At the grand final of the ONCE Innova Emprendedores Challenge 2026, the startups Imperia SCM, Umibots, Omniloy, and Novelingo were awarded. The four will be able to develop their proposals in collaboration with the organization’s teams and will receive funding of up to 20,000 euros per project (roughly $21,000 USD at current rates).
The final, held at the Palacete de los Duques de Pastrana in Madrid, featured a broad institutional representation from the ONCE Social Group, led by ONCE’s Director General, Ángel Sánchez, and the Organization’s Secretary General, Jorge Íñiguez, alongside professionals from the entrepreneurial and tech ecosystem, partner entities, startups, and members of the ONCE Innova Community.
Prior to the jury’s decision, during Demo Day, the eight finalist companies had the opportunity to present their pilot proposals that they have been working on with ONCE teams over the past months, with the aim of adapting their solutions to the organization’s real needs and reinforcing aspects such as accessibility, feasibility, and practical application.
Four challenges, four winning solutions
In the challenge within the category of improving the optimization and traceability of the ONCE product lifecycle, the chosen proposal was Imperia SCM: a supply chain planning solution that uses artificial intelligence to forecast demand and improve decisions about distribution, inventory, and production.
The winner of the challenge to develop an autonomous and accessible navigation system capable of detecting obstacles at height was Umibots, with its assisted navigation system that combines computer vision and laser technology to detect overhead obstacles and other environmental risks.
In the category of informed and accessible navigation within ONCE centers, the jury selected Omniloy’s proposal: an AI-powered conversational assistant that provides voice guidance and facilitates users’ interaction with the services available at each center.
Finally, in the challenge focused on access to smart training solutions and tools for ONCE salespeople, the winning startup was Novelingo: an interactive training tool that uses storytelling, games, gamification, and artificial intelligence to recreate practical sales scenarios.
Each of the four selected startups can receive up to 20,000 euros in funding to develop a real pilot with ONCE professionals.
A process to learn, validate, and improve the solutions
Reaching the final of the ONCE Innova Emprendedores Challenge has not only meant passing a selection process. Since July, the eight finalist startups have participated in a support program designed to help them better understand ONCE’s needs, incorporate accessibility into their proposals, and evolve their solutions before Demo Day.
One of the main milestones of this journey was the Inclusive Innovation and Accessibility Bootcamp, where ONCE professionals specializing in accessibility, technology, personal autonomy, and rehabilitation shared knowledge and practical tools with the teams to integrate accessibility from the earliest stages of design and development.
During these sessions they addressed issues such as the regulatory framework, inclusive design, assistive technologies, web and app accessibility, user experience, and the specific needs associated with each of the four challenges. The objective was for the startups to analyze their own proposals from the perspective of the people who will potentially use the solutions and detect possible barriers before advancing to a pilot.
The process continued through September and October with working teams formed by ONCE professionals and the finalist startups, which allowed them to contrast the proposals with the Organization’s real needs and contexts, resolve questions, and receive direct feedback on functional, technical, and accessibility aspects.
In addition, mentoring and meetings with professionals from the entities that comprise the ecosystem and the jury helped the teams to further develop their value proposition, business model, and the way to present a technological solution to an organization like ONCE.
In this way, the eight companies reach the final with deeper insights into making their products and services more accessible and inclusive, but also with practical experience collaborating with a potential client, regardless of which four proposals are ultimately selected to develop the pilots.
