Startup University Ventures is an accelerator and venture builder that invests in seed and early-stage startups aligned with the latest technological trends. The institution was founded in 2010 at the heart of the University of Berkeley, California, and a year later it was established in Spain under the direction of Ángel L. Samartino. Since then, it has accelerated more than a hundred startups and trained more than 250 entrepreneurs and business angels in the European country.
Startup University does not work with calls for proposals, but rather its acceleration process is carried out exclusively by invitation. The venture builder offers strategic consulting to startups through its 360º Acceleration Service, which includes training, strategy, identity, team, and funding. In addition, and as is logical, this Acceleration Service adapts its duration to the needs of each startup and team of entrepreneurs.
When it comes to investing, the venture builder injects capital into the startups through seed and early-stage tickets. Since its launch in 2010, it has already allocated more than €10 million to the most promising projects. Its most recent investments include electric mobility, smart cities, automotive, virtual reality, green nutrition, education, and big data. Hence, its portfolio of accelerated startups includes companies such as Ozone Drive, La Pinada, Clicars, GeaCron, SmartLogin, Frutal, OARSIS, Woolax, Frutavia, Sile Nole, Wine Nature Trail and Kiddosity.
In addition to the accelerator, Startup University organizes and delivers the Venture Capital Academy and Digital Transformation & Data Science programs, in collaboration with the University of Berkeley. As a result, it is a training center of national and international reference for entrepreneurs and agents of the startup ecosystem.
At the same time, the VB organizes Startup Première, an annual gala where the most promising startups in the country are awarded, and which rounds off and demonstrates the institution’s comprehensive action in the business and entrepreneurial reality of Spain. The most recent winners were Zeleros, Fintonic, Oarsis, B4Motion and MasMovil (which won the honorary award).