UOC showcases its entrepreneurial potential with 16 projects at 2026's 4YFN

The Mobile World Congress (MWC) start-up fair, 4 Years From Now (4YFN), returns to the Fira Gran Via trade fair in Barcelona from 2 to 5 March. The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) will once again be present at the leading international event for technological entrepreneurship, with its own stand where it will be presenting 16 projects, highlighting the energy of its community for developing innovative business ideas.

In the lead-up to 4YFN, the rector of the UOC, Àngels Fitó, pointed out that entrepreneurship is "a way to create quality employment" and stressed that "a large proportion of the members of the UOC community have this entrepreneurial spirit in their DNA." Attending the MWC's fair for start-up projects is an opportunity for plans that come from the university ecosystem, said Professor Xavier Vilajosana, the Vice Rector for Research, Knowledge Transfer and Entrepreneurship: "We believe that promoting start-ups, and especially those created by the Alumni network or from members of the UOC community, is a crucial tool for reinforcing our social and business environment, transferring knowledge and having a tangible economic impact on our region."

On its stand, coordinated by the Hubbik platform, the UOC will be presenting 16 projects by start-ups and spin-offs participating in its entrepreneurship programmes SpinUOC, Edutech Emprèn and Santander X.

Aimentia – AI for diagnosis, intervention and prevention in mental health

Aimentia seeks to innovate based on digital mental health solutions that use artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the work done by professionals and patient care. Created as a technology platform, it is today a solutions and services ecosystem that combines individual care with large-scale screenings. Its technology provides support for prevention, diagnosis and intervention in various contexts, and it works with healthcare professionals, organizations, education centres, government bodies and the research world, based on a strong social commitment. The project is led by Edgar Jorba, CEO of Aimentia and the holder of an online MBA from the UOC.

 

AlfaSAAC – an inclusive platform for children with speech disabilities

The AlfaSAAC project, led by Ruth Candela, a psychiatrist and course instructor in the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences at the UOC, provides a specialized platform for children with disabilities without spoken language. Its technology offers training, support and advice, and undertakes research in augmentative and alternative communication and literacy for children in this situation.

 

All-Voiced – clinical voice assessment

All-Voiced is a digital platform that connects education, research, and clinical practice to transform voice assessment on a global scale. It was created by Neus Calaf, a course instructor on the Joint Bachelor's Degree in Speech and Language Therapy at the UOC and the University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia. All-Voiced has over 1,000 users in 35 countries, making it a leading digital tool which makes an active contribution to the study of vocal health.

 

Authory – edtech to verify the authenticity of academic work

Authory is an edtech platform that helps teachers verify the authenticity of students' work in the age of AI by analysing the writing process. The project, led by Nil Gàllego, a Computer Engineering graduate from the UOC, and Rosa Garcia, seeks to promote the responsible use of AI in secondary and higher education in order to ensure that education remains a key factor in social mobility.

 

Edurantia – the app where learners are kept motivated by building virtual cities

Edurantia is an educational platform that turns learning into a continuous challenge: students earn points based on curriculum-aligned activities and use them to collaboratively build and manage a virtual city. The platform, led by Óscar Herrero, provides a practical experience in which skills are applied to real-life situations.

 

Immersium Studio – immersive learning with virtual, augmented and mixed reality

The UOC spin-off Immersium Studio created by Luis Villarejo, specializes in interactive 360-degree immersive learning experiences with virtual, augmented and mixed reality. It is also an expert in using virtual reality for training in soft skills, such as communication, teamwork and conflict resolution. Areas including training, culture, health and tourism benefit from solutions that offer experience-based training to improve competencies and skills in safe and controlled environments. Immersium Studio received the Auggie Award for the best health and wellness solution in 2021.

 

Indatika – the platform for selecting influencers for campaigns

The platform Indatika, created by Paola Chaler, holder of a Bachelor's Degree in Communication from the UOC, offers brands a tool for evaluating and selecting influencers for campaigns based on real reviews from other companies. The project aims to improve results and reduce risks in marketing campaigns involving influencers by providing data including the quality of the content created, ease of management (responsiveness, flexibility and relationships), the increase in followers after the partnership, the increase in website visits and the impact on sales.

 

Kala – an app for support during the menopause

Kala is a digital health platform focused on providing comprehensive support to women during the menopause, combining information, tools for tracking symptoms, and resources for support. The solution uses AI to analyse the progression of the menopause and support informed health decision-making. The project is led by Talia Leibovitz, a course instructor in the Faculty of Information and Communication Sciences at the UOC.

