The Basque nanoscience research center, CIC nanoGUNE, together with BerriUp, the number one startup accelerator in Spain according to the Financial Times, Graphenea, the first nanoGUNE startup dedicated to the production and commercialization of graphene, Fomento de San Sebastián, the economic development and innovation society of the San Sebastián city council, and BIC Gipuzkoa, Business Innovation Center that promotes the creation of innovative companies, have signed a collaboration agreement to promote the development of projects related to graphene. The joint effort materializes in the 3^rd Global Graphene Call, an international call to capture and accelerate business ideas based on the disruptive potential of graphene.

In the first edition of 2020, 35 projects from around the world were submitted to the call, with a Dutch company that stood out for its innovative approach to the application of graphene being the winner. In the second edition in 2022, the number of proposals increased to 45, reflecting the growing global interest in this material. On that occasion, the winner was a project from India, which underlines the international and competitive profile of the call. Now, the third edition of the Global Graphene Call aims to attract even more projects that can revolutionize key industries.

Patricia Casado, Director at BerriUp said: "We are looking for projects that have graphene as a base to help them in their development and launch on the market. To this end, in our third edition, we are adding new collaborators with the aim of offering the best conditions."

For his part, Jesús de la Fuente, CEO of Graphenea, highlighted: "Graphene has immense potential to revolutionize multiple sectors. With this call, we are facilitating entrepreneurs’ and companies’ access to our technology and expertise to take their ideas to the next level."

Iñigo Olaizola, Managing Director of Fomento de San Sebastián, added: "At Fomento de San Sebastián, we are committed to attracting innovative projects to the city, and graphene represents a great opportunity to attract talent to San Sebastián. We offer a unique environment with key tools such as EKINN, a node for innovation and entrepreneurship, for the growth and development of these projects in our territory."

Ainara Garcia-Gallastegui, Technology Transfer Director, also highlighted the strategic importance of this call: "At nanoGUNE, we firmly believe that graphene is one of the key materials of the future, with enormous potential to transform various industries. Through this call, we want to provide entrepreneurs with access to our cutting-edge facilities and the scientific knowledge we have accumulated. Our goal is to turn innovative ideas into tangible realities that can generate a positive impact globally."

Finally, María Luisa Arriola, Managing Director at BIC Gipuzkoa, said: "The support we offer through our Ekintzaile-Txekintek programme is essential to accelerate the growth of technology startups. We want entrepreneurs to find in Gipuzkoa the ideal place to develop and consolidate their innovative projects."

The organising entities offer a unique set of resources to support the selected projects: the BerriUp acceleration methodology, the advanced graphene products from Graphenea, the cutting-edge infrastructure and equipment from nanoGUNE, together with the grants and entrepreneurship programmes provided by Fomento San Sebastián and BIC Gipuzkoa. This combination of capabilities guarantees an ideal environment to transform ideas into viable commercial solutions.

Participants must present their own original projects, registering them in full in a form available online. The registration period is open from September 13 to October 13, 2024.

The selected finalists will enjoy a personalized acceleration program at the BerriUp headquarters between January and April 2025, access to advanced Graphenea material and will be able to use the CIC nanoGUNE facilities. In addition, if the finalist project is established in San Sebastián, it will receive the support of Fomento de San Sebastián which, within the tools available for the development of technological projects, will facilitate access to CIC nanoGUNE, and will also offer personalized aid such as the EKINN+ program, adjusting to the needs of the project. BIC Gipuzkoa will complement this support with access to the Ekintzaile-Txekintek program, a key support for the growth of technological startups in the region.

About BerriUp:

Created in 2015, BerriUp, the number one private accelerator in Spain according to the Financial Times, has accelerated more than 40 startups that, after completing the training, have accessed the support of the Easo Ventures SCR fund. It has a network of more than 50 mentors. It is based in Bilbao and San Sebastián and regularly collaborates with public and private entities such as Adinberri, Caja Rural de Navarra or the City Council of Vitoria-Gasteiz, among others. For more information, visit: https://www.berriup.com/

About CIC nanoGUNE:

The Cooperative Research Centre in Nanoscience, CIC nanoGUNE, located in Donostia – San Sebastián, is a research centre created with the mission of carrying out research of excellence in nanoscience and nanotechnology with the aim of increasing business competitiveness and economic development in the Basque Country. NanoGUNE is a member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) and is also a “María de Maeztu” Unit of Excellence (2021-2025) recognised by the State Research Agency. For more information, visit: https://www.nanogune.eu/en

About Graphenea:

Graphenea, founded in 2010, is a leader in the production of CVD graphene and graphene oxide. Graphenea supplies graphene to more than 800 clients in 50 countries and has a production and R&D laboratory in Donostia-San Sebastián and a commercial office in Boston, USA. Currently, the Graphenea team is made up of 30 professionals from different scientific disciplines, engineering, finance and business development. In addition to standard CVD graphene and Graphene Oxide products, it also offers the development of specific formulations for industrial applications and a Graphene Foundry service, manufacturing custom graphene chips. For more information, visit https://www.graphenea.com/

About Fomento de San Sebastián:

We are the San Sebastián city council's economic development and innovation company. Our objective is to promote the development of innovative projects that boost the city's economy and employment, focusing on people through a collaborative model.

As part of our strategy to position San Sebastián as a hub for innovative entrepreneurship with the EKINN space as its epicentre, we have acceleration programmes such as EKINN+ that promote the creation, growth and consolidation of innovative business projects in San Sebastián. EKINN+ supports them in the validation, start-up, financing and maturation of their projects, encouraging the creation of a high-performance innovation community and generating meeting spaces between entrepreneurial initiatives and local leading companies. For more information, visit https://www.fomentosansebastian.eus/en/

About BIC Gipuzkoa:

BIC Gipuzkoa is a Business Innovation Centre that acts as a catalyst in the creation of new innovative and technological companies in Gipuzkoa. Its mission is to support entrepreneurs and startups during the most critical phases of their projects, from the validation of the idea to its growth and consolidation. Through programmes such as Ekintzaile-Txekintek, BIC Gipuzkoa provides financing, strategic advice and access to a network of experts and leading companies. In addition, it promotes entrepreneurial culture in the region, facilitating the development of disruptive solutions and enhancing the competitiveness of the local business ecosystem. For more information, visit https://www.bicgipuzkoa.eus/