Madrid Gives 4YFN a Warm Welcome

Last week, 4YFN landed in Madrid for an evening that brought together startups, investors, corporates and ecosystem leaders from across Spain and beyond. The Meetup took place at the Madrid Innovation Lab, a welcoming space dedicated to the insertion of AI and Deeptech technologies in Madrid.

The event opened with a warm welcome from Ángel Niño, Councillor for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Madrid City Council, who highlighted Madrid's commitment to creating the ideal conditions for startups to attract talent, grow internationally and thrive. His remarks reflected a shared vision between the city and 4YFN: building a dynamic environment where innovation and entrepreneurship can flourish. 

One of the evening's key discussions explored how startups and corporations can successfully work together. Álvaro Falcones, Co-founder and CEO of TaxDown, and Susana Barrios from Santander shared practical insights on building effective partnerships. Álvaro highlighted the value startups can gain from collaborating with trusted brands such as Santander, while Susana emphasised the importance of preserving the agility and flexibility that make startups unique. Together, they demonstrated how the best collaborations combine the strengths of both worlds. 

The programme also featured an engaging and innovative investor session that quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of the evening. Three leading investors - Itxaso Del Palacio, General Partner at Notion Capital; Paloma Castellano, Managing Director of Wayra Spain; and Sonia Fernández, Partner at Kibo Ventures -went head-to-head against AI sharing their insights on assessing startup opportunities and emerging investment trends. In the end, the audience voted in favour of the investors, reaffirming the value of human judgement, experience and intuition when identifying the next generation of successful startups. The debate sparked multiple follow-up conversations that continued well into the networking session, proving that the topic resonated strongly with our attendees. 

And that networking session was exactly what 4YFN is all about. Over drinks and nibbles, investors met founders, international guests connected with local ecosystem players, and new relationships were formed alongside existing ones. As the photos from the evening clearly show, the room was full of energy, conversation and smiles. Bringing together new and old friends in a relaxed setting created the perfect environment for meaningful connections and future collaborations. 

The momentum continued beyond the meetup itself. In the days that followed, the 4YFN team remained in Madrid to attend the South Summit, one of Spain's leading innovation gatherings, and to deepen relationships with key stakeholders across the city's entrepreneurial ecosystem. These conversations reinforced Madrid's growing position as a global hub for innovation and highlighted exciting opportunities for future collaboration between 4YFN and the local startup community.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the first 4YFN & Friends: Madrid Meetup such a success, especially our local hosts: Madrid city Council, MIL Madrid and Madrid in Games. 

Stay tuned for news of our next meetup, we look forward to seeing you there!