Join the Ultimate Startup Challenge: Social Nest Foundation – The Gap in Between Startup Challenge 2025

Are you an impact-driven entrepreneur and in search of the probability to scale your startup’s social or environmental mission?The Social Nest Foundation’s The Gap in Between Startup Challenge 2025 is for you!

Social Nest Foundation (hereinafter, “Social Nest”) is a non-profit group that promotes social and environmental impression entrepreneurship. Through the occasion The Gap in Between, we intention to mobilize expertise, capital, and innovation to deal with the most urgent challenges of our society. As part of this initiative, we’re launching a brand new version of the Startup Challenge to establish and assist modern startups with transformative potential.

Learn more

About the Challenge

The Startup Challenge of The Gap in Between is an worldwide name designed to spice up entrepreneurship as a driver of social and environmental transformation.

We search to establish and showcase startups which might be growing modern options to at present’s most pressing challenges.

Through this problem, we not solely join impact-driven entrepreneurs with sources, capital, and strategic allies but in addition place them at the middle of a worldwide dialog about the future we intention to construct: fairer, extra inclusive, regenerative, and collaborative.

2025 Focus Areas

The 2025 version focuses on three key innovation verticals:

1. Cities of Tomorrow

• Smart cities
• Urban planning
• Climate-resilient structure
• Emergency-ready cities
• Bioconstruction
• Energy justice
• Energy transition
• Mobility and transport
• Digital infrastructure for sustainable cities
• Urban governance and citizenship
• Sustainable city life
• Future housing

2. From Extraction to Regeneration

• Regenerative agriculture
• Composting
• Sustainable protein options
• Rural empowerment
• Supply chains
• Reforestation
• Agroforestry
• AgTech
• Biodiversity
• Regenerative supplies

3. Socio-Economic Resilience

• Ethical AI
• Impact investing
• Green funds
• Rural digitalization
• Digital literacy
• Inclusive design
• Mental wellbeing
• Community and neighborhood cohesion
• Art for social change
• Youth-led change
• Crisis-resilient infrastructures
• Social safety
• Cultural and non secular concord

Eligibility Criteria

To apply, startups should:

• Be legally included for no less than one 12 months.
• Have a validated MVP and a sustainable enterprise mannequin.
• Fit inside one among the Challenge’s thematic verticals.
• Generate optimistic social or environmental impression.

Categories

The Startup Challenge is open to startups at two totally different maturity ranges to make sure honest and tailor-made analysis:

• Early Stage: Startups with a launched MVP, early validation metrics, and a enterprise mannequin in consolidation part.

• Growth Stage: Startups with market traction, lively prospects, and a enterprise mannequin in growth.

How To Apply

1. Early Stage

• Application: Startups should full a web-based kind offering key details about their answer, enterprise mannequin, staff, and imaginative and prescient.
• Evaluation and Initial Selection: A panel of specialists from Social Nest and ecosystem companions will assess the purposes. Up to twenty Early Stage semifinalists might be chosen. All may have a bodily sales space at The Gap in Between occasion.
• Acceleration Program: These 20 semifinalists will take part in an intensive three-week on-line acceleration program (September 10–26, 2025), together with coaching periods, tailor-made mentoring, and pitch growth.
• Mid-Stage Evaluation: At the finish of the program, deliverables and progress might be assessed. 10 finalists might be chosen to pitch at The Gap in Between Startup Challenge and compete for the class prize.
• Pitch Competition: The 10 finalists will current their pitch to an skilled jury throughout the occasion on October 21, 2025. One winner might be chosen and awarded a €5,000 prize.

2. Growth Stage

• Application: Startups should full the identical on-line kind, detailing their proposal, traction metrics, enterprise mannequin, impression, and staff.
• Direct Selection: The analysis committee will choose 10 finalists immediately based mostly on their stage of growth and alignment with the Challenge standards.
• Pitch Competition: The 10 finalists will pitch their initiatives on October 21, 2025, competing for the €10,000 prize for Best Growth Stage Startup.

Prizes and Benefits

For the 20 Early Stage semifinalists and 10 Growth Stage finalists:

• Personalized bodily cubicles at the occasion
• Early Stage Winner: €5,000
• Growth Stage Winner: €10,000
• Access to a community of traders, mentors, and top-tier occasions (4YFN, South Summit, and many others.)
• Matchmaking with key ecosystem gamers

Timeline

Participation Cost

Participation is freed from cost.

Selected startups should cowl their very own journey, lodging, meals, and private bills.
Social Nest is actively working to safe sponsorships to supply monetary assist.

Evaluation Criteria

Early and Growth Stage startups might be assessed individually utilizing the following weights:

• Social and Environmental Impact (30%)
• Innovation and Differentiation (25%)
• Business Model Viability (20%)
• Traction (15%)
• Team (30%)

Awards Delivery and Publicity

• Early Stage Winner: €5,000
• Growth Stage Winner: €10,000

Awards are paid towards invoices, indivisible, and non-substitutable. Symbolic cheques might be given on October 21.

*** Participation complies with Spanish Law 13/2011 of May 27.
Winners could also be featured in media. By making use of, contributors authorize Social Nest to make use of their picture for such functions.

Application Deadline

How To Apply

 

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