The final of the twentieth edition of BerriUp, held on June 20 at the Reale Arena Auditorium in Donostia, became a significant celebration coinciding with the tenth anniversary of this startup accelerator. The event attracted over 130 representatives from the Basque entrepreneurial ecosystem, including investors, entrepreneurs, mentors, and public entities, highlighting not only the competitiveness of the startups but also the global impact of Basque entrepreneurship.
Organized in collaboration with Rural Kutxa, Artizarra Fundazioa, and the University of Deusto, the event emphasized the strength of a vibrant and connected ecosystem focused on impactful entrepreneurship. The eight finalist startups—ADSOL, CampApp, Heuristik, KeepCool, Legacy Crypto, Neexis Render, Standtrack, and Vaneoo Camp—reflected territorial diversity and local talent, with participation from initiatives in Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa, Madrid, and La Rioja.
During the opening, Joy Okuyama, Project Director at BerriUp, highlighted the significance of this edition, which received more than 100 applications, underscoring the growing interest in being part of this community. Víctor Iriarte from Rural Kutxa stressed his organization’s commitment to innovation and job creation. Similarly, Jon Ander de las Fuentes from Artizarra Fundazioa called for an inclusive ecosystem, while Garbiñe Henry from the University of Deusto reminded attendees of the importance of young talent and technology for the future.
The co-founder of BerriUp, Pedro Muñoz Baroja, offered an emotional reflection on these ten years of work, emphasizing that they have supported more than 44 startups, bringing their proposals from Donostia to the international market. In this context, the mayor of Donostia-San Sebastián, Eneko Goia, reaffirmed the city’s commitment to being an attractive hub for initiatives that generate global impact.
At the conclusion of the day, the jury selected three startups that will join BerriUp’s acceleration program starting in September. ADSOL will focus on developing technological solutions to manage unconventional water resources; KeepCool will design products to enhance food preservation through air purification; and Neexis Render will provide a 3D rendering platform to facilitate the work of digital visualization creators.
With this special edition, BerriUp not only celebrated a decade of support for startups but also reaffirmed the great potential of the Basque ecosystem as a driver of entrepreneurship and innovation.
Source: MiMub in Spanish
