“The sap that feeds innovation in every corner” is a tour of the main accelerators and incubators in Spain by the newspaper ABC, based on the FUNCAS ranking. Among the initiatives highlighted, it focuses on the Business Factory Aero (BFAero), recognized for the second consecutive year as the best accelerator in the country.

Since the first edition, in 2019, through BFAero, 39 technological solutions have been developed, five companies have been set up, another eleven have been attracted to Galicia, 220 high-quality jobs have been generated and in editions 4 and 5, sales of 1.9 million euros were achieved. “The Xunta is the driving force but the management of the accelerator is in private hands. The different editions are carried out through collaboration agreements between the two. We have an incubation, acceleration and consolidation phase; depending on the project and its maturity, it enters one or another phase,” explains Isaac Rosón, director of innovation at IGAPE.

Fifty percent of the projects presented come from abroad. All have tutoring, mentoring, specialized training (both for business management and for the technical solution they propose), networking and “connection with potential clients and investors specialized in the sector,” adds Rosón. “The Xunta also provides a direct grant to develop ideas. In the incubation phase they support three projects with 40,000 euros each to develop small prototypes and validate them. In acceleration, it helps 5 projects with 60,000 euros each and in consolidation 3 projects with 30,000 euros,” stresses the IGAPE innovation director.

Currently, the BFAero promotes projects as diverse as high-precision super-light mirrors for space telescopes, biomimetic drones for bird control in airports, electric propulsion drones with hydrogen fuel cells or marine drones for water rescue operations. This Galician aeronautical ecosystem has more than 55 entities that cooperate with the aim of responding to the needs of entrepreneurs in the aerospace, aeronautics and unmanned vehicles industry.

The BFAero participated together with the startups of the accelerator Vig-Sec Drone, AGUIA Analítica, Kreios Space and Fly-Fut in The Way Startup Summit, the event of entrepreneurship, innovation and investment in the northwest of the peninsula.

The projects shared their personal experiences of entrepreneurship and innovation, as well as the strengths of the Galician aeronautical ecosystem that provides them with a dynamic and enriching environment. The participation has been positive for the entrepreneurs who have made contact with public and private institutional investors.

Impacto Business Factory Aero

BFAero is an accelerator promoted by the Xunta de Galicia, managed by the CEL Foundation, which has been incubating, accelerating and consolidating aeronautical, aerospace and unmanned vehicle projects in Galicia for 6 editions.

Since 2018, it has contributed to the creation of an industrial footprint in Galicia with the start-up of 5 new companies, the attraction of 11 companies in the aeronautical sector and support for 46 innovative projects.

BFAero, for the second consecutive year the best accelerator in Spain according to the Funcas ranking, has mobilised close to 7.8 million euros in investment and achieved a combined turnover of 9.2 million euros in the projects of the last two editions.

In addition, the programme has led to the creation of 221 new jobs, 73% of them with a high level of professional qualifications.

Finally, in terms of technological impact, BFAero has driven the development of 39 solutions for the sector and has led to an average increase of 1.2 levels in TRL, significant progress that demonstrates the effectiveness of the programme as a driver of technology transfer and applied innovation.

Support for entrepreneurs

In the Incubation phase, entrepreneurs have access to funding of up to 40,000 euros through the Galician Institute for Economic Promotion (Igape) on a non-repayable basis. Acceleration projects will have Igape funding of up to 60,000 euros non-refundable and the possibility of an equity participation through an equity loan of up to 50,000 euros, with the option of capitalisation through Xesgalicia, the investment vehicle of the Xunta de Galicia.

Companies in the consolidation phase will be able to access up to 30,000 euros through the Igape as a non-repayable grant. In the event that the company so requests, and within the framework of a financing round, a direct participation in the company’s capital of up to 250,000 euros may be valued.

In addition, the projects have at their disposal a team of 110 mentors and experts in the aeronautics, aerospace and unmanned vehicles sectors. From the perspective of the entrepreneurs, it is worth noting that the entire ecosystem has given them access to 50 potential customers or ‘early adopters’ and 7 potential investors.

The Business Factory Aero (BFAero) the incubation, acceleration and consolidation programme for companies in the aerospace sector promoted by the Xunta de Galicia and managed by the CEL Foundation, once again occupies first place in the national ranking of accelerators prepared by the Fundación de las Cajas de Ahorro (Funcas) and the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in 2025.

A total of 57 accelerators from all over Spain participated in the analysis that places BFAero as number one in the category of Advanced Accelerators as well as in the global ranking of acceleration programmes for the period 2025/2026. This is a new recognition of the commitment to innovation, talent and qualified employment within the framework of the Aerospace Pole of Galicia, and consolidates BFAero as a state reference in supporting technological entrepreneurship.

According to the general director of IGAPE, Covadonga Toca, this recognition is a ‘further endorsement of the Xunta’s model’ in its efforts to ‘strengthen the Galician aerospace ecosystem, attract talent and generate skilled employment in our community’. In this sense, Covadonga highlighted the driving role played by the BFAero to position Galicia as a pole of technological innovation and ‘promote the transfer of knowledge between companies, research centres and the Administration’.

A benchmark ecosystem in the aerospace sector

For its sixth call, which closed the registration period at the end of March and is starting these days, the BFAero managed to attract the interest of 110 projects: 57% of them came from national and international entrepreneurs, including countries such as Germany, Holland or the United Kingdom, while the remaining 43% corresponded to Galician proposals.

The applications were distributed among the three itineraries of the programme: 48% of the registered projects opted for the Incubation phase, 37% for the Acceleration phase and 15% for the Consolidation phase. Each phase is designed to accompany the startups from the initial idea to internationalisation, with technical support, specialised mentoring and access to public and private funding. Thus, through the Igape and Xesgalicia, and depending on the itinerary, the projects are eligible for direct aid of up to 60,000 euros and participation in investment rounds of up to 250,000 euros.

Since its launch in 2018, the Business Factory Aero already supported 46 business projects that mobilised nearly €7.8 million in investment and achieved a combined turnover of €9.2 million in the last year. The impact of the programme is also reflected in the creation of a dynamic industrial ecosystem, with more than 55 collaborating entities and international success stories such as Aeromedia, Kreios, FuVex or Fly-Fut as well as the creation of more than 220 jobs of which more than 73% are qualified (PhD/Masters).

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