INDESUP! is a support program for the creation and consolidation of new companies in the sports industry in Catalonia. It has a cross-cutting vocation and it is addressed to all those startups operating in any field related to sport. It also responds to all the needs that you can find as an entrepreneur, from the development of a business plan to the research of funding. The program is organized by INDESCAT jointly with ICEB, with the support of the Generalitat of Catalonia, through ACCIÓ.
Video of the program
1. Servicing (Attention). Address and respond those entrepreneurs who want to present their project.
2. Networking (connections). Connect entrepreneurs with the partners they need to meet the challenges they face.
3. Training (Training). Train entrepreneurs with knowledge (sports industry, customer knowledge, technology, etc.) and skills, needed to succeed in the entrepreneurial process.
4. Funding (Financing). Facilitate access of entrepreneurs to different financing options to carry out their projects.
5. Mentoring (accompaniment). Select entrepreneurial projects to be tutorized by managers / entrepreneurs in the sports industry.
6. Rewarding (Acknowledgment). Organize the Day of the Entrepreneur and create the Entrepreneurship category at the annual event of the Business and Sport Awards, organized by INDESCAT.
1. Presentation INDESUP! March 18th
2. Mentoring: May-December
3. INDESUP! Tech: June-December
4. Sportspitch: June 26
5. Sports Innovation Day: November 12
6. Mentoring Day: December 12
7. VII Business and Sport Awards: March 5 (2020)
1. Presentation INDESUP! March 18th
Presentation of the program and all the activities that will be carried out during the year.
2. Mentoring: May-December
6 start-ups / 16 mentors. A team of mentors, composed of experts in entrepreneurship and professionals with experience in companies in the sports field, advises and accompanies a small group of start-ups to optimize their possibilities.
3. INDESUP! Tech: June-December
Training for new entrepreneurs, aimed at students and graduates in CAFE and MGE, interested in launching technology-based entrepreneurial projects and driven with the collaboration of EURECAT and the UB.
4. Sportspitch: June 26
Competition between the TFMs (Master Final Projects) of the different Catalan training centers that offer Masters in Sports Management: Blanquerna, UPF Barcelona School of Management, Cruyff Institute and UB. The objective was to create synergies between the university and the sports industry and that students come into contact with the entrepreneurship sector.
5. Sports Innovation Day: November 12
INDESCAT, the Catalan cluster of the sports industry, with the support of ACCIÓ and the General Secretariat of Sports and Physical Activity, celebrates Sports Innovation Day (third edition of the Entrepreneur Day in Sports of INDESUP!), In the Auditorium of the Barcelona School of Management of the Pompeu Fabra University (Barcelona). Conferences, round tables, the Sports Investment Forum, a matchmaking to contact entrepreneurs and established companies and a start-up fair.
6. Mentoring Day: December 12
Day that serves to know where are the six selected start-ups that provide new solutions in the world of sports. In recent months, some have had significant growth, expanded work teams and closed important rounds of financing.
7. VII Business and Sport Awards: March 5, 2020
Recognition to the most relevant start-ups in Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Internationalization and Partnership.
1. ExpoSports Fair. 9 and 10 March
2. Projects mentoring
2.1. Requirements to participate in the mentoring process
2.2. Mentorized Start-ups
2.3. Mentoring Team
3. Biz Barcelona Fair. 30 and 31 May
4. SportsPitch. 26 June
5. SportMatchmaking. 18 October
6. Day of the Entrepreneur. 13 November
7. Business and Sports Awards. 27 November
1. ExpoSports Fair
INDESUP! was present with its own stand at Expo Sports, the biggest outdoor sports fair in Spain, on 9 and 10 March. Four start-ups exhibited their projects to the fair visitors.
2. Projects mentoring
A mentoring team, composed of experts in entrepreneurship and business professionals with experience in companies related to sport, advises and supports a reduced number of startups to maximise their chances. Through various mentoring sessions, entrepreneurs learn to identify their strengths and weaknesses and are helped to design a viable and realistic plan business. They are also advice on how to prepare a pitch, which is essential fo find financing methods.
