Launch of Next Frontier Founders, the programme that connects technological vision with funding

From 2 June to 15 July, registration is open for Next Frontier Founders, a programme driven by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC), with the support of Fractus and the Fractus-UPC Deep Tech Hub. The programme helps accelerate the development of tech-based companies emerging from the UPC and opens the door to investment.

Taking part in Next Frontier Founders is therefore an opportunity for founders to improve how they communicate their business idea, refine their model and seek the funding that will allow them to scale and implement their business project.

Who is it for?

Undergraduate, master’s or doctoral students, recent graduates and academic and research staff at the UPC who have founded—or are in the process of founding—a tech-based start-up or spin-off.

What does the programme offer?

• Personalised mentoring from experts in funding, business strategy, intellectual property and communication.
• Practical training to prepare pitches, develop a solid financial plan, understand legal regulations and gain insight into the deep-tech market.
• Networking with the innovation ecosystem to connect with other founders, investors and key industry stakeholders.
• Visibility opportunities: selected projects may pitch at the UPC Pitching Session at 4YFN 2026 or have a presence at the UPC joint stand at the fair, a major international meeting point for entrepreneurship and investment held alongside MWC Barcelona.

Success in previous editions

The success of the two previous editions demonstrates the programme’s effectiveness: of the 28 UPC start-ups and spin-offs that took part, 14 secured funding and 12 pitched at the first-ever UPC Pitching Session—the only one organised by a university at 4YFN 2025. All of them received direct feedback from investors and mentors who have already helped fund leading tech companies.