The Baskonia Alavés Group is strengthening its commitment to innovation with the launch of a Startup Challenge, an initiative developed in collaboration with the accelerator BerriUp, the Provincial Council of Álava, the venture capital fund Easo Ventures, and the Álava Business and Innovation Center (BIC Araba). The goal 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 Baskonia Alavés Group is seeking technology startups that want to validate their products and solutions in a real-world environment in the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz. The program is open both to early-stage startups with disruptive ideas and to those that already have developed solutions ready for implementation, especially in areas such as smart mobility, fan experience, and sustainable sports events.
Selected startups will take part in an acceleration program designed together with BerriUp, which will include specialized mentoring, strategic support, and access to funding opportunities through Easo Ventures, with the aim of turning their solutions into solid, applicable projects within the group itself. In addition, BIC Araba will provide support as an entrepreneurship hub to facilitate the establishment of selected projects in the region.
In the words of Aitor Jiménez, Innovation and Technology Director at Baskonia Alavés Group, “this Startup Challenge is born with the aim of opening our doors to the entrepreneurial ecosystem and working hand in hand with startups that help us continue evolving as a group. We want to identify and incorporate real solutions that bring value both to the organization and to our fans.”
The collaboration of all partners involved in the Startup Challenge is key to driving 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 program and the alliance among all collaborators, we aim to create a tool that, through innovation, fosters the business impact of a territory that is a benchmark in the sports field.”
Saray Zárate, Deputy for Economic Development and Sustainability of the Provincial Council of Álava, emphasized that “initiatives like this help strengthen Álava’s entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem by testing disruptive solutions in real environments. The connection between companies and startups is key to generating new projects that bring dynamism, employment, and value to the region.”
The application period is now open and will run until June 12 through the program’s official website. Once the deadline has passed, the organizing company and its collaborators will form a jury to review all submitted projects and select the finalists. Finalists will present their projects to the jury, which will then select the winning projects—one per challenge and per category (“MVP or existing product” / “disruptive idea”).
Subsequently, the acceleration phase and pilot development will begin in September, allowing selected startups to work alongside the Baskonia-Alavés Group in a real environment.
With this initiative, the Baskonia Alavés Group continues to position itself as an active player in driving innovation, creating new collaboration opportunities, and contributing to the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
More information: https://startupchallenge.baskoniaalaves.com/
About the Baskonia Alavés Group
The Baskonia Alavés Group is one of Spain’s leading sports organizations, with a presence in basketball and football through its clubs Saski Baskonia and Deportivo Alavés. Through its innovation division, The Faktory, the group leads digital transformation and sustainability projects aimed at improving the sports experience.
About BerriUp
Founded in 2015, BerriUp has been named the best private accelerator in Spain according to Funcas’ annual report. Based in Bilbao and San Sebastián, it has accelerated more than 40 startups selected from over 2,000 projects, supported by a network of mentors and a leading training program within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
More information: www.berriup.com
About the Provincial Council of Álava
The Provincial Council of Álava is the governing institution of the Historical Territory of Álava, committed to fostering economic development, innovation, and entrepreneurship in the region.
More information: web.araba.eus/eu/
About Easo Ventures
Easo Ventures is a venture capital fund with more than 90 startups in its portfolio, considered one of the leading funds in the Basque Country and at the national level. Specialized in investing in technology and innovative business models, it supports startups in their growth from early stages.
More information: www.easoventures.com
About BIC Araba
BIC Araba (Álava Business and Innovation Center) is the main entrepreneurship and innovation hub in Álava. It provides comprehensive support services to entrepreneurs and innovative companies, from ideation to consolidation, contributing to the development of the local business ecosystem.
More information: www.bicaraba.eus
