- The startups selected in this global call for proposals will enjoy a private session where they can present their projects to the tennis player and they will be assessed for investment and acceleration opportunities.
- The technological solution proposals must centre on sport, smart management, audiovisual and media content or wellness and eHealth solutions that improve the facilities and services offered by the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar.
- This international call for proposals will be open from today until 15 February 2017.
Madrid, 29 November 2016- This afternoon, Rafael Nadal and Telefónica Open Future_, at the Wayra Academy in Madrid, presented the first international call for proposals aimed at finding startups that are developing technological solutions applicable to the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar.
As was explained in the presentation, the products proposed by the digital entrepreneurs must focus on aspects relating to sport, smart management (targeting sports training centres and areas), audiovisual and media content, or wellness and eHealth. However, any projects that offer solutions to improve the performance and value of the Rafa Nadal Academy, such as proposals signifying improvements in the sporting performance of athletes, in training services or even in the facilities and the sporting services offered, will be especially welcome.
The call for proposals will remain open until 15 February 2017, when the process will move on to the selection of up to five startups from among all those which submitted proposals. The selected startups will enjoy a private session to present their initiatives to Rafa Nadal, to be held, preferably, at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar recently inaugurated in Manacor. In addition, these may receive investment of up to €140,000 and acceleration services at one of the Wayra Academies of Telefónica Open Future_, located in Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Spain, Mexico, Peru, UK and Venezuela.
Ana Segurado, the global director of Telefónica Open Future_, has highlighted the importance of “imbuing the entrepreneurial ecosystem with the values of Rafa Nadal, a model of tenacity, leadership and professionalism in his sporting career that we fully identify with. We are sure that in addition his knowledge as an elite athlete is going to be essential in detecting digital projects that may serve to help to transform the world of sport”.
All the requirements to be met by the startups interested in participating in this international call for proposals are available at www.openfuture.org.
About Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar
The Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar is a residential complex with top class tutoring (able to accommodate 140 students), which combines tennis with education, offering young players aged between 11 and 18 years old the opportunity to receive their schooling at the American International School of Mallorca while they train to become professional tennis players. This project aims to transmit all the knowledge that Rafa Nadal has gained through his training, as well as the experiences he has had over his career as a professional tennis player. To this end, he has transformed his training facility into a high-performance academy where, with the collaboration of his team, he is training the future’s young tennis players. Further information: www.rafanadalacademy.com
About Telefónica Open Future_
Telefónica Open Future_ is a global programme designed to connect entrepreneurs, startups, investors and public and private partners around the world to capture innovation and business opportunities. Its goal is to support talent at all stages of growth through a comprehensive model for acceleration that is designed to connect talent with organisations, investors and companies. The programme incorporates all the Telefónica Group’s open innovation, entrepreneurship and investment initiatives (Think Big, Talentum Startups, Crowdworking, Wayra, and the Amérigo and Telefónica Ventures investment funds) through a global network that is open to participation by external partners that wish to develop their own entrepreneurial and investment strategies and connect them with large companies. To date, more than 50,000 proposals have been analysed, and investments have been made in more than 690 startups, with more than 1,500 having been accelerated in total. Telefónica Open Future_ is present in 17 countries and a total of 445 million euros has been committed to investment by Telefónica and its partners. Further information: www.openfuture.org
Further information:
Communications Department at Telefónica Open Future_:
Marisa Orellana: 617 86 30 30 / [email protected]
Miguel Ángel García: 609 73 00 13 / [email protected]
At the image, the global director of Telefónica Open Future_, Ana Segurado and Rafael Nadal .
