In a historic move for the Andalusian startup ecosystem, 70 founders gathered at the first Founders Andalusia Meeting in Seville.
The meeting, organized by Founders Andalucía, an association that promotes local startup ecosystem growth, aimed to position the region as a key player in Spain’s entrepreneurial and technological landscape.
While Madrid and Barcelona dominate the Spanish startup scene, Andalusia is emerging as a strong contender alongside the Valencia region.
Known for its dynamic scaleups like Freepik and Genially, Andalusia is gaining recognition as a hub of innovation, supported by the growing startup ecosystems of Málaga and Seville.
Key outcomes of the meeting
According to a press announcement, the event resulted in a series of strategic agreements to accelerate the region’s growth:
- Founders for Founders: Creation of a community-driven investment fund, “Founders Andalucía Fund,” to channel resources and mentorship to emerging startups.
- Reinvesting in Talent: Encouraging experienced founders to reinvest in new ventures to create a self-sustaining ecosystem.
- Building Legacy Companies: Prioritizing long-term growth to ensure companies remain in the region, contributing to economic development.
- Action-Oriented Realism: Setting achievable short-term goals with significant long-term aspirations.
- Inspiring Youth: Acting as role models to motivate younger generations and nurture a culture of ambition.
- Highlighting Female Leadership: Increasing visibility and support for women entrepreneurs in the region.
- National and Global Leadership: Aspiring to establish Andalusia as a leader in entrepreneurship and innovation.
A diverse network of innovators
The association brings together founders from diverse industries, including health, renewable energy, AI, and e-commerce.
Among its standout members is Universal DX, one of Spain’s leading biotech startups, known for pioneering early cancer detection tools and raising one of the region’s largest funding rounds last year.
Another notable company is Freepik, the Málaga-based stock image and creative platform used by Fortune 500 firms. Other key contributors to the ecosystem include Genially (interactive content creation), Kampaoh (travel tech), and Scoobic (electric delivery vehicles).
Juan Martínez-Barea, president of Founders Andalucía and CEO of Universal DX, said, “Andalusia has made an enormous leap forward in the last 50 years, but it still has to improve significantly in the ability to provide opportunities for young people to develop professionally at a high level from the autonomous community.”
He added that Andalusia represents 17% of the Spanish population but just 9% of startups and 6% of scaleups in Spain.
“We all have to manage to change those figures and show that Andalusia has the potential to lead,” he added.
With support from sponsors like Santander, CaixaBank, DayOne, BDO, and Andersen, Founders Andalucía is determined to make a lasting impact.
The next meeting will expand to include other provinces, ensuring the entire region benefits from this growing momentum.
