BSC AI Factory’s Demo Day: the pilot initiative’s big moment

Date: July 23, 2026

The pilot initiative of the BSC AI Factory Acceleration Programme has now come to a close with the celebration of its Demo Day. This pilot edition received 87 applications, from which 15 start-ups were initially selected to join back in May. Of these, ten reached the Demo Day, held on 23 July, to share, through a pitch in front of a 30-member jury, the results and impact the initiative has had on their projects. At the end of the day, AVATIA (3r place), ONECAREAI (2nd place) and QATIUM (1st place) were named the three winners of this pilot initiative.

The programme ran from 22 May to 23 July across 12 structured sessions divided into three phases: Inspire, Hands-on and Scale, gathering more than 310 attendees throughout its different sessions. Along the way, participants gained access to technical training on agentic AI and scalable AI foundations, hands-on support to refine their value proposition and technical roadmap, guidance on legal basics for startups, and dedicated sessions on fundraising and pitching AI ventures.

"The BSC AI Factory Pilot Acceleration Programme has been a very good opportunity to accelerate 15 startups, early stage, who had access to different services, tools, AI resources, expert advice, collaboration and mentorship, and also access to HPC resources."

Mariona Sanz Ausàs

Head of Innovation and Business Development and lead of the BSC AI Factory, Barcelona Supercomputing Center

Demo Day: A moment to showcase the knowledge gained

On 23 July 2026, the pilot initiative reached its final milestone with the organization of the Demo Day. Throughout the event, members of the ten selected start-ups had the chance to share, through a pitch, the results and impact the experience has had on their projects.

The day opened with a welcome from Sergi Besonias, BSC Spinoff Manager, followed by Arnau Cuatrecasas, BSC AI Factory Space Manager, who gave an overview of the pilot initiative and its outcomes.

The spotlight then turned to the start-ups themselves. Representatives from the ten projects (Agrikola AI, Avatia, Elna Health, Lokutor, Montevive AI, OneCareAI, Oppy, Pack2Earth, Qatium and UP2SMART) took the stage, offering a clear picture of the growth these companies have experienced since the programme's kick-off on 22 May.

Following the pitches, the jury convened to deliberate and select the three winners. AVATIA (3r place), ONECAREAI (2nd place) and QATIUM (1st place) were named the three standout projects of the Acceleration Programme's pilot initiative.

To close the day, all attendees wrapped up the day at Pier01, where the Tech Barcelona Summer Party took place. A relaxed setting to network, exchange ideas, and build connections among the different participants.

Acceleration Programme: More to come

The conclusion of this first pilot edition has also been a valuable milestone for the BSC AI Factory team, offering key lessons to help refine things going forward. The Acceleration Programme is designed to help early-stage AI companies with strong scalability potential connect with investors, corporate partners, researchers, and industry experts across the European AI ecosystem. For the participating start-ups, this programme marks the beginning of their relationship with the BSC AI Factory, as they will continue to have access to other BSC AI Factory services going forward.

During Autumn 2026, the following edition will open the call to start the new edition. Stay tuned through the BSC AI Factory channels or subscribe to our newsletter!