How many bright ideas remain stuck in their creator’s mind because of a lack of support? To stop talent going to waste, Explorer - Jóvenes con soluciones ("Young people with solutions") is entering its 12th season, with more than 1,000 young entrepreneurs.

One of the biggest student entrepreneur support initiatives in Spain, it’s now arrived in Argentina, Chile and Mexico. And it’s not stopping there: The next round (already on the Santander X platform) will launch in Brazil and Portugal too. International expansion and online training mark a new era that will enhance the programme.

Explorer entries should tackle one of the issues highlighted by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030. For 12 weeks, participants will use collaborative learning techniques to connect to an international community of entrepreneurs and develop skills to transform their project into a viable solution.

In its 12 seasons, this Santander Universities programme, coordinated by the Santander International Entrepreneurship Centre (CISE in Spanish), has awoken the entrepreneur in more than 10,000 young people aged between 18 and 31. With the support of Explorer, many have turned their projects into something that is having a positive impact on society. Here we introduce you to three Explorer participants from the 11th season in early 2021:

Silocomo: restaurant search for people with special dietary requirements

Silocomo founders Yaiza Panizo and Claudia Cambra are used to going over restaurant menus with a fine-tooth comb. Yaiza is allergic to gluten, and Claudia lactose intolerant. The mobile app they've developed for people with allergies and restricted diets quickly finds bars and restaurants that serve things people like them can eat.

Both are multimedia engineers who began working on the app two years ago but couldn’t get it off the ground. The programme made them realize they were missing market validation.

“Explorer turned our project on its head. It helped us think about users’ needs and the best way to meet them”, they said.

Qortex: Modular sensors democratizing the Internet of Things (IoT)

On her return from holiday, Amin Mansouri’s mother was dismayed to find many of her houseplants had wilted. This entrepreneur thought it would be a good idea to monitor soil moisture and, by using the Internet of Things, set up a command to water plants remotely. Qortex is an emerging business whose modular sensors feed real-time data to an online platform and, thus, can be scaled for mass use in fields like farming. What once looked unfeasible is now in the design stage.

According to Amin, “Explorer’s biggest plus is networking and the sense of belonging to a team”.

TrainToPlay: Exercise for eSports players

Many professional eSports players retire around 25 because of such physical ailments as arthritis in their arms or hands and chronic neck pain. TrainToPlay, which aims “to promote health and living life to the fullest”, was created to prevent that.

After coming up with the idea and having it validated, the project has individual clients and is now in talks with professional teams.

“Explorer opens many doors. It shines light on what’s really important and, if you get too pigeonholed, it broadens your horizons”, said TrainToPlay Founder Rafael García Valverde.

In the first Explorer of 2022 (due to start in January), entrepreneurs from six countries will validate their ideas, tweak them and work to turn them into a reality.

Banco Santander and its support for higher education

Banco Santander, the leader in responsible banking, is firmly committed to progress and inclusive and sustainable growth. Through Santander Universities, it's s been a pioneering stalwart of higher education for 25 years, standing out among the world's financial institutions. The bank has committed more than EUR 2 billion and awarded over 630,000 scholarships and grants to students, professionals and entrepreneurs since launching the programme.

Apply here in Spanish (for Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Spain).

Apply here in Portuguese (for Brazil and Portugal).