CEIN Startup Day highlights investment and open innovation as drivers for scaling up startups

Mikel Irujo, the Regional Minister of Industry and Ecological and Digital Business Transition, took part today in the opening of CEIN Startup Day, organized for the sixth consecutive year by the public entity European Center for Business and Innovation of Navarra (CEIN), which brought together more than 400 people at its Innovation Incubator in Noáin / Noain. 

This event, which focuses on investment and open innovation as drivers for scaling up startups, has brought together startups, corporations, the industrial sector, investment firms, and institutions with the goal of creating opportunities that will boost the entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

As Irujo pointed out, startups aim to scale up, and large companies need to innovate quickly. The board member noted that open innovation and investment serve as bridges connecting these two needs, which today’s event sought to highlight. 

For her part, Uxue Itoiz, managing director of CEIN, emphasized that when companies, investment firms, and startups work together, the entrepreneurial ecosystem is strengthened and its capacity to create value increases. In this regard, she highlighted the importance of events such as CEIN Startup Day, which fosters collaboration among companies.

In this context, throughout the event, startups and emerging projects in the health, digital technology, agri-food, and green technology sectors presented their solutions to specialized investment funds and corporations. In addition, more than a hundred pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings took place. 

In addition, through various presentations and panel discussions, participants explored topics such as the impact and transformation that artificial intelligence will bring in the coming years, the keys to scaling a startup, and the transfer of research findings to the market. 

Open innovation also took center stage at the event, with panel discussions presenting examples and case studies of collaborations that emerged this year through CEIN’s Open Innovation program. The awards ceremony for this edition of the program—sponsored by Caja Rural de Navarra—was also held. Specifically, four awards, each worth 2,000 euros, were given to pilot projects to be developed by Abaigar and Nebesy, Azkoyen and 540, Smurfit Westrock and Tairel Data, and Hidrorubber and AI Squads. In addition, a 5,000-euro prize was awarded for the strategic SME–startup collaboration, which went to Azkoyen and Tairel Data.

Awards for Companies

As part of CEIN Startup Day, awards were also presented on Monday afternoon to companies participating in various CEIN programs. 

Thus, the five startups recognized in Navarre at the TOP101 Spain Up Nation awards as innovative, technology-based companies that stand out for their growth potential and their ability to generate economic, social, and environmental impact received their awards from Garbiñe Basterra, Director General of Energy, Business R&D, and Entrepreneurship, and Uxue Itoiz. These companies are Amets Biotechnology, MIMO Biosciences, Nanogrow Biotech, Naubat, and Opportunity Health.

As for “ Ruta 31,” the Navarre Business Idea Accelerator—funded by the Navarre Employment Service (SNE-NL)—three awards of 1,000 euros, funded by Caja Rural, were presented to three companies launched this year that have completed the entire program. The awards were presented by Esther Fernández, managing director of SNE-NL, and Víctor Iriarte, head of Caja Rural de Navarra’s “Línea Inicia” program.

The first award went to Etxekoak Atelier, an artisan workshop in Pamplona / Iruña that specializes in the design and creation of traditional clothing, combining historical accuracy, craftsmanship, and exclusive design. Irantzu Irigoyen, the workshop’s founder, accepted the award.

The company Mise en Place Gourmet was also honored. Based in Aoiz / Agoitz, it specializes in producing artisanal ready-to-cook meals using locally sourced ingredients, without preservatives or additives, based on a “clean label” philosophy. Its founders, Susana Palomeque and Fran Fernández, accepted the award. 

And finally, he received an award from First Assay. This biotechnology consulting firm specializes in connecting the research community with laboratories and companies, facilitating the development of new innovation projects in the fields of health and biotechnology. Its founder, Augusto Vargas, accepted the award.

For her part, CEIN’s managing director, Uxue Itoiz, presented the “Award for the startup based in CEIN’s Innovation Incubators in 2026 that generated the most jobs,” consisting of six months of free space in the incubators. This award went to Uraphex, a technology company specializing in the treatment and reuse of industrial water. Its director of growth, Adrián Valdeolmillos, accepted the award. 

Finally, Councilor Irujo presented Integralia Movilidad—a company based at the CEIN Innovation Incubator—with an award in recognition of its track record. The company began its journey at the Incubator in 1999, led by brothers Óscar and Alberto Lana, in a 400-square-meter facility where they modified vehicles for people with limited mobility. Today, the company has a team of 40 people and is a leader in the design and bodywork of high-end minibuses; it also actively participates in various strategic R&D projects aimed at driving innovation in the mobility sector. The award was accepted by its founder and CEO, Óscar Lana. 

First stop on “Venture on the Road”

CEIN Startup Day hosted the first stop of the “Venture on the Road” event, designed by SeedRocket, Banco Sabadell’s BStartup, Wayra, and ENISA to provide seed-stage startups with direct access to investors, mentorship, and networking opportunities.

This year, the event will tour six autonomous communities over the course of several months, and in each city, a selection of tech and innovative startups will present their projects in a pitch format to a jury composed of “business angels” and investment funds. The winner will receive services such as financial and fundraising advice, as well as priority access to accelerator programs. 

In the case of Navarre, the companies that participated were Amets Biotechnology, Human AI, Nanogrow Biotech, and Popcorn Therapeutics, and the winner was Amets Biotechnology.