 

Levelab – the platform for a more accessible learning experience

Levelab is a platform that lets users add practical sessions to educational content, making learning more interactive. It helps educational institutions and teaching staff to improve students' retention of knowledge, and enhances their motivation with gamified activities. Levelab, created by Àlex Rius, works with universities, online schools, and educational platforms to overcome access barriers and provide scalable learning solutions.

 

Melvin – a digital assistant for a more accessible digital world

Creating a digital world without cognitive, communicative, and sensory barriers is the aim of Accessibles, the company that has created Melvin, a digital assistant that provides easy to understand and autonomous access to information, helping to reduce inequalities. Melvin adapts content using easy-to-read text, pictograms, and descriptions with a universal design for educational and corporate environments, and for everyday and administrative uses. The project is led by Laura Martín, the co-founder and CEO, who studied Technopedagogical Design of Programs, Environments and Resources at the UOC and holds a postgraduate programme in Education and ICT (E-learning).

 

Panssari – dual AI for security in defence and critical environments

Panssari aims to detect, analyse and respond to unauthorized access to infrastructure such as ports, power plants, borders and conflict zones. This AI platform, developed by Helena Calva, holder of a Bachelor's Degree in Digital Design and Creation from the UOC, has created a patented system that detects movements even through barriers, adapting to complex environments and reducing false alarms, making it a strategic technology.

 

PlanetAI Space – technology for the planet

PlanetAI Space is a start-up which specializes in the development of AI algorithms to quantify natural capital. Its mission is to provide scientific evidence to support strategic decision-making related to sustainability and protecting the health of the planet. PlanetAI Space is led by María Fernanda González, Santiago Vargas and Ivan Vilar, a member of the Faculty of Economics and Business at the UOC. It detects and quantifies methane emissions all over the world using more than 600 Earth observation satellites, making complex information accessible, highlighting the impact of pollution for informed decision-making, and reducing the planet's environmental risks.

 

SeniorDomo – technology for older people's well-being and safety at home

SeniorDomo is a start-up that has developed a technology to enable older people to live and grow old in their own home. The initiative guarantees a 24-hour service using a smartwatch connected to emergency services that monitors the person's movements, vital signs and location, and is able to detect falls, pulse issues and other possible dangers both inside and outside their home. They currently work with more than 12,000 families in Spain, Italy and France. The CEO of SeniorDomo is Ángel Puertas, who holds an online MBA in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the UOC.

 

SmartSim – an employment platform that supports modernization at universities

SmartSim is a project by the UOC and CompanyGame which focuses on employability and modernization at universities created by Enric Serradell, a member of the Faculty of Economics and Business and a researcher in the Management and eLearning research group (MeL) at the UOC-DIGIT centre. It uses business simulation, AI and personalized learning to create highly applied microcredentials. The project places simulators at the centre of learning, providing decision-making experiences in real-world contexts, and adapts learning pathways using advanced analytics and intelligent recommendations based on individual progress.

 

Twintual – the virtual twin making managing online personal communication easy

The engineer Cristina Grau Vílchez, a student on the University Master's Degree in Data Science at the UOC, has developed Twintual, a virtual twin that replicates the user's behaviour in digital environments. The app can be downloaded to any device and, depending on the degree of autonomy given to it, will reply on the user's behalf, schedule meetings, create summaries of communications and keep the user updated on what they have missed and what Twintual has handled for them while they were unavailable.

 

Xperiences – an idea for the team building of the future

Xperiences is a company that offers team sprints for businesses in immersive mixed reality experiences. It aims to develop management teams in an enjoyable way, to foster learning and provide the company with objective data on each participant's skills. The project is led by David Hernández, and seeks to become a benchmark for the team building of the future.

 

Presence at the UOC stand

Visitors to 4YFN will be able to meet the people behind these projects and learn more about entrepreneurship at the UOC by visiting stand 8.1C24.

The companies present on the stand on 2 and 3 March will be Accessibles, Aimentia, All-Voiced, Authory, Immersium Studio, Kala, Panssari and PlanetAI Space. They will be followed on 4 and 5 March by AlfaSAAC, Edurantia, Indatika, Levelab, SeniorDomo, SmartSim, Twintual and Xperiences. 

 

Entrepreneurship at the UOC is aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being), Goal 4 (Quality Education), Goal 5 (Gender Equality), Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).

Transformative, impactful research

At the UOC, we see research as a strategic tool to advance towards a future society that is more critical, responsible and nonconformist. With this vision, we conduct applied research that's interdisciplinary and linked to the most important social, technological and educational challenges.

The UOC’s over 500 researchers and more than 50 research groups are working in five research units focusing on five missions: lifelong learning; ethical and human-centred technology; digital transition and sustainability; culture for a critical society, and digital health and planetary well-being.

The university's Hubbik platform fosters knowledge transfer and entrepreneurship in the UOC community.

More information: www.uoc.edu/en/research