Social impact 'startups', bridge between technology and community

A considerable part of the population remains excluded from access to information and communication technologies and the Internet. This digital divide knows no age or culture; it is widespread and is one of the causes of social inequality.

A reality that the crisis caused by Covid-19 made visible. It was a demonstration of how the lack of knowledge or access to new technologies generates inequality of opportunities and confirms that society evolves at different speeds.

In this context and with the aim of promoting innovative projects that seek to reduce digital, social and territorial divides through the use of technology and connectivity, the Cellnex Foundation launched the Cellnex Bridge acceleration program a year ago.

Putting people at the center of business projects, Cellnex Bridge promotes entrepreneurship. It is a cooperation project. Its purpose: "To design solutions in different lines of action to build bridges that unite and bring us closer to the territory, to the rural world, to its problems and concerns, in short, to its needs," explains the director of the Cellnex Foundation, Àngels Ucero. "We put connectivity at the service of people and the territory," Ucero emphasizes, "always promoting innovation and technology."

After the success of the first call, the Cellnex Foundation has just launched the second edition of the Program, again with the support of the social innovation consultancy Innuba and the startup accelerator AticcoLab.

Some changes have emerged from the experience gained. This year, they are looking for social impact startups that provide solutions to the dual challenge of reducing the digital divide and contributing to environmental sustainability. In addition, the number of projects to be selected is expanded from three to six, and the program period goes from three to five months. The economic contribution per project remains set at 15,000 euros.

Social impact startups linked to areas such as education, environmental sustainability, care for vulnerable groups, or the promotion of rural areas, among others, as well as those that contribute to reducing the digital divide, can access the Cellnex Bridge program.

The second Cellnex Bridge Program expands participating companies from three to six and the mentoring period from three to five months

In the selection, it is valued that the projects have a team that promotes them and that defends a viable technological solution, explains the director of Fundación Cellnex, "with technology as a central vector to respond to the vision and mission of our foundation: the promotion of technological solutions that use connectivity."

The call will be open from Friday, June 10, until Monday, July 18, on the Foundation's website (thecellnexfoundation.org). At the end of July, a committee of experts will select up to six projects to become part of this new edition of the program.

"The project is consolidated after its first edition and the acquired experience, now improved, and with the aim of internationalizing it," specifies Ucero. The program will be extended in future calls to other countries where Cellnex operates as an infrastructure manager, such as "Italy, France, Portugal or the United Kingdom."

In the first edition of Cellnex Bridge, more than 50 applications were submitted. Of these, three have participated in the program with solutions that address social impact from different angles: Nixi for Children, an immersive application based on virtual reality that reduces anxiety in children undergoing medical treatment; Voluta.coop, a cooperative that brings IoT technology to rural areas with familiar elements such as smart chicken coops; and eAgora, an all-in-one application that allows municipalities to foster citizen participation and the transfer of knowledge and solutions in a simple way.

The companies Nixi for Children, Voluta.coop and eAgora were selected for their innovative projects

During the execution of the program, the participating teams have had mentors who have accompanied them to define their concept, establish the team, design abusiness planand train in central aspects such as marketing or the sales network, among others.

With the consolidation of Cellnex Bridge, Fundación Cellnex has also laid the foundations for the creation of an ecosystem of entrepreneurship and technological innovation in social impact. "The program and the selected startups have had a lot of visibility and a network of contacts and exchange of experiences in social and sustainable innovation has been forged that we want to preserve and enhance. A value that fosters cooperation, that adds up." Àngels Ucero explains that they collaborate with other acceleration programs and different actors in the ecosystem to "foster social innovation" in the territory and so that "our call reaches further."