Of the 188 teams participating in the program, 15 have been selected as finalists and have presented their initiatives after months of work as part of a process that fosters young entrepreneurial talent
Madrid, April 14, 2026.— More than 700 students from schools across Spain participated in the first edition of the CICAE Entrepreneurship Club, an educational program that promotes the development of innovative projects through the use of artificial intelligence and culminates in the presentation by 15 finalist teams selected from among the 188 participants.
Over the course of several months, students from the 3rd year of ESO through high school have worked on the design, development, and validation of their own entrepreneurial initiatives, applying technology to solve real-world problems in their communities. The program has enabled participants to develop key skills such as innovation, critical thinking, communication, and teamwork in an environment that simulates the dynamics of the professional world.
Projects with a Real Impact
The projects submitted reflect young people’s ability to identify social, environmental, and economic challenges and propose innovative solutions. Notable among them are initiatives related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the circular economy, and the reduction of food waste, as well as tools that incorporate artificial intelligence to improve the efficiency and impact of these solutions.
Winning Projects
Following the jury’s deliberations, the projects recognized in this first edition were:
Winning project: TerraLoop, from the British School of Aragón
An app that turns organic waste from schools into compost by connecting schools with the end user—the farmer.
Second-place winner: Play2Grow , from Arturo Soria School
An innovative educational solution that, through a portable table, promotes psychomotor development in children ages 2 to 7 through play-based learning. The project combines education, health, and accessibility, while also promoting a model with social impact.
Third-place winner: Fresko, from SEK Ciudalcampo School
A smart home management app that digitizes the pantry, optimizes the shopping list, and reduces food waste through the use of artificial intelligence. The app promotes more responsible and efficient consumption, with positive economic and environmental impacts.
The program has benefited from the collaboration of organizations such as Junior Achievement, McGraw Hill, and Camilo José Cela University, which have helped bridge the gap between the professional world and the educational sphere and enrich the participants’ experience.
In addition, during the event, entrepreneur Ignacio Vallejo-Nájera shared his experience with the students and offered them advice on entrepreneurship, providing a practical and inspiring perspective on the challenges and opportunities of the business world.
A learning environment connected to the real world
The finalist projects were presented to a panel of judges composed of professionals from the education and business sectors, in a format that simulates real-world entrepreneurial situations and allows students to present their ideas in a challenging and enriching context.
The jury was composed of representatives from organizations such as McGraw Hill, Junior Achievement, Mi Cole, and I.O. Investigación, along with experts from the academic community and students in the Entrepreneurship degree program.
Throughout the event, the teams demonstrated a high level of preparation, creativity, and commitment, highlighting the potential of entrepreneurship as an educational tool for connecting learning with the challenges of today’s world.
As José Antonio Rois, president of CICAE, has pointed out:
“What we are experiencing today is not the end of a process, but the beginning of a journey that has just begun.”
A pioneering initiative in the field of education
The Hackathon final brings the first edition of the CICAE Entrepreneurship Club to a close—an initiative that has involved more than 700 students and 188 teams from all over Spain, establishing itself as one of the most ambitious programs in the field of school entrepreneurship.
Beyond the competition, the project aims to foster an entrepreneurial mindset among young people and prepare them to face the challenges of an ever-changing professional environment by combining technology, creativity, and critical thinking.
The event concluded with the screening of the following video, which provides a visual summary of the project’s progress from its inception.
