Five Spanish, early-stage deep tech companies have made it into the SynergistEIC project, funded by the European Union. The project connects young, impact-driven green tech startups across the EU that require additional support to refine their products and increase their market presence.
To qualify to the program an EU based company needs to offer an innovative green tech solution addressing at least one of the four predefined green tech sectors which are Climate Tech, Clean Tech, Circular economy and Agri-food.
The long term strategic objective for the SynergistEIC project is to"help European technology startups scale, contributing towards the competitiveness and strategic autonomy of the EU and fulfilling its ambitious Net Zero goals."
Launched in 2023, the clear ambition is to cross-pollinate local, deep tech ecosystems within the European Union. The promise is to provide the so far, in total 30 early-stage green tech companies, with tailored hands-on support, for them to become more competitive and mature into candidate-readiness for the EIC Accelerator.
Five early-stage deep tech companies from Spain from the two cohorts
There are five Spanish, early-stage deep tech companies from the two first filled cohorts in 2023 and 20224 that are still operating and growing. These impact-driven, green tech startups from Spain are likely to be seeking funding in the near future and could be a suitable match for some of the international investors looking for early-stage deal flow within deep tech and impact tech in Europe.
As part of the project, they have already received sub-grants of up to €50,000 by the European Commission, within the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme. In addition, the SynergistEIC project will provide them with advisory services and connections to other innovative green tech ecosystem players. Furthermore, the project will educate these joining companies from Spain about EU funding and procurement opportunities, while helping these budding green tech startups to acquire stronger market-oriented skills to improve their access to potential funding sources.
Geographically speaking these five early-stage deep tech companies are based in the Spanish cities of Madrid, Pamplona and three have HQ's in Barcelona.
Cedrion
Led by Enrique Medina, Co-Founder & CEO. Based in Madrid.
Cedrion develops solutions for cooling components and air purification of cockpits and cabins in critical sectors like Automotive, Airspace, Health.
Founded in 2017, Cedrion specializes in the development of atmospheric plasma generation devices from air. Since its inception, the company has focused on developing ventilation solutions for the aerospace and automotive sectors.
The refrigeration team at Cedrion is responsible for designing and developing products.
The company further explains their CleanTech solutions:
"We have developed an innovative cooling system that harnesses the power of cold plasma to keep electronic components at optimal temperature. Our small cell system generates this plasma through the application of high-voltage electricity, creating an ionic wind that can be directed towards the heat source. This allows us to control and cool the temperature of electronic components with unparalleled efficiency."
"Our cooling solutions are compact, lightweight and silent making them ideal for various applications. We collaborate with large companies in aeronautics and automotive, and our technology has potential in healthcare, railway and energy sectors. We contribute to the efficiency of electric vehicles, aligning with our commitment to the environment."
Greendur
Led by Jesús Castillo Yera, CEO. Based in Pamplona, Navarra.
Greendur decarbonizes industrial heat generation through thermal energy storage solutions. Their thermal battery stores clean energy in the form of heat and delivers it to the industrial process when and how it is needed.
"Proud to stand alongside these Spanish deep tech innovators! Together, we’re driving a sustainable future for Europe. Congrats to all the teams!", the company comments to ETS.
Although an early-stage startup, Greendur already has a collaboration with Comansa, a global leader of manufacturing tower cranes for construction, also based in Navarra.
The company further explains their CleanTech solutions:
"Our technological solution allows us to use clean energy sources, storing energy as a form of heat and dispatching it when needed, up to temperatures of 350 ºC. Our thermal battery is a highly flexible and multifunctional system that can be adapted to customers' need. It can be charged with locally produced renewable energy like solar PV or wind energy, electricity from the grid during low energy prices or limited local green energy availability or with waste heat from the industrial plant, improving energy efficiency."
Microfy Systems
Led by Iratxe Perales, Co-founder and CEO. Based in Barcelona.
Microfy Systems develops affordable and automated microscopes for quality control procedures for the AgriFood industry.
When this Agritech company was founded in 2020 in Barcelona, the focus was sweet honey. Their involvement in the honey industry then led Microfy Systems to identify the need to automatise quality analysis of honey, pollen and honeydews. Microfy.AI was developed to be an automated solution "designed for beekeepers, cooperatives, and packers".
In parallel, the Microfy Systems team is working on other use-cases for the food and fermentation sectors.
In October, 2024, the early-stage, deep tech startup announced the development of a new use case, an affordable, easy-to-use AI-based technology called SoilAI. This project will be developed under the STARTS umbrella (Science + Technology + Arts - An initiative of the European Commission under the H2020 research and innovation program).
Microfy Systems comments this new exciting project: "SoilAI is intended to be a prototype that allows autonomous assessment of soil microbiome by means of soil AI microscopy. Our technology will help large farmers/growers to increase crop yields and successfully migrate to regenerative agriculture practices.
Informed decisions cannot be made if you do not have first data and useful insights."
Planetai Space
Led by María Fernanda González Ph.D, President and CEO. Based in Barcelona.
Planetai Space develops new technologies and methodologies to quantify our planet's natural capital. Their technology discovers and measures the attribution and impact of greenhouse gases in our planet’s ecosystems by using state-of-the-art satellite technology, astrophysics, machine learning and computational chemistry.
Their vision is to"become the reference technology for the quantification of the past, present and future of natural resources by using the most modern technologies available so far in fields such as earth observation, astrophysics, theoretical and computational chemistry, fluid dynamics, and new models in health."
In her social post Uniting Science and Technology for Transparency in the Carbon Market, María Fernanda González Ph.D, concludes that"carbon markets are vital for combating deforestation, biodiversity loss, and climate change. However, to ensure their strength, accuracy, and transparency, we must unite two previously separate worlds: science and technology, with the carbon credit market."
Among 15 other European early-stage, green tech companies, Planetai Space was selected to join the Ready2Scale Acceleration Program, participating from June 16th to December 16th, 2024. The program provides them with additional grants up to 60.000 EUR, it supports with business development plans and mentorship on investment readiness. Ready2Scale is just like the SynergistEIC project funded by the European Union and designed to foster cross-border collaboration and bridge gaps between regional ecosystems in Europe.
Sens Solutions
Led by Silvia Gómez Montes, CEO and Co-Founder. Based in Barcelona.
Sens Solutions develops sensors with the ability to detect and monitor bacterias and legionella in the air and water. Their software service is able to continuously monitor quality levels and provide real time results.
Co-founder and CEO Silvia Gomez participated in the prestigious Jump Startup for Women in Deep tech program on July 10, 2024. The program is an initiative to support 20 women entrepreneurs in Spain’s health and biotech sectors, "with an eye toward expanding their businesses into the U.S. market".
The company reports:
2At the event, Gomez presented Sens Solutions’ mission and services, focusing on the company’s Aero-S3DP environmental sensor. This advanced technology provides real-time monitoring of airborne chemical compounds, including various gasses and particulate matter, which are associated with heart and lung diseases."
Later this year 2024, in September, Silvia Gómez secured an agreement with Badalona Municipality for the execution of a pilot of the product AGRI-S3DP.
The AGRI-S3DP is an advanced biofilm monitoring system designed to assess water quality and detect bacteria in real time. Backed by Sens Solutions’ specially trained algorithm, the system offers precise, real-time detection of bacterial presence, providing a valuable tool for water safety and management.
The deeptech company commented:
"This agreement marks a significant achievement for Sens Solutions, as it represents the completion of the company’s second milestone. With the agreement in place, Sens Solutions was able to move forward and install the AGRI-S3DP at the designated location, a critical step in their ongoing mission to transform and improve water quality monitoring."
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