INCUBAZUL CÁDIZ

What INCUBAZUL CÁDIZ does

IncubAzul is a publicly-funded high-tech incubator (HTI) operated by the Cádiz Free Trade Zone Consortium (Consorcio de la Zona Franca de Cádiz, CIF Q-1176004-H), a Spanish state-owned public body, that serves early-stage and growth-stage startups and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Blue Economy sector across Andalusia and the wider EU. The incubator delivers a three-phase programme — Incubation (4 months), Acceleration (4 months) and Consolidation (up to 5 years) — combining physical co-working offices, meeting rooms and training facilities located in the Free Trade Zone of Cádiz with a comprehensive acceleration curriculum operated under the Telefónica-led Open Future platform. Its service stack comprises incubation spaces, training and mentoring (via Telefonica's tutor, mentor and advisor network), networking programmes, identification of financing channels, access to research infrastructure and day-to-day operational services.

The product surface addresses twelve Blue Economy subsectors including marine bioresources, aquaculture, fisheries, marine mineral resources, shipping, coastal tourism, recreational ports, offshore wind energy, blue biotechnology, desalination, coastal protection and monitoring/surveillance. Admitted startups must be natural or legal persons established in the EU with a full-time team member and a technologically innovative project; applications are managed through the Open Future platform under a permanent open call since July 2023 and a two-stage evaluation (8-criteria scoring followed by selection-committee pitch). The portfolio includes named startups such as Tudestino Sostenible (sustainable tourism), TIZA (ecological sunscreen), Droptech Solutions (hotel water management), Come Jugando (AgX 2024 semifinalist), Marisma Biomed (PROA 2025 New Company award winner), Ctaqua (aquaculture R&D) and Renace.

The business model is publicly funded rather than commercial: the incubator is 80% co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under Spain's Multiregional Operational Programme 2014-2020, channelled via the INCYDE Foundation, with the initial €2.5M grant received in March 2020. Services are free for startups during the Incubation and Acceleration phases; a fee covering general and operational costs is applied only during the Consolidation phase (years 2-5). No standalone revenue figure for IncubAzul has been disclosed. Programme delivery relies on a Telefónica partnership (tender EXP CA-0259-2023-00-A), financial intermediation through Caja Rural del Sur, ecosystem alliances with IberoBio and CEEI Bahía de Cádiz, and the Blue Zone Forum international event as the primary marketing and community surface.

Name

INCUBAZUL CÁDIZ

Legal name

Consorcio de la Zona Franca de Cádiz

Website

https://incubazul.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IncubAzul is a publicly-funded high-tech incubator in Cádiz, Spain, operated by the Cádiz Free Trade Zone Consortium, that delivers workspace and a Telefónica-led acceleration programme to Blue Economy startups and SMEs across Andalusia and the EU, funded primarily by ERDF grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Incubator Services

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

Keywords

• Blue economy incubator
• Startup acceleration
• Business incubation
• Innovation hub
• Blue technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Cádiz

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Funding / ERDF Grants: IncubAzul is 80% co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the Multiregional Operational Program of Spain 2014-2020. The incubator is free for startups during the incubation and acceleration phases. During the consolidation phase (years 2-5), a fee for general and operational costs may be charged.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

IncubAzul Cádiz is a high-tech business incubator and acceleration programme for startups and SMEs in the Blue Economy sector. It provides physical and virtual workspaces, a Telefónica-led acceleration programme, mentoring and training, networking events, access to financing channels, and research infrastructure. The service follows a three-phase structure (Incubation: 4 months, Acceleration: 4 months, Consolidation: up to 5 years) and is free during the initial phases, funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Product overview

IncubAzul is a single unified high-tech incubator offering for the Blue Economy sector, comprising the IncubAzul High-Tech Incubator (HTI) as the core brand, the Open Future Programme (operated in collaboration with Telefónica) as the primary acceleration offering, and eight supporting services: Incubation Spaces, Training and Mentoring, Networking Programmes, Access to Finance, Research Access, and Business Support Services. The program follows a three-phase structure: Incubation (4 months), Acceleration (4 months), and Consolidation (up to 5 years).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IncubAzul High-Tech Incubator (HTI) A high-tech incubator specializing in the Blue Economy sector that provides physical and virtual workspaces, acceleration programs, and support services to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in Andalusia.
• IncubAzul Open Future Programme A comprehensive business acceleration program delivered in collaboration with Telefónica, offering tutoring, mentoring, training, networking, support for international expansion, and access to financing. Runs in 4-month batches (BATCH 1 through BATCH 4+), with each batch lasting 4 months renewable for another 4 months up to 8 months total.
• Incubation Spaces Physical or remote accommodation in individual or shared offices (coworking), meeting rooms (Blue room and open room), and training facilities for startups. Includes the ~130m2 Agora auditorium and coworking workspace in the Europa Building.
• Training and Mentoring Services Complete acceleration program by Telefónica through tutoring, training, and support for internationalization, with a network of mentors specialized in business model, legal, fiscal, marketing, and blue economy sectors.
• Networking Programmes
• Access to Finance Identification of financing channels to help transform start-ups into viable companies, including support for R&D&I aid and project funding. Partnership with Caja Rural del Sur provides financial products to incubator projects in preferred conditions.
• Research Access Access to own or third-party research spaces and infrastructure for incubated projects, including R&D partnerships with research centres such as Ctaqua (aquaculture research).
• Business Support Services Day-to-day operational services including reprographics, reception, collection and delivery of mail, and administrative support during the acceleration process.
• AI-based 24/7 Office for Blue Core-Incubazul A generative AI-powered virtual assistant that enables text-based communication with startups, providing personalized support and detailed information about the Blue Core and Incubazul ecosystem on a 24/7 basis.

