The entrepreneurial ecosystem of the Iberian Peninsula is gearing up for its next major gathering in Southern Europe. Al Andalus Innovation Venture, the leading forum for scaleups, investment, and open innovation in Andalusia, has announced the 58 finalist companies that will participate in its fifth edition, which will take place on September 22–23, 2026 at the Navegation Pavilion in Seville.
For this edition, a total of 20 established scaleups and 38 early-stage startups will present their technological developments to some of the most influential funds, corporations, and institutions in the sector. All of them have passed a rigorous evaluation in which growth potential, the strength of their business models, and their ability to deliver real solutions to current industrial and social challenges were given particular weight.
Scaleups are, once again, the main protagonists of this edition
The finalist scaleups stand out for being disruptive projects in strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence, mobility, health, energy, sustainability, talent, and digital retail and have been selected for their ability to scale, generate impact, and lead business innovation.
Among the finalists are A4Radar, AllPriv, BioCircular Fiber, Bosquia Nature, COBIOMIC BIOSCIENCE, Darwin Bioprospecting, fetaLife Technologies, Fetalix, FuVeX, Groditech, GDV Gestión y Distribución, Heuristik, Hidroinfiltrador, JOBI ValidateTalent, Orga AI, Nina Woof, Remolonas, Robopedics, Viday and VirtuaBroker.
These 20 scaleups will participate in the AAIV26 main program, where they will compete to be recognized as the most promising project in Southern Europe. The winning project will receive as a prize an exclusive three-year course within the BME Scaleups program, powered by BME (Bolsas y Mercados Españoles), designed to accompany the most promising companies on their path toward a potential IPO. The program is valued at €7,600, and it is personalized and exclusive, as it offers only 14 spots across Spain. Merely by reaching the finals, the selected companies already enjoy significant benefits, such as a dedicated stand at the event, direct access to investors and corporations, and an exclusive Save the Date with Endeavor, among other incentives.
Alongside them, more than 38 additional startups from sectors such as applied artificial intelligence, dual-use defense technologies, enterprise software for digital sovereignty; biotechnology, advanced diagnostics, digital health to transform well-being and health management; energy transition, decarbonization, and the circular economy for sustainable industrial development; and smart mobility, urban logistics, and digitization of financial and legal services for citizens, will gather in Seville, joining in various content, pitch, and networking spaces.
Investors, corporations, and major events drive growth for the finalists
All finalist companies will have the opportunity to present their projects to investors and specialized corporations, have their own presence inside the venue, and participate in professional meetings aimed at facilitating investment, business collaboration, and access to new customers. One of the standout moments of the gathering will once again be the Pitch Competition, where some of the finalists will defend their projects before some of the leading national and international investment funds, angel networks, and major corporations.
Once again, the mobility vertical will take place on September 21 aboard the Madrid-Seville AVE train as part of the 4th edition of TrenLab by Al Andalus Innovation Venture. The “investment train,” run in collaboration with Trenlab, will allow the selected startups to present their projects to investors, senior executives, and CEOs during the journey at 300 km/h, turning the trip into a unique networking experience.
The 2026 edition will also feature top-tier speakers who will share their experience scaling global businesses, such as Enrique Linares, cofounder of letgo and Plus Partners; Yago Arbeloa, president of MIO Group; Hugo Arévalo, executive president of ThePowerMBA; Stephan de Moraes, Managing Partner of INDICO Capital; and Sergio Furio, founder of CREDITAS. The forum will also bring together representatives from some of the most active investment funds and corporate venture players in the ecosystem, such as Faraday Venture Partners, Ship2B, Zubi Capital, Nazca Capital, Next Tier, Encomenda Smart Capital, Eoniq, Wayra, and Mondragon, along with international investors like Indico Capital, Armilar, Shilling, Bynd, and the European Investment Fund.
Institutions, corporations, and specialized firms back the forum
Following the success of last year’s edition, which drew more than 2,800 attendees, 810 startups, and over 250 investors and corporations, this year’s gathering reinforces its Iberian and European dimension to solidify Seville as a strategic hub linking technological talent with financial capital.
Al Andalus Innovation Venture again counts on strong institutional and corporate support: ICEX, CEEI de Aragon, the IAF, and the City of Seville as Gold Partners; the Silver Partners represented are Cervezas Victoria, Trenlab (Renfe), Republic of Estonia e-Residency, Fundalogy, ¿Why Tenerife? (Government of the Canary Islands), ENISA (Ministry of Industry and Tourism), CDTI Innovación (Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities), Keepintax, Madrid Innovation, and the Instituto Galego de Promoción Económica (IGAPE); and Acciona, Santander, Growers, Red.es (Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Administration) and Helice.app as Bronze Partners. Also among the collaborators are WordPress.com, BBVA Spark, Sabadell BStartup, SGR GARÁNTIA Santalucía Impulsa, Enagas Emprende, LEYTON, Vector Horizonte, Gobo, Devirtus, and Anta in addition to BME Scaleup (Bolsas y Mercados Españoles – a SIX company).
Entrepreneurial mental health, the major focus of this edition
As a novelty in this fifth edition, the gathering will place special emphasis on the well-being and mental health of entrepreneurs through a pioneering alliance with GrowersGo, which joins as an official partner against stress. The forum will feature a rest area designed for mindful pauses and will offer free stress diagnostics to attendees, promoting a more humane and sustainable tech ecosystem where high performance goes hand in hand with personal care.
