Aventopía (English version)

Some days ago, I was reading Emprendedores magazine and a news item caught my attention. It was about an idea that I’m sure many people have had at some point. In this case, two people have already taken the leap and put it into practice. It has to do with artificial intelligence (AI) and adventure, of course! If you’re interested, keep reading.

The thing is that, as soon as I read the news, I got in touch with one of the promoters, and today I’m here to tell you a little bit about it.

I am talking about Aventopía, a business idea that is beginning to take its first steps, because ideas, if they are not launched, remain just that, ideas. On this occasion, its promoters, Xabier Tobías and Jon Leguina (former students of the University of Deusto), decided to launch it on the market in 2024 (just over a year ago), after validating it with friends and family. This is how many businesses start. Of course, not without first conducting market research and verifying that both nationally and internationally (although some projects may slip through the cracks), the Aventopía model is unique.

Aventopía (a combination of the words adventure and utopia) consists of personalising stories through AI, in which the child (or adult) is the real protagonist in many ways. To do this, they use images adapted to the child in question and feedback from parents or people who request the stories, in order to adapt them to the needs or expectations of the children. It is an idea (project) that children have received with amazement and enthusiasm. After all, they are the protagonists.

I suppose some people will be thinking, ‘This already existed,’ but Xabi and Jon can prove that this is not the case. These colleagues have been working in the technology sector for years and make a great team. While one is more restless, loves photography and needs a helping hand to get started, the other is a more cheerful and motivated person who sees the positive side of ideas and finds it easier to get started ( and he was not new to the world of entrepreneurship either). Hence, from a conversation between colleagues, the idea of developing this project arose.

I think I’ve told you on more than one occasion that when it comes to teamwork, it’s always a good idea to rely on people who contribute to the team, and Xabi and Jon are a clear example of this. What’s more, they both share a ‘way of looking at life’ and values that unite them and have led them to create Aventopía.

It is true that they are currently enjoying a sweet moment, with more orders than usual, and this, obviously, encourages them, but they are aware that they have a great challenge ahead of them. Although, on the one hand, as it is an online business, it did not require a large initial financial investment, as time goes by and orders in different languages increase, they realise that ‘small print runs’ are not very economical. What’s more, the different profiles of children they ‘have’ are very varied.

Personally, I see a lot of potential in the project, but also a lot of work. As I said to Xabi a few days ago, I think it’s a scalable project, but you have to give it time and do things at your own pace. They are now training in different areas related to the business itself.

I invite you to visit their website and keep an open mind. I believe there are many possibilities. By the way, are there any business angels in the room?

I hope the academic year has started well for everyone!

Have a great September, and I will see you in a couple of weeks.