APTenisa

Startup Ideation and Acceleration Program

APTENISA is a national initiative coordinated by the Association of Science and Technology Parks of Spain (APTE), which includes a set of programs designed to promote the creation and growth of new technology-based companies.

With these programs we help entrepreneurs from the initial idea to the acceleration phase, validation of the business model and incorporation. In other words, a team of experienced park managers, entrepreneurs, investors, scientists, advisors and managers supports the founders in the development of their products, services and business models, growth and investment.

We offer entrepreneurs, students, founders, academics and the Startup team individual and team support and coaching to build a successful business.

APTENISA is co-financed by Enisa, the National Innovation Company, a public capital entity under the Ministry of Industry and Tourism of the Government of Spain for innovative entrepreneurship.

Participants

Activities

What are APTenisa's objectives?

This is a 1-year program, which will end with the celebration of a demo day in which the accelerated startups will be presented. 9 Science and Technology Parks will participate in the competition of 126 projects, of which the best 42 will be accelerated and another 30 startups will be supported in their investment processes. APTenisa is a systemic program that promotes the connection between the parks, the ideas and the companies developed during the program, so that companies and teams from the 9 parks can interact and share experiences and knowledge.

It is based on the methodologies implemented by La Salle Technova Barcelona, designated as the tractor park. It will carry out the activities foreseen for the rest of the follower parks, in addition to an added role, participating with APTE and Enisa in the tasks related to the coordination, implementation and monitoring of the program.

APTenisa will take into account gender diversity and encourage female leadership and entrepreneurship among the business ideas to be supported. In this sense, gender diversity will be promoted in the teams promoting the business ideas and this fact, as well as female entrepreneurial leadership, will be positively weighted.

Participating Parks

Program Activities

The program has 3 blocks of activities or phases:

Competition of science-technology based ideas and/or startup projects in very early stages with the objective of selecting the best ones to be accelerated to the market in APTenisa Launch. The competition will consist of two phases:

Phase 1: Your project will be evaluated by the park to which you link in the registration form.

The three best rated will enter directly to APTenisa Launch.
The next four to five projects will move on to Phase 2.

Phase 2: APTenisa Competition. You will attend a Pitch Day organized by the park you have joined where you will present your pitch in front of an expert jury.

APTenisa Launch Competition Registration

The register will be open from 3 June to 10 July 2025.

Accelerator program designed to help in the initial phase of the startup project and prepare them for market launch. 42 startups will be accompanied by the 9 participating parks, whose trained staff will be able to participate along with the external support and coordination of the coordinating tractor park (La Salle Technova Barcelona).

It is a complete immersive program to promote the creation of science-technology based companies and Deep Tech, by boosting high-impact entrepreneurship, generating qualified employment and creating highly innovative Deep tech companies and spin-offs that can achieve success in the market.

It is based on the Lean Launchpad method, developed at the universities of California and Stanford, pioneers of scientific-technological entrepreneurship, to help step by step in business development: from the initial idea to the incorporation of the company, validation of the business model and customer development through interviews with the market. The program provides all the resources and knowledge necessary to move from an initial startup to a company ready to operate with high scalability projections, with tailored advice for each project in key areas for startups: how to interview customers, industrial and intellectual property, legal aspects and basic financial concepts to create a company.

Its duration is 10 weeks, with more than 20 sessions divided into conferences and six workshops, carried out in online format, between the months of October 2025 and February 2026. A minimum of 160h in total, plus individual mentoring sessions and personalized advice. The program will have a wide network of mentors with entrepreneurial experience in all sectors available to entrepreneurs with profiles adapted to the participating projects.

The programme ends with a pitch from participants to business angels, seed investors and facilitators. In this, validated teams will be able to present their projects with a final DEMODAY at the event Transfiere, European Forum for Science, Technology and Innovation, which takes place in February 2026. It is a great opportunity to get feedback in a multiplier environment to close the programme and open up a promising new stage for projects.

Participant profiles

Multidisciplinary teams with management capacity, committed to the project and availability to dedicate the necessary time for the execution of the tasks foreseen in the program.
Teams of ambitious entrepreneurs with an original and scalable business.
Start-up teams at an early stage of business development that need resources to get started.

Criteria/ Ratings

Scientific/technological based ideas or Deep Tech.
High-value technology solutions that provide sustainable competitive advantages with product/service maturity and an innovative component.
Growth potential and scalability of the project.
Sustainability of the project understood in the broad economic, environmental and social sense.
The impact of the project for the industry/sector.
Impact of the project on employment and development of the territory where it is located.
Positive evaluation of women in the team.

Special training to prepare a selection of 30 startups, the most investment-ready, to be able to present themselves to investors in investment forums or demodays. These startups may come from APTenisa Launch, previous editions of APTenisa, collaborating science and technology parks or programs promoted by ENISA.

Through a combination of hands-on training and personalized expert coaching, the participating startups will improve their pitch, strategy and preparation to participate in key events of the investor ecosystem. The training will start on 6 October and end on 27 November 2025.

The program will be structured in four modules and will include both group sessions and individual clinics to address specific needs of each project.

Registration will be open from September 1 to September 15, 2025.

Registration at APTenisa Investment Readiness

Registration will be open from September 1 to September 15, 2025.

Association of Science and Technology Parks of Spain – C/ Maria Curie, 35 | 29590 Campanillas | Málaga | Tlf.: 951 231 306