2.1 Requirements for participation in the mentoring process
2.2 Mentorized start-ups
2.3. Mentoring team
3. Biz Barcelona Fair
INDESUP! was present at BIZ Barcelona (30-31 May), one of the most important fairs for entrepreneurs and SMEs in Europe. Within the framework of this tradeshow, the 2nd edition of the INDESUP! programme was presented and a round table had the participation of sports entrepreneurs.
More info.
4.SportsPitch
In 2018 INDESUP! organized on the 26th June the first edition of SportsPitch, an open competition between the final projects of the different Catalan knowledge centers with Masters in Sports Management: Blanquerna, UPF Barcelona School of Management, Cruyff Institute i UB. The objective was to create synergies between the field of the university and the sports industry and that students come into contact with entrepreneurship.
Mes info
5. SportMatchmaking
INDESUP! promoted corporate entrepreneurship in a meeting celebrated las 18th October at La Seu de la FNOB between around 40 entrepreneurs and already consolidated companies that share a common sport discipline.
More info and video of the event here
6. Entrepreneur's Day
Sports Entrepreneur's Day, which in 2018 celebrated its second edition, is the reference event for all those involved in sports entrepreneurship: startups, companies in the sector, incubators, accelerators, investors, business angels, institutions, etc. The event, which was held on the 13rd November at Barcelona Activa, included speeches on sports industry, technology and innovation, round tables and an investment forum in which 6 start-ups from the sports field participated: Aureel, GA Esports, IAltitude, Sharriup, Sppintech and Valora Futbol
More info
7. Business and Sport Awards
Within the Business and Sports Awards organized by INDESCAT each year during the month of November, a specific Entrepreneurship Award is presented for the second consecutive year. The company that was awarded this year was Suiff.
More info
Summary of activities in 2017 under the program INDESUP!:
1. Entrepreneurs meeting
2. Mentoring process
2.1 Mentorized startups
2.2 Mentoring team
3. Sports entrepreneur's Day
3.1 Presentations
3.2 Workshops
3.3 Investment Forum
3.4. Last networking session
4. Business and Sports Awards
5. Startups INDESUP!
1. Entrepreneurs meeting
Held at ACCIÓ's headquarters on June 28, 2017, 40 startups and 14 companies from the sector participated in a meeting that included four round tables on running, team sports and indoor activities.
2. Mentoring Process
Six startups selected from among 30 candidates were mentorized along four working and support sessions. Finally, a final day was organized in which the entrepreneurs presented their projects to the mentors and leading companies in the sports sector.
2.1 Mentorized Startups
Empresa Activa-T provides services and consulting to companies to promote healthy habits in the workplace and to be more active, competitive and effective at work.
Anomy Sup is committed to manufacturing and marketing of inflatable paddle surf boards with unique designs and limited editions. The table measures three meters long, ideal for practice at sea, but can be transported within a comfortable bag.
Beach Box Gym is the first beach gym chain in the world. It is a removable and transportable space of 240 m² where you can train close to the water and with the best performance.
Nutritape is a transdermal patch incorporating branched amino acids to prevent gastrointestinal distress to endurance athletes, remove the ramps and facilitate muscle recovery after exercise.
Black track develops a ski boot with a disruptive technology that provides greater comfort in ski mode without losing the necessary rigidity to transmit orders to skis, and in run mode allows the same mobility as a street trainer or shoes .
Runopinion is a popular website where runners can exchange experiences related to running: comments on race, recommendations, services of sports health professionals.
2.2 Mentoring Team
Cristina Fisas. Entrepreneur with over 10 years experience, has led international projects and has specialized in the professional management of the enterprise.
Yolanda Tarango. Counselor adviser and investment in a platform of services related to skiing. She teaches the Master of Sports Management Institute and Johan Cruyff specialist leadership training and equipment.
Jordi Viñas. Managing partner and founder of Itik Esport i Lleure Consultoria SL. With over 20 years experience in the field of sport, he is a sports management professor at various universities and author of several studies on elements of the sport system.
Jaume Massons. Sports marketing expert, he has been an international consultant in the field of sport in countries like Panama, Timor and Saudi Arabia. Currently he is director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programs of ICEB.