Quantifiable outcome

• Incubation period of 4+4 months extendable to consolidation phase of up to 5 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• TelefónicacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2023Telefónica leads, develops and drives the Open Future acceleration programme for projects selected to participate in IncubAzul. They manage the global Open Future platform, conduct selection processes, and deliver the acceleration programme including tutoring, mentoring, training, networking, and internationalization support. Telefónica Soluciones de Informática y Comunicaciones de España S.A.U. was the winner of the specialized incubation and business acceleration consultancy tender EXP CA-0259-2023-00-A.
• IberoBio (Iberian Cross-border Biotechnology Pole)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIncubAzul participates in the POCTEP IberoBio European project as a partner of the Cádiz Consortium. The coordinator of IncubAzul (Jose Manuel Fedriani) participates in Iberian biotechnology events. IberoBio focuses on accelerating financing and internationalization of biotech startups.
• CEEI Bahía de CádizmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEEI Bahía de Cádiz co-organizes the Ocean Hackathon with Zona Franca. CEEI (European Business and Innovation Centre) provides support for entrepreneurship and business innovation in the Bay of Cádiz region.
• Free Trade Zone of Cádiz Consortium (Consorcio de la Zona Franca de Cádiz)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization of IncubAzul. The Consortium is a public body that works for the socio-economic development of the province of Cádiz. It owns and operates the IncubAzul High-Tech Incubator project, providing facilities, infrastructure, and institutional support. CIF: Q-1176004-H.
• Campus Mondial de la MerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner that promotes the Ocean Hackathon, an annual competition that IncubAzul hosts. The partnership brings global innovation challenges related to ocean and seas to the Cádiz ecosystem.
• Blue Zone ForummajorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational event organized by the Free Zone of Cádiz that consolidates Cádiz and the Free Zone as a hub of the Blue Economy. Features speakers on entrepreneurship, emotional intelligence, and blue economy topics. Held at Palacio de Congresos de Cádiz with Navalia Meeting 2025.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Sea Ahead (Blue Economy Incubator): Specialist blue economy accelerator supporting ocean-focused startups globally. Comparable because it targets the same Blue Economy founder segment, including marine biotech, ocean tech and sustainable seafood, competing for international deal flow.
• EIT Climate-KIC: European knowledge and innovation community focused on climate, including blue economy and ocean themes. Comparable because it runs accelerator programs targeting climate/blue startups with EU backing, competing for the same founder pool in marine sustainability verticals.
• CEEI Bahía de Cádiz: European Business and Innovation Centre serving the Bay of Cádiz region. Comparable because it co-organizes the Ocean Hackathon with IncubAzul and supports local entrepreneurship, though with a broader non-blue-economy focus.

Direct peers

• Barcelona Activa: Barcelona's municipal economic development agency operating startup support programs. Comparable because it is a public-sector-backed incubator providing workspace, training and acceleration to local entrepreneurs with similar institutional structure.
• Wayra (Telefónica): Telefónica's global corporate accelerator network. Direct peer because IncubAzul's acceleration program is delivered through the same Open Future platform that powers Wayra, sharing selection processes, mentor networks and Telefónica infrastructure.
• Impact Hub Madrid: Madrid-based incubator and coworking network supporting impact-oriented startups. Comparable because it provides workspace, acceleration programming and community for early-stage ventures, particularly those addressing sustainability challenges.
• Lanzadera (Juan Roig): Leading Spanish startup accelerator based in Valencia supporting entrepreneurs across multiple sectors. Comparable because it offers similar incubation/acceleration services to Spanish founders with multi-stage programs and mentorship.
• Ship2B: Spanish impact-driven accelerator supporting startups with social and environmental missions. Comparable because it targets mission-driven founders with acceleration programs, mentoring and access to impact investors, overlapping with IncubAzul's blue/sustainability verticals.
• Mass Challenge: Global non-profit accelerator network with programs in multiple countries. Comparable because it provides equity-free acceleration, mentorship and corporate connections to early-stage startups, operating a similar multi-stage program model.

Others

• Fundación INCYDE: Spanish Chambers of Commerce foundation that operates a national network of business incubators and provides ERDF co-financing. Comparable because it is the institutional parent network through which IncubAzul receives its EU funding and operates as part of a broader incubator ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzqK3nVzXuQp9cHv5T0h1wA
• Facebookfacebook.com/Incubazul
• Instagraminstagram.com/incubazul
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/incubazulcadiz

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about INCUBAZUL CÁDIZ