sessions focused on business development, the legal field or marketing, among others.
The objective of this new edition of IQS Next Tech is to make the new generation of industrial companies a definitive step towards industrialization and connect with industrial partners and national and international investors.
From Barcelona to Boston
After six months of acceleration, IQS Next Tech will close its first edition with a Demo Day on January in Barcelona. A jury formed of experts in industry and entrepreneurship will be in charge of selecting one startup that will travel to Boston to participate in the immersion program by Richi Social Entrepreneurs.
The selected project will join this all-paid three-week immersion program (10.000$ value), where they will get a deep-dive into Boston’s innovation ecosystem, connect with investors, interact with key market players and industry experts via networking sessions and workshops.
IQS Next Tech 2017: The first industrial acceleration program in Spain
Last summer, IQS Tech Factory organized for the first time in Spain IQS Next Tech, the first industrial acceleration program in the country, which selected 10 science-based startups to accelerate their projects for six weeks in an intensive program.
The 10 participating companies accelerated their projects in a total of 11 sessions with industry experts, who trained and advised them on the most important aspects to turn an idea into a real business. In addition, they also had the support and advice of mentors from companies in the sector such as Enrique Shadah of MIT; Patricia Loyola of Victoria Capital Partners; or Jesus Santamaría de Lubrizol.
The program was closed on July 20 at a Demo Day that brought together more than 150 people at the Col·legi d’Enginyers Graduats i Enginyers Industrials Tècnics de Barcelona. Zymvol Biomodeling, startup specialized in the design of enzymes for the industry through computer simulation, was chosen as the most promising industrial startup of IQS Next Tech 2017 and traveled to Boston to participate in the immersion program Richi Social Entrepreneurs, organized by the Richi Childhood Foundation.
