Explorer, where companies come to the world
Entrepreneurship generates vertigo. An inevitable stage fright of making a mistake, of things not turning out as one or one expects. This feeling can increase if you are also young and your professional career has just started. That's why finding help and training to venture into business management can be invaluable.
Help such as that provided by the EXPLORER Program, a free online pre-incubation program in which Campus Terra participates. An initiative promoted by Santander Universities and coordinated by the Santander International Center for Entrepreneurship (CISE) with the collaboration of the University of Santiago de Compostela and the Department of Employment Promotion and Equality of the Xunta de Galicia.
The new call for this program will be open until December 12. In the EXPLORER Program, applicants will receive practical training to validate their business idea and connect, along the way, with an international community of entrepreneurs. In addition, it is optional to have any link with the USC to participate in the call since it is open.
And since there is undoubtedly no better way to understand the program than through its protagonists, we have asked four participants in the previous editions of the program at Campus Terra to share their experiences.
They are four radically different projects. In four other sectors. But with a common vector: enthusiasm and the desire to lay the right foundations.
Let's take a look at the EXPLORER Program from the point of view of four young entrepreneurs.
Innogando, the road to sustainable livestock farming
Technology, sustainability and animal husbandry. These are the three pillars of the Innogando project. In short, Innogando is a startup that uses data analytics and information gathering with advanced sensors to maximize the efficiency of cattle farms and minimize their environmental impact.
The company's CEO, Elio López García, explains that the EXPLORER Program was a turning point for his idea because "it gave us access to key resources, such as specialized mentoring, business management training and a valuable network of contacts that accelerated our development and consolidation in the market."
Innogando decided to attend EXPLORER because it offered comprehensive and highly personalized support. This support made it possible to meet the startup's specific needs. Another important reason that led them to apply was the program's prestige and its track record of success with startups.
As for the future, Elio López clearly states that the following steps will focus on taking Innogando's technology to new markets and going deeper into the field of innovation. And all this, in addition, contributes to the fight against climate change.
In short, the livestock farming of the future is already being designed by its teams.
Embermind Technologies, AI at the service of SMEs
Ergin Kamberov knew from an early age that he would be an entrepreneur. He never imagined it would be so soon, but he heard about the EXPLORER Program in class and interpreted it as a sign.
Thus, was born Embermind Technologies, the company of which he is CEO and founder. An artificial intelligence laboratory (which they have called Corporate AI Lab) aims to bring value to all kinds of companies by integrating technology to change this era.
The startup provides services and products to companies. It is currently focused on developing a B2B solution that relies on AI to drive sales and growth for companies.
Kamberov explains that participation in the EXPLORER Program was a fundamental channel to understand the actual dimension of the business world and "combine it with the technical side that both my partner and I came from (we both studied a degree in Robotics)."
They also made strategic contacts at the incubator, some of them on their trip after winning first prize in the EXPLORER Program. "That trip got us hooked on pursuing entrepreneurship. I would recommend anyone who signs up to fight for that award (we participated twice to achieve it)."
The young entrepreneur has set out to expand his training and dive fully into AI, enhancing his knowledge in mathematics and machine learning... About the future of Embermind Technologies, he admits that they have not set limits and are convinced that the company will continue to grow in team, technology and innovation.
An equation that brings together energy, knowledge and ambition, which is an excellent starting point.
Aobá Upcycling, the greenest fashion maturing at USC
The next project that gained momentum at EXPLORER also represents a new era. It is Aobá Upcycling, a startup focused on the circular economy and the textile universe. A company that somehow advocates a radical change in the world of fashion.
Aobá reduces the textile industry's impact by reusing materials and unused garments to give them a second life with more fantastic aesthetic and economic value. In addition to tailoring, the company conducts textile upcycling workshops to teach people how to transform forgotten garments into unique and personalized designs.
According to founder Karol Farias, its participation in the EXPLORER Program was very useful for testing the business idea and validating the product's viability. "Through a survey of 150 people, we confirmed our hypotheses about consumer preference. We discovered, for example, that the sustainable purpose resonated most with potential customers."
EXPLORER became a learning tool to refine Aobá Upcycling's business plan. So much so that the company has continued down this path with current participation in the Argos Program, a USC idea incubation initiative.
And the future? The company's horizon is focused on growth. The founder clearly explains: "We are immersed in developing a growth plan to seek financing and thus be able to implement marketing strategies to consolidate our presence in the market, scale our production and implement new technologies".
More sustainable fashion is also taking shape in Galicia today.
techflip, or the rebirth of the housing stock
The average age of the housing stock in Spain is already over 43. In other words, the peninsula's cities, towns and villages are dotted with thousands and thousands of houses and apartments that need more than just a coat of paint. techflip, the latest projects promoted by EXPLORER that we present to you, could be the salvation of these properties.
Anxo Cousillas, the startup's co-founder, explains it graphically: "techflip is an alternative for selling a property in poor condition. Instead of selling it as it is, we assume the costs to refurbish and revalue it. And once its value has increased, we sell it, making the owner more money without investing a single euro".
Initially, Cousillas wanted to look for investors in the university environment, but USC informed him that the alternative to support entrepreneurs was the EXPLORER Program.
His assessment of the program is very positive: "It's like a reduced MBA. In addition, you surround yourself with people with a similar outlook on life, which motivates you and creates synergies. And, on the other hand, you have the option of raising capital for the project".
The co-founder of techflip declares himself happy with his current lifestyle. He is also satisfied with what he learned in EXPLORER, an expertise he has transferred to other projects he has embarked on.
As for the future, he is clear Today: "My future is in real estate and construction. But in the short or medium term, everything may change: "Today, I'm passionate about this. Tomorrow, I don't know.
An entrepreneur in the broadest sense of the word...