Yesterday marked the close of the third edition of Startup Olé Marbella, which took place at the Málaga Conference and Exhibition Center. This summer edition enjoyed the full support of public institutions such as the Marbella City Hall, the Málaga Provincial Council, and the Junta de Andalucía, cementing itself as a pivotal gathering to boost tech entrepreneurship and the international visibility of the innovation ecosystem.
Moreover, it gathered support from prominent players in the international entrepreneurial and investment community based in Marbella and the Costa del Sol, including Andreas Mihalovits, Co-Founder of Global Super Angels Club; Jere Erkko, creator of Angry Birds; Armando González, CEO of RavenPack; Tuomas Kosonen, partner at the Inventure fund; Florian Jansen, CEO of FJX; Dan Marques, cofounder of Málaga Startups; Pablo Campos, CBO of Stamp; Cristóbal Alonso, Managing Director of Wolver Ventures; Carlos Cantú, cofounder of Séneca; Lara Moloney, founder of Circle Málaga; and Alberto de Cárdenas, CEO of Fisia.
The event also enjoyed strong national and regional backing thanks to the participation of organizations and funds such as Spaincap, CDTI Innvierte, Inventure, Global Super Angels Club, Safamotor, Kfund, Faraday, AABAN, Axis, Sherry Ventures, BME, Lumo Labs, Eoniq Fund, Bewater Funds, RTVE Impulsa Visión, Enagás Emprende, Bcombinator, Sego Finance, Successful Fund, Max Ventures, Wolver Ventures, Armilar, Broadline Capital, EnterpriseTech34, 300 Three Wise Men, LG Patrimonios, LM Group Real Estate, Match Owner, Erwin de Grave, Idea B3 Hubs, Arcanvas and Alter Capital.
Cabe destacar la participación de Marbella y su entorno en las principales asociaciones de empresarios y emprendedores, como APYMEM, Asociación de la Pequeña y Mediana Empresa de Marbella; APYMEHAVÍS, Asociación de la Pequeña y Mediana Empresa de Benahavís; APYMESPA, Asociación de la Pequeña y Mediana Empresa de San Pedro Alcántara; REM, Red de Emprendedoras y Empresarias de Marbella, Málaga y Campo de Gibraltar; Sinergias Club Internacional; y AMPREM, Asociación de Mujeres Profesionales y Empresarias de Marbella. Asimismo, se contó con el apoyo de LPA (Asociación Inmobiliaria de la Costa del Sol) como entidad líder del sector inmobiliario. Todas ellas organizaron summits y paneles de gran interés sobre el ecosistema empresarial y emprendedor de Marbella y su entorno.
Event Structure
Likewise, there were several sessions dedicated to leadership and female entrepreneurship organized by international associations such as Women Invest in Women and Women Impulse-Futur. In addition, Fisia led a lineup of panels and meetups focused on hospitality, tourism, and new technologies. This series of talks was complemented by a session led by RTVE Impulsa Visión on innovation in the creative sector, which included a gathering of universities, as well as the event organized by Sinergias Club Internacional, giving voice to a wide group of Marbella and Costa del Sol business leaders.
Similarly, renowned speakers included Ángeles Muñoz, the mayor of Marbella; Javier González Navarro, General Director of Promotion of Entrepreneurship and Continuing Education at the Junta de Andalucía; M.ª Carmen Márquez, deputy head of Employment and Training; Juan Mostazo; José Zudaire, director of Spaincap; Antonio Romero, General Partner of Sherry Ventures; Isabel Carrasco, president of REM; Álvaro Botella, president of LPA; Alejandro Freijo, director of Employment for the Marbella City Council; and Álvaro Jiménez, director of Generasur.
International speakers also included Kwamara Thompson, founder of Women Invest in Women; Marina Villegas, Director of Research and Innovation for the Community of Madrid; Kristina Szekely, president of Kristina Szekely International Realty; Eva Álvarez, president of CESN; Yohania De Armas, CEO of Conecta Iberoamérica; Cristóbal Garre, national deputy for Málaga; José Luis Belinchón, Director of Technological Innovation for the Community of Madrid; Sorbi Khattak, founder of Skincare Scientists; Valentina Tkachenko, host and business angel; Marina Nitzak, founder of LM Group Real Estate; and Hrish Lotlikar, CEO of SuperWorld, among others. Emilio Corchado, CEO of Startup OLÉ and professor at the University of Salamanca, served as the host of the event.
Startup Olé Marbella established itself as the premier international summer gathering, where startups, scaleups, investors, corporations, and institutions connected in an organic and professional way with the Scandinavian and Central European ecosystems, driving innovation, collaboration, and global growth. In this edition, the program paid special attention to current technologies such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, as well as sectors like real estate, tourism, sustainability, mobility, health, well-being, and longevity.
The agenda included roundtables, fireside chats, a pitch competition, a startup fair, and private meetings between investors and companies. The fireside chats featured an interview with Armando González, CEO of RavenPack, and another with Anna Gorzkowska, Growth Capital Advisor at the European Investment Bank.
The pitch competition brought together some of the most promising startups from the national and international ecosystems. After jury deliberations, the podium was claimed by Collider (third place), Secra (second place), and Superiority HR (first place). Likewise, BRIOAGRO TECH, S.L., Nexyo, and SMS.es finished in fourth, fifth, and sixth place, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Students Pitch competition recognized emerging entrepreneurial talent, awarding first prize to InnovaRA Kids, second to Olivar Nexo 4.0, and third to IRIS AI.
The event drew more than 1,600 attendees, 400 high-level speakers, 50 investment funds and corporations, and more than 360 companies.
One of the most meaningful moments of the event was the presentation of an institutional award to Agencia EFE and its Chief Economics Correspondent, Andrés Dulanto, for more than a decade of work supporting the Spanish entrepreneurial and innovative ecosystem.
During the ceremony, Emilio Corchado, CEO of Startup OLÉ and a professor at the University of Salamanca, highlighted the news agency’s commitment to disseminating entrepreneurial initiatives, startups, and innovative projects since the early days of Startup OLÉ in Salamanca more than thirteen years ago.
“They have helped to shape Spain by building essential communication channels for entrepreneurs,” Corchado said, also underscoring EFE’s contribution to the national and international visibility of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, facilitating connections among entrepreneurs, investors, and new spaces for business growth.
