From October 13 to 15, Salamanca will once again bring together startups, investors, major companies, public administrations, and professionals involved in technology entrepreneurship. Startup OLÉ 2026 arrives with conferences, roundtables, a startup competition and, above all, numerous spaces dedicated to turning networking into meetings and concrete business opportunities. What real value can attending the event actually deliver?
For a startup, attending a large tech event merely to listen to talks is increasingly hard to justify. It requires time, travel and, in many cases, preparing materials and meetings. That’s why the value of gatherings like Startup OLÉ 2026 has to be sought beyond its conference program.
The event will bring together different components of the entrepreneurial ecosystem: startups and scaleups, investors, corporations, universities, public administrations, accelerators and other players involved in innovation.
Startup OLÉ also comes with a substantial track record. According to figures compiled by the organizers, more than 40,000 attendees from over 120 countries have attended the event, including 1,500 startups, scaleups and spin-offs, 1,200 speakers and more than 300 investors, corporations, and public administrations. The organizers peg the represented investment capital at over €18 billion in their ecosystem.
But beyond the big numbers, there are several concrete reasons why an entrepreneur might find it worthwhile to head to Salamanca this October.
Finding funding — but also customers
The financing will inevitably be one of the event’s main attractions. Among the participants this edition are representatives of funds and investment firms such as Axon Partners Group, BuenaVista Equity Partners, Zubi Capital, Cardumen Capital, Encomenda, Sherry Ventures, Noso Capital, or Inclimo Climate Tech Fund, among others.
However, limiting networking to chasing investors would miss a large portion of what the gathering has to offer.
A startup or scaleup needs capital, but it also needs customers, technology partners, suppliers and companies with whom to develop projects. That is where the presence of professionals connected with firms and organizations such as Volkswagen, Renault Group, Naturgy, Iberdrola, Mondragon, Fundación Once, RTVE, Gonvarri, ILUNION Hotels or BME, as well as universities and public bodies, becomes important.
For a company that is still validating its product, securing a conversation with a potential customer can be even more valuable than pitching to a fund right away.
Structured networking and 15-minute meetings
One of the most interesting aspects of Startup OLÉ is precisely that it attempts to structure those connections.
The event provides a networking tool that allows participants to browse the attendees, request meetings and organize 15-minute one‑on‑one sessions in a zone specifically designated for this. A meeting is only confirmed when the other party accepts the request and the system assigns time and table.
This changes the way you approach the event. Rather than arriving in Salamanca hoping to bump into the right investor or company by chance, participants can pre-schedule their agenda and select those profiles with whom they truly want to talk.
For a startup, this is probably one of the best reasons to plan the trip well in advance: three carefully chosen meetings can be more valuable than attending ten talks.
Additionally, there is a dedicated matchmaking program through which investors, corporations, and teams involved in public procurement select startups for private meetings.
Three minutes to persuade an investor
Another major opportunity lies in the startup competition. On October 14, the rounds will take place and the Pitch Competition final. Selected projects will have three minutes to present their proposal and two more minutes to answer questions. Presentations are conducted in English.
This edition also carries a special incentive: Salamanca is part of the regional Startup World Cup circuit, organized by Pegasus Tech Ventures.
The winning startup will gain access to the world final to be held in San Francisco from November 4 through 6. But even for teams that don’t reach the final, preparing a three-minute pitch has another value: it forces the entrepreneur to answer four fundamental questions quickly. What problem does it solve, what does it offer, how does it differentiate your project, and why should anyone care about it?
Beyond all this, MuyPymes has spoken exclusively with several of the entities participating in the event. All of them have given us strong reasons to encourage startups to attend and have shared some tips to maximize the experience.
“I would advise you not to seek immediate funding alone, but also counsel, constructive feedback, and partnerships.”
Carlos Moro, founder of Bodega Matarromera
Startup Olé has established itself as a beacon of entrepreneurship and knowledge transfer in Salamanca, a land of talent, history and a vision for the future. From my experience presiding a group devoted to land, research and excellence, as Bodegas Familiares Matarromera, I have always argued that innovation arises from disruptive ideas, science, capital, and the corporate world.
