Andalusia Founders Meeting: Uniting Entrepreneurs to Boost Startups on Spain’s Southern Coast

In a historic move for the Andalusian startup ecosystem, 70 founders gathered at the inaugural Founders Andalusia Meeting in Seville. This landmark event, organized by Founders Andalucía, an association dedicated to promoting the growth of the local startup landscape, aimed to position the region as a significant player in Spain’s entrepreneurial and technological arena.

While Madrid and Barcelona have long dominated the Spanish startup scene, Andalusia is emerging as a formidable contender, joining the ranks of the Valencia region. Known for its dynamic scaleups such as Freepik and Genially, Andalusia is increasingly recognized as a hub of innovation, bolstered by the burgeoning startup ecosystems in Málaga and Seville.

Key Outcomes of the Meeting

The Founders Andalusia Meeting yielded a series of strategic agreements designed to accelerate the region’s growth. Among the key initiatives announced were:

Founders for Founders: The creation of a community-driven investment fund, dubbed the “Founders Andalucía Fund,” aims to channel resources and mentorship to emerging startups. This initiative is expected to foster collaboration and support among founders, enhancing the overall ecosystem.
Reinvesting in Talent: The meeting emphasized the importance of encouraging experienced founders to reinvest in new ventures. This approach is intended to create a self-sustaining ecosystem where seasoned entrepreneurs contribute their knowledge and resources to nurture the next generation of startups.
Building Legacy Companies: A focus on prioritizing long-term growth was established, ensuring that companies remain in the region and contribute to its economic development. This vision aligns with the goal of creating a robust entrepreneurial environment that can withstand market fluctuations.
Action-Oriented Realism: The founders committed to setting achievable short-term goals while maintaining significant long-term aspirations. This pragmatic approach is designed to foster steady progress and measurable outcomes.
Inspiring Youth: The founders recognized their role as role models, aiming to motivate younger generations and nurture a culture of ambition and entrepreneurship within the region.
Highlighting Female Leadership: A commitment was made to increase visibility and support for women entrepreneurs in Andalusia, addressing the gender gap in the startup ecosystem and promoting diversity in leadership.
National and Global Leadership: The overarching aspiration is to establish Andalusia as a leader in entrepreneurship and innovation, not just within Spain but on a global scale.

A Diverse Network of Innovators

The association brings together founders from a wide array of industries, including health, renewable energy, artificial intelligence, and e-commerce. Among its standout members is Universal DX, one of Spain’s leading biotech startups, renowned for pioneering early cancer detection tools and securing one of the region’s largest funding rounds last year.

Another notable player is Freepik, the Málaga-based stock image and creative platform utilized by Fortune 500 companies. Other key contributors to the ecosystem include Genially, which specializes in interactive content creation, Kampaoh in travel tech, and Scoobic, known for its electric delivery vehicles.

Juan Martínez-Barea, president of Founders Andalucía and CEO of Universal DX, highlighted the region’s potential, stating, “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 pointed out that while Andalusia represents 17% of the Spanish population, it accounts for only 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 such as Santander, CaixaBank, DayOne, BDO, and Andersen, Founders Andalucía is poised to make a lasting impact on the region’s entrepreneurial landscape. The next meeting is set to expand its reach to include other provinces, ensuring that the entire region benefits from this growing momentum.

As Andalusia continues to cultivate its startup ecosystem, the collaboration and commitment demonstrated at the Founders Andalusia Meeting signal a promising future for innovation and entrepreneurship in the region.