High-school students in Puçol form a team, partner with a local founder, and grow one idea into a real company across a single school year — entirely in English.
VLC Young Entrepreneurs is an independent program where students build a company from the ground up over one school year.
Teams of four or five are each paired with a local founder who mentors them from first idea to finished product. Across the year they work through the six steps every startup takes — and on the final Saturday, they pitch the result to a panel of judges. No prior experience and no affiliation required: just real entrepreneurship, on Saturday mornings.
One school year, one real company — here is how the year is shaped.
Any high-school student curious about entrepreneurship, business, or building something real. Open to students at the American School of Valencia, Caxton College, and across the wider international community.
€2,000
For the full school-year program — including all learning materials and lunch after every workshop at the Alfinach Club.
Every team walks the same arc — from a shared interest in September to a final pitch in May.
Find three or four classmates who care about the same kinds of problems you do — your team is who you’ll build alongside all year.
Choose one real problem worth solving and shape the product or service your team thinks could fix it.
Get out and interview the people you’re building for, then let what they tell you sharpen the business plan.
Build a rough first version you can put in real hands — and pay close attention to where it breaks.
Work out how the idea actually makes money, then turn the whole story into a pitch deck.
Stand up on the final Saturday and pitch everything you’ve built to a panel of judges.
Students meet the cohort, mentors, and program team, and learn how the year ahead is structured. We set expectations, introduce the six steps of building a startup, and kick off the entrepreneurial mindset. Teams begin to form around shared interests and passions.
Speaker · TBA — founder keynote
Students explore what makes a strong founding team and how complementary skills beat identical ones. Through structured activities, participants discover collaborators who share their drive. By the end of the session, teams of four to five begin to take shape.
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Great startups solve real problems, and this session teaches students how to spot them. We look at how successful founders identified pain points worth solving. Teams start a running list of problems they care about.
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We explore how founders think differently about risk, failure, and opportunity. Students hear how resilience and curiosity drive entrepreneurship more than any single idea. Teams reflect on the mindset shifts they will need this year.
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Teams choose the one problem they will spend the year solving. We introduce frameworks for generating and narrowing solution ideas. Each team commits to a direction and a working hypothesis.
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Students learn structured brainstorming techniques used by real product teams. We push past obvious answers toward more original solutions. Teams sketch several possible versions of their idea.
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Teams articulate exactly what value their solution delivers and to whom. We introduce the value proposition canvas as a working tool. Each team drafts a one-sentence statement of what they do and why it matters.
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Students learn to size a market and map who else is solving the same problem. We discuss how competition validates rather than kills an idea. Teams research their landscape and find their angle.
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Teams work hands-on with their assigned mentors to pressure-test their solution. Mentors share where similar ideas succeed or struggle in the real world. Each team leaves with a sharpened concept.
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Students learn why talking to potential customers beats guessing in a room. We cover the most common founder mistake: building before listening. Teams identify who their first customers actually are.
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We teach how to ask questions that reveal real needs instead of polite encouragement. Students practice interview techniques on each other and on mentors. Teams prepare an interview script to use in the field.
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Teams return with what they heard and learn to find patterns in the noise. We separate signal from flattery and surprise from confirmation. Each team refines its business plan based on real input.
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Students translate customer insight into concrete changes to their concept. We revisit the value proposition and adjust based on evidence. Teams document what they learned and what they changed.
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Teams present their progress so far to peers and mentors in a low-stakes setting. We celebrate momentum and surface challenges before the winter break. Constructive feedback sets up a strong second half.
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A flexible studio day for teams to catch up, plan, and set goals for January. Mentors are available for one-on-one guidance. Teams leave with a clear plan for the new year.
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No session — Christmas break
No session — New Year break
We restart the year focused on making ideas tangible. Students learn why a rough prototype teaches more than a perfect plan. Teams scope the simplest version of their product they can build.
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Students learn low-cost ways to prototype digital and physical products. We cover mockups, paper prototypes, and no-code tools. Teams begin building their first testable version.
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A hands-on studio session dedicated to making. Mentors help teams overcome technical and design hurdles. Each team aims for something a customer can actually try.
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Teams put their prototype in front of potential customers and watch what happens. We teach how to run a usability test and capture honest reactions. Students learn to separate what users say from what they do.
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Teams analyze test results and decide what to change. We introduce the build-measure-learn loop as a working rhythm. Each team plans its next iteration.
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Another dedicated build day to act on test feedback. Mentors guide teams through tough product decisions. Teams move toward a version they are proud to demo.
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Students learn the main ways startups generate revenue. We map business model options against each team’s product and customers. Teams draft a first version of how they will make money.
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We introduce the business model canvas as a one-page strategy tool. Students fill in each block for their own startup. Teams identify the riskiest assumptions in their model.
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Students learn the basics of pricing, costs, and whether a business can sustain itself. We work through simple unit-economics examples together. Teams build a rough financial picture of their startup.
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We break down what every strong pitch deck includes and why. Students study real decks from successful startups. Teams outline their own deck slide by slide.
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A working session to turn the outline into real slides. Mentors review structure, story, and clarity. Each team produces a first full draft of its deck.
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Students learn how to tell a story that makes judges and customers care. We cover narrative structure, hooks, and handling tough questions. Teams sharpen the story behind their numbers.
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No session — Semana Santa / Easter break
We return with the finish line in sight. Teams assess where their deck and prototype stand. We set a clear plan to be pitch-ready by the end of May.
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Students learn techniques to present with confidence and clarity. We practice voice, pace, body language, and managing nerves. Each student delivers a short segment for feedback.
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Teams deliver their full pitch to mentors and receive structured feedback. We focus on timing, flow, and answering questions. Teams leave with a prioritized list of fixes.
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Students learn to field hard questions from judges with composure. We run rapid-fire Q&A drills with mentors playing skeptical investors. Teams anticipate the questions they fear most.
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A second full dress rehearsal with sharper feedback. Teams refine slides, transitions, and delivery. We measure progress against pitch-day criteria.
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Teams make final adjustments to deck, demo, and script. Mentors give last-round guidance. Everything comes together for the final stretch.
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A full run-through under realistic conditions. Teams present start to finish with timing enforced. We resolve any last issues before pitch day.
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The culmination of the year: teams present their startups to a panel of judges. Families, mentors, sponsors, and the community gather to watch. Winners are recognized and the cohort celebrates everything they built.
Speaker · panel of judges — TBA
Every team is paired with a local executive or founder who coaches them through the six steps. If you have built something and want to give a few Saturday mornings to the next generation, we would love to have you.
Builds consumer apps and coaches teams on product and finding their first users.
Fifteen years turning rough ideas into products that actually ship.
Backs and mentors first-time founders across the Valencia region.
Helps small teams grow from a garage project into a real company.
On select Saturdays, founders join us for 30-minute talks — the honest version of how they built their company, to inspire the students mid-build. If you have a story worth telling, get in touch.
Sponsoring VLC Young Entrepreneurs puts your business in front of an engaged international community across Puçol and greater Valencia — and directly supports the next generation of local founders. Sponsors are recognized throughout the program and celebrated at Demo Day in May.
Applications are open for the 2026–27 cohort. Fill this out together with a parent or guardian and we will be in touch.
Coach one team through the six steps across the school year. Tell us a little about yourself and we will follow up.
Give a 30-minute talk on a select Saturday and share the real story behind your company.
Support the next generation of local founders and reach an engaged international community. Tell us a little about your business.