This new edition represents an extraordinary opportunity for any emerging project to gain real visibility before top-tier investors, corporations, and institutions that are constantly seeking strategic alliances to transform traditional and high-tech sectors.
For a startup, the difference between scaling a project and fizzling out often depends on the quality of your network and on the ability to anticipate market trends. Startup Olé offers precisely that springboard: an international showcase where entrepreneurial talent finds the resources, institutional support, and synergies needed to grow in a solid, sustainable, and globally oriented way.
To make the most of a forum of this scale, the decisive factor is to attend with a clear strategy, an open mind, and a steadfast determination to listen and learn. Such an event isn’t about gathering superficial contacts, but about planting authentic, lasting relationships. In business and innovation, value lies in pre-event preparation: researching which funds, corporations, or mentors will be present, precisely defining your differentiating value proposition, and knowing how to communicate it concisely, passionately, and backed by facts or tangible data.
Moreover, the attitude with which you approach each encounter can change everything. You must balance the humility of someone who wants to learn continually with the audacity of someone who fully believes in their project.
I’d advise you not to search for immediate financing alone, but also for advice, constructive feedback, and partnerships that can boost your capabilities. Much like in winegrowing, where great yields require time, care, and long-term vision, in entrepreneurship events the best deals come when you tend the ground with consistency, rigor, and a firm commitment to sustainability and excellence.
“Networking should be understood as more than just exchanging contacts”
Patricia Cabrero, Vice Chancellor for Research at Isabel I University
Startup Olé offers the opportunity to meet, in a single space, with very different profiles from the innovation ecosystem: other startups, investors, companies, public administrations, universities, and actors tied to science and technology. For a startup, that diversity is especially valuable because it enables not only visibility for your project but also the generation of new connections and exploration of possible collaboration and growth avenues.
From the university’s perspective, these meetings are also a particularly relevant opportunity to strengthen the link between research, innovation, and entrepreneurship. A large portion of academic knowledge reaches its full potential when it finds channels to transfer, apply, and become solutions with real impact. Startups play a crucial role in that process, thanks to their ability to validate ideas, develop technology, explore new models, and respond quickly to concrete needs.
Our presence at Startup Olé, including our stand, aims precisely to foster that dialogue and create meeting points between university, research talent, companies and entrepreneurship.
On the other hand, I believe the first step is to approach the event with a clear purpose. In a conference with so many activities, meetings, and profiles, it’s important to know what you’re seeking: funding, collaborators, knowledge, talent, new partnerships, technological capabilities, or simply to benchmark your project against other ecosystem players. Having that objective helps you select conversations and opportunities more effectively.
And there is a second aspect I consider fundamental: understand networking as more than just exchanging contacts or repeatedly pitching our project. You have to listen, ask questions, and try to identify what you can contribute to the person you’re speaking with. This is especially relevant in an ecosystem where many opportunities arise precisely from combining different capabilities.
The true value of these events isn’t just the conversations held during the days themselves, but our ability to turn those conversations into lasting relationships and, when there is shared interest, into collaborations, pilots, projects, or concrete initiatives.
“To get the most out of this event you need to arrive with clear objectives”
Ángeles Durán, Head of Marketing at Cruz Roja
Startup Olé is a unique opportunity to accelerate connections that, in other circumstances, would take months. It brings together startups, corporations, investors, and institutions in one space, facilitating conversations that can translate into collaborations, pilots, funding, or new business opportunities. It also allows you to identify trends, compare ideas with other ecosystem professionals, and gain visibility in a highly specialized environment.
Arrive with clear objectives. It’s important to beforehand identify what kind of contacts you’re seeking, prepare a brief, compelling message about your project, and make the most of the networking spaces.
Beyond simply attending sessions, the true value usually lies in the conversations that arise during the event and in following up on the contacts made. Preparation and the ability to cultivate meaningful relationships make all the difference.
