SEPI Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales

• The facility will be a platform for developing the corporate projects born from the joint work of CORREOS’ internal projects and from external startups
• The first initiative is the “Lehnica Challenge”, a contest for innovative projects, among which 5 will be selected, each of which will be awarded a financial help of 30,000€, as well as access to all the services supplied by CorreosLabs

CORREOS inaugurated today its facility for startups, the CorreosLabs, at the Las Tablas neighborhood, on the North of Madrid, where most of the innovative companies are located. This facility constitutes a multidisciplinary working area, equipped with all the means and technological appliances required for nurturing and developing a startup.

In this facility will take place the development of the different startup projects within the framework of several categories, such as logistics, proximity, digital, and hybrid services, which supply a significant value for innovation in products and services, or in the development of adjacent markets.

During the inaugural event which took place this morning, CORREOS’ Chairman, Mr. Javier Cuesta Nuin, together with the company’s managers and the person who is a reference within the world of the startups, Ms. María Benjumea, presented this initiative to a large number of professionals from the innovation industry, as well as to the media.

The facility was presented by the Deputy Director for Innovation in CORREOS, Mr. Jordi Escruela, who in his capacity as the person in charge of the center explained that “this center follows models which have been tested in international experiences, such as the Google Campus or South Summit”. These facilities make available to the startups a working area, resting facilities, rooms for holding formal and informal meetings equipped with the latest multimedia technology and for conference calls, a polyvalent auditorium for up to 60 persons and capable of broadcasting live video, high-velocity WIFI connectivity, as well as in the cloud computing services.

For his part, the Manager for Strategies in CORREOS, Mr. Óscar Medina, summarized the goal and reason of being of this initiative, highlighting the importance which currently has for companies getting into contact with startups and taking advantage of the synergies which are generated within the different fields.

CORREOS’ Chairman, Mr. Cuesta Nuin pointed out that, with the opening of this facility “this company consolidates itself as a sponsor of innovative projects and offers to startup companies the opportunity of winning access - besides of providing financial aid to their ideas – to a site which allows them to continue progressing and developing their business idea”.

CorreosLabs will provide support to initiatives through CORREOS’ current network, through its material and human resources, and through its experience. It will also provide commercial, legal, operating, and technical advice, both supplied by the postal company and by third party companies which participate in this initiative, such as Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Telefónica, South Summit or 4YFN.

For her part, Ms. María Benjumea, the special guest at the event due to her long experience in startups, recalled in her speech all the activity which is taking place at big companies when these make a commitment with a culture which nurtures new projects and technological development.

The Lehnica Challenge

The opening of the center for startups and innovation starts with the launching of the so-called “Lehnica Challenge”, a contest for projects with the goal of attracting those initiatives which are nearing their entry into the market and which present certain characteristics and which are in line with the interests of the postal company.This project contest will select 5 initiatives, each of which will be awarded a financial aid of 30,000€ during one year. Any startup which wants to take part in the contest can consult the terms and conditions and enroll its innovative idea at www.correoslabs.com.

300 years of permanent transformation

During the last 300 years the postal company has been promoting communications in Spain and it has played a key role in the construction of the Spanish corporate world.

CORREOS betters itself each day with the goal of providing the best service to the community, to the Administration, to companies, and to citizens taking advantage of the technological innovations which have taken place during the last few years. This is the story of a continual and permanent transformation.

CORREOS/Grupo SEPI:

CORREOS belongs to Grupo SEPI, a corporate holding which includes a total of 15 state-owned companies in which it has a direct, majority shareholding participation, with a final workforce of more than 73,000 professionals in 2015, and to which is attached the state-owned radio-and-television corporation, as well as one public foundation. Besides, it has direct minority shareholding participations in a further 9 companies, and indirect ones in more than 100 companies. CORREOS is the biggest company in Spain, both in terms of its presence and territorial scope, with around 10,000 points for gaining access to its services. It distributes around 3,600 Million shipments per year, and it reaches daily 28 Million households, companies and institutions. It has a human team made up by more than 50,000 professionals who work to provide comprehensive solutions and a wide range of high-quality products adapted to the different customer categories, both in packaging and direct marketing, and in postal services based on the new technologies and financial services.