The Collider Startups raised €4.9 million and created 30 new direct jobs in 2021

• The Mobile World Capital Barcelona technology transfer program has become a benchmark in the creation of spin-offs in Spain. 
• Since it was founded in 2017, The Collider has launched 11 new deep-tech startups into the market. 
• The Collider selects research projects and transforms them into commercial solutions through a yearlong process which also involves corporations and entrepr

11 January, 2022

Barcelona, 11 January, 2022.- Thirty new direct jobs, a new startup -Ephion Health- for the parametrization of mobility for several diseases and conditions, and 4.9 million euros in financing for the total of 15 startups created so far.

These are just some of the 2021 annual results of The Collider, the 2017 founded Mobile World Capital Barcelona innovation program that connects entrepreneurs and researchers to create deep-tech spinoffs and respond to some of the main challenges of industry and society. In just four years, the program has managed to incubate 15 startups of which 12 are still active. The former have created 90 direct and indirect scientific jobs and reached a market value of 17 million euros after an initial direct investment of 600.000 euros. On the other hand, every year the program assists more than 100 corporations in the realization of pilots.

 “Despite the pandemic, our numbers show that 2021 has been a year of recovery and we are back in good health”, says Oscar Sala, director at The Collider, adding that “in 2021 we went back up to the growth indicators of 2019, the year we surpassed the € 1 billion annual investment milestone, reaching € 1,9 billion in the first half according to the Deal Room investment report. Spain has a mature innovation ecosystem and is home to 9 of the European unicorns and 20 of the potential future unicorns, thus being a reference point in the continent. Our outstanding scientific production offers a fantastic opportunity to transform our economy and foster a new industry based on knowledge and the creation of deep-tech spin-offs. Technology sector investment reports such as Deal Room or BIOCAT confirm the sharp increase in the creation of deep-tech start-ups and the interest of investors”. 

Sala also believes that “the good impact evaluation results of The Collider show how good an opportunity this is for corporations that collaborate with scientific institutions to improve their innovation and increase the interest of investors in being part of their projects even in the initial phases. 2021 has been a record year for us with € 4.5 million raised by our startups”. 

Likewise, in 2021 The Collider continued to connect the scientific and entrepreneurial communities, improving the visibility of scientific projects and promoting the undertaking of pilot projects by the industry. Within this context, and through the “Train-the-Trainers” program, more than 200 professionals of the field of innovation management of scientific institutions were trained in the American Lean LaunchPad methodology, which helps evaluate the viability of commercialization of new technologies and community events. Since 2019, 70 research institutes have taken part this program. 

Also in the field of training, the OnCampus CAT activity, aimed at the valuation of technological projects by industry stakeholders, connected 100 experts from different industrial sectors who assessed their market applications. OnCampus CAT is held simultaneously in four campuses -Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Universitat de Lleida, Universitat Ramón Virgili and Universitat de Girona- and more than 204 entrepreneurs taken part in the two editions held so far.

All in all, Sala compares The Collider work to “a quality seal that provides security to companies and investors. It is a process of in-depth research and analysis of all aspects of the business model, from the technology itself to the human assets through technology transfer agreements with universities, that involves key experts in all the stages.”  

The Collider 2022 edition will kick-off on January 10 with the Call for Technologies 2022. The best 15 projects will benefit from The Collider program.

Applications can be made from January 10th to February 27th 2022 by PhDs, Postdocs, Master’s students or researchers who are part of university research groups or centers and have an authorization from the institution. 

The next edition of the 4YFN event, to be held in Barcelona from February 28 to March 3 within the framework of the Mobile World Congress 2022, will showcase examples of scientific spin-offs created in The Collider that are transforming sectors such as digital health, clean tech and agriculture.

About The Collider 

The Collider, innovation program of Mobile World Capital Barcelona, bridges the gap between science and market to create disruptive technology-based startups. To make it possible, the program fosters entrepreneurial attitude in universities and uses the researcher – entrepreneur formula to create new high-value companies

The program focuses on the identification and business development of highly disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, blockchain or virtual reality, connecting scientific and entrepreneurial talent.

The Collider encourages companies to participate and launch pilot projects together and open new lines of business thus helping to increase their competitiveness. 

For more information: 

Ana Lorente – Mobile World Capital Barcelona 

[email protected] 

639 775 288