The Madrid City Council has decided to double down on its commitment to entrepreneurship and attracting capital with a new edition of the Madrid Emprende Investment Forum, a well-established event on the calendar for startups and investors. This year's forum, now in its 13th edition, is designed as a meeting point for the most innovative business projects to find the financial boost they need to grow.
This year, the forum will be held at an iconic venue in the city, bringing together entrepreneurs , investment funds, accelerators, and other ecosystem players in a results-oriented format. The goal is simple yet ambitious: to facilitate valuable connections, improve access to private funding, and further solidify Madrid's position as one of the most dynamic hubs for startups in Spain and Europe.
13th edition of the Madrid Emprende Investment Forum
The new edition of the Madrid Emprende Investment Forum will take place on May 27th at the Cibeles Palace, the seat of Madrid City Council , an institutional setting that reinforces the public's commitment to innovation. The event will be held between 17:00 and 20:00 pm in the Jorge GarcÃa Berlanga Room, with access reserved for those who register in advance.
The event format is designed to facilitate a streamlined presentation of projects and direct interaction with investors . Throughout the afternoon, the selected startups will present their projects, and more informal discussion sessions will be held to delve deeper into the proposals and explore potential partnerships.
Ten Madrid-based startups seeking capital
In this edition, ten Madrid-based startups will take the stage to present their business ideas to a panel of investors. All of them have been selected from nearly one hundred applications, guaranteeing a competitive level and projects with sufficient maturity to secure significant funding rounds.
Each company will have a five-minute presentation to outline its value proposition, business model, and funding needs, followed by three minutes of questions from the professional attendees. It's an intensive format, similar to an investment pitch, that requires teams to get straight to the point and highlight their key competitive advantages.
The funding rounds to be discussed at the forum start at €200.000 , amounts aligned with the early growth stages of many tech startups. This threshold allows them to attract both business angels and venture capital funds specializing in seed-stage or early-stage companies.
Following the presentations, a networking session is planned, focused on making connections and exploring strategic alliances . In these more informal conversations, entrepreneurs can address investors' questions, adjust expectations, and lay the groundwork for future funding rounds or business agreements.
Record number of nominations and sectoral diversity
The 13th edition of the Madrid Emprende Investment Forum has received 97 applications from startups , the highest number to date, highlighting the current dynamism of entrepreneurship in the capital. The increase in applications reflects both the interest in accessing investment forums and the consolidation of the municipal program as a relevant showcase.
The selected projects represent a wide variety of strategic sectors , including health and biotechnology, artificial intelligence and software, the silver economy, digital services, and various innovative solutions applied to traditional economic activities. This mix of fields highlights Madrid's capacity to generate initiatives with a strong technological component, but also with an impact on the real economy.
The presence of proposals linked to the silver economy and services for the elderly points to a growing sensitivity towards demographic and social challenges, while artificial intelligence and software initiatives show the relevance that this type of technology is acquiring as an engine of business competitiveness.
Furthermore, many of the selected companies operate with scalable digital business models , which is essential for attracting European and international investment. This balance between disruptive innovation and practical application in established sectors is one of the elements that most interests specialized investors.
Impact on business financing: more than twelve editions of the tour
Since its inception, the various editions of the Madrid Emprende Investment Forum have had a direct impact on access to private funding for dozens of local startups. According to data provided by the organizers, companies participating in the first twelve events have secured more than €6 million in investment outside the public sector.
These figures demonstrate that the forum is not merely a showcase, but acts as a real catalyst for business growth . By connecting projects with potential and capital interested in exploring opportunities, it shortens the time needed to close funding rounds and increases the visibility of Madrid-based startups.
The program is primarily aimed at companies in the scaling phase—that is, companies that have already validated their value proposition and need additional resources to strengthen their team, enter new markets, or develop their own technology. At the same time, it provides investors with access to a qualified pipeline of projects, pre-screened by the City Council's technical team and its partner organizations.
In a context of increasing competition to attract capital, these types of forums contribute to improving the perception of Madrid as a safe environment to invest in innovation , thanks to the combination of institutional support, available talent and an expanding business fabric.
Strategic objectives and municipal commitment
The Madrid Emprende Investment Forum is part of a broader strategy by the City Council to strengthen the entrepreneurial fabric and consolidate a robust innovation ecosystem. Among the initiative's objectives are direct connections between entrepreneurs and investors, improved access to financing at different stages of development, and the creation of synergies between the private and public sectors.
With this program, the city government aims to position Madrid as a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship within Spain, with a focus on European expansion, particularly supporting technology-based startups with international growth aspirations. Collaboration with venture capital funds, accelerators, business angel networks, and entrepreneurship support organizations is key to creating a favorable environment.
In addition to facilitating investment meetings, the City Council is working on support, advisory, and training services to help projects arrive at these meetings in better shape. The combination of incubation, mentoring, and exposure to potential funders aims to reduce the early failure rate of startups and help more initiatives reach advanced stages.
This public commitment also includes a component of economic diversification and the creation of skilled jobs . By supporting innovative companies in various sectors, the city's productive base is broadened, new professional opportunities are created, and an economic model less dependent on traditional sectors is fostered.
Madrid as a technology and investment hub in Europe
The 13th edition of the Madrid Emprende Investment Forum is taking place against the backdrop of a clearly growing entrepreneurial ecosystem . Startups based in the capital have secured around €1.2 billion in funding by 2025, one of the best figures ever recorded for the city and solidifying its position on the European innovation map.
This volume of capital indicates that Madrid has become a benchmark for international funds and technology companies seeking competitive locations within the European Union. Factors explaining this trend include the availability of skilled talent, the presence of research centers and universities, and its connection to other technology hubs across the continent.
The Madrid Emprende Investment Forum fits into this dynamic as another piece of the machinery that sustains the ecosystem's growth . By offering a recurring space where projects and capital meet, it helps maintain a steady flow of opportunities and enables more local companies to compete on equal footing in the European market.
The commitment to technological and sustainable projects, with the capacity to scale in different markets , also responds to the priorities set by European institutions, which promote economic models based on innovation, digital transition and environmental sustainability.
A forum designed for direct connection and networking
Beyond the numbers, one of the distinguishing features of the Madrid Emprende Investment Forum is its focus on direct interaction among the diverse profiles of attendees . Entrepreneurs, investors, fund managers, accelerator directors, and representatives of public entities share the same space, facilitating the generation of contacts that, in other contexts, could take months to develop.
The event is designed as a structured yet informal networking environment , where formal presentations are combined with informal moments to exchange ideas, ask specific questions, and explore potential collaborations. This format is often particularly useful for startups taking their first steps in seeking capital and needing to validate their proposal with experienced professionals.
To participate as an attendee, prior registration is required through the official channels of the Madrid City Council . These same channels provide up-to-date information on the program, the selected startups, and the participation requirements for both companies and investors interested in joining the initiative.
Those attending the forum will find an environment where talent, innovation, and capital converge with a very specific goal : to promote projects that can grow, generate employment, and provide solutions to economic and social challenges. This single event brings together many of the key players in Madrid's entrepreneurial ecosystem, making the forum a highly recommended event for those involved in this field.
The latest edition of the Madrid Emprende Investment Forum reinforces the capital's image as a city that supports and facilitates the development of innovative projects . Thanks to a combination of institutional support, active participation from the investment sector, and a growing number of high-quality startups, the event is establishing itself as a valuable tool for channeling funding and strengthening the local ecosystem, while also positioning Madrid as a key player in the European entrepreneurial landscape.
