Agrolinera specialises in collecting livestock waste in smallholder communities. It digitalises the collection of whey and slurry destined for biogas plants, making collection efficient, preserving its value and enabling these farms to grow and be profitable without causing problems in their surroundings. The Rural Startup Awards were created to establish role models in rural areas and to narrow the territorial gap in innovative entrepreneurship. From more than 200 applications received, the jury rewarded this initiative in the ‘Sustainability’ category.
Asturian startup Agrolinera, a technology platform for the collection, logistics and valorisation of livestock and dairy waste, has won the 1st edition of the Rural Startup Awards in the ‘Sustainability’ category. Founded in Llanera (Asturias) in 2022, Agrolinera specialises in collecting livestock waste in smallholder communities. It digitalises the collection of whey and slurry destined for biogas plants, making collection efficient, preserving its value and enabling these farms to grow and be profitable without causing problems in their surroundings. Agrolinera’s patented system uses collection points fitted with sensors connected to a cloud platform via IoT. These points are adapted to the type of waste, the territory and how it will be valorised. The platform makes it possible to monitor waste in real time, coordinate its collection efficiently and certify its movements using blockchain. This guarantees traceability from source, controls and preserves the characteristics of the waste and prevents environmental nuisance, promoting the coexistence of livestock farming with activities such as rural tourism.
Inspired by the success of the Women Startup Awards, the Rural Startup Awards were created to establish role models in rural areas and to narrow the territorial gap in innovative entrepreneurship. The jury, made up of leaders from the entrepreneurial ecosystem and representatives of public and private organisations from a range of disciplines, assessed the more than 200 applications received against criteria such as the degree of innovation and disruption, the growth and maturity of the project, and its business model and impact. The awards ceremony, held at the Palacio de Congresos in Oviedo, was attended by institutional representatives, startups, companies and investors from sectors such as agriculture, sustainability and rural tourism.
Funded by the European Union’s Next Generation EU programme – within the Spanish Government’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, led by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism through the Escuela de Organización Industrial (EOI) – the Rural Startup Awards strengthen the role of public-private collaboration and open innovation in transforming rural areas. They are also supported by sponsors such as Spain Up Nation, Enisa, UN Tourism, Innsomnia, KM Zero, Ametic, Avebiom, Clúster TIC Asturias, Málaga Tech, FADE, Otea, JTI, the Oviedo Chamber of Commerce, Segittur, the Community of Madrid, Ceaje and the Agencia Digital de Andalucía. The Spanish Startup Association (Asociación Española de Startups), which organises the event together with the agency Yellow, has the mission of making Spain a global benchmark for innovative and inclusive entrepreneurship.