Josep Maria Valero. Telecommunications engineer and advisor to startups, you have developed much of your career in large corporations and is an expert in investment and project implementation strategies.
3. Entrepreneur's Sports Day
Event held at Cibernàrium on November 8, 2017. 72 entrepreneurs, 38 students, 23 companies and more than 20 representatives of sports clubs and government agencies participated in the first edition of Entrepreneur's Sports Day.
3.1 Presentations
International experts on entrepreneurship and innovation took part as:
3.2 Workshops
Workshops on financing for entrepreneurs and round tables were held.
3.3 Investment Forum
Held with the participation of 18 investors and five startups:
3.4. Last networking session
With the presence of startups, investors and businesses.
4. Business and Sports Awards
Delivered at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra on November 30, 2017. For the first time, INDESCAT included a category of Entrepreneurship in the Business and Sports Awards that are organized every year. The winner was the startup Runopinion. The event was attended by 130 people.
5. Startups INDESUP!
The Grass-Twin project offers an innovative solution based on functional printing and smart monitoring for the maintenance of sports surfaces.
Grass-Twin is an industrial research project launched with the aim of addressing a common challenge in the management of sports surfaces—whether natural, hybrid, or artificial turf: the lack of advanced technological solutions for efficient and tailored maintenance.
This Wednesday, July 9, INDESCAT and the AMBIT cluster held a key session at the Eurofitness Perill sports center, where we presented the first results of the project “LIVINGLAB-FIT: Reinventing fitness spaces.” This is an initiative driven and led by both clusters with the support of ACCIÓ, as part of the competitiveness support program. The project, a pioneer in its field, aims to respond to the need of companies in the sector to redesign sports spaces to make them more attractive, inclusive, and efficient, taking into account the diverse profiles of the centers' users.
30 June 2025
Thanks to the European I3-INSHAPE initiative, INDESCAT, the sports industry cluster, has secured direct grants for Catalan companies amounting to more than €570,000. In the first phase, €329,240 was awarded to Onalabs, Eurofitness, Sevenmila, Berrly, and Tot per l’Esport — all members of INDESCAT. In a second phase, nine interregional collaborative projects involving innovative SMEs from various EU regions — including Catalonia — received a total of €244,000 in direct funding for eight Catalan companies: Barcelona Zero Limits, Factual Consulting, Improfit, MyPlay, Neorg, North 3, Placenet, and Rockfit, four of which are cluster members. All of these projects focus on innovative solutions in the fields of sport, technology, and healthy lifestyles.
30 June 2025
In a context shaped by digital transformation, demographic shifts, and a constantly evolving sports industry, the training of future professionals requires educational models adapted to today’s realities. Escola Vitae emerges as an innovative proposal within the educational sector, offering programs focused on a direct connection with the job market and the challenges of the future.
We speak with Roger Saladich, Co-CEO of Vitae, a school specialized in the fields of sports and health, which has been offering official and in-house qualifications for over fifteen years through an immersive pedagogical approach. We explore the origins of the initiative, how they integrate technology and personal competencies into their programs, and the steps they are taking to establish themselves as a leading institution in shaping the next generation of professionals in the sector.
The opening event of INDESCAT’s 15th anniversary celebration, the sports industry cluster in Catalonia, brought together members, former and current board representatives, institutional figures, and other key players from the Catalan sports sector on June 19 at the Joan Miró Foundation.
The event featured a review of the cluster’s history, the unveiling of a commemorative illustration, the presentation of special recognitions, and an interactive session led by Emogg. The celebration concluded with a cocktail reception, offering industry professionals the chance to network and foster synergies.
Prior to the celebration, INDESCAT held its Annual General Assembly, during which members reviewed the activities and budget from the past period, and future plans and forecasts for the cluster were presented.
6 June 2025
The Best Practices in Healthy Companies Conference was successfully held this Friday, June 6th, at the Tabaris Building in Coma-ruga (El Vendrell). The event was organized by the Associació Corporativa Empresa Saludable (ACES) with the collaboration of various key local stakeholders, including the Ajuntament del Vendrell, Ranking Games, Umivale Activa, FCC Medi Ambient, and the INDESCAT cluster itself.
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