Over 150 professionals from the fields of entrepreneurship, investment, and public-private collaboration gathered this morning at La Harinera for Focus Pyme, with the goal of driving innovation and improving access to funding for startups.
Organized by Startup Valencia and CEEI Valencia, with the support of IVACE+i, the event served as a platform for sharing insights, presenting new financing tools, and strengthening strategic alliances that can accelerate business growth.
Juan Luis Hortelano, President of Startup Valencia, stated: “The economic future of our region depends on a strong tech sector, capable of innovating, attracting investment, and working in alignment with institutions. Only then can we build a competitive, resilient business ecosystem that’s ready to tackle the major challenges of growth.”
Likewise, Ramón Ferrandis, CEO of CEEI Valencia, emphasized that “Successful growth requires both strategic innovation and strong execution,” highlighting the importance of experience-sharing in events like today’s.
In this context, CDTI and ENISA presented their new funding programs aimed at promoting innovation in startups and SMEs. The session also outlined the requirements and opportunities of CDTI’s new investment fund, designed for companies at various stages of growth.
The event offered a practical and inspiring vision through three roundtable discussions featuring professionals in entrepreneurship, investment, and innovation. The first panel explored innovation in traditional SMEs. Under the title “Transform to Endure: Innovation Beyond Technology”, Eva Prieto, Marketing and Communications Director at Pinturas Isaval; Ricardo Morla, founder and CEO of Rudo Apps; and Diego Díaz, co-founder and CEO of Uphint, discussed how startups are collaborating with established companies and how industrial SMEs are internally transforming their processes.
Open innovation was the focus of the second panel, “Corporations and Open Innovation. From Providers to Partners: How Corporates Collaborate with the Ecosystem”.
Jorge Marcos, Project Manager at Opentop; Carmen Durán, Project Director at Lanzadera; and Manuel Fernández, Corporate Partnerships Associate at Plug and Play Spain, shared real-life cases of acceleration programs, strategic alliances, and key learnings from the shift from suppliers to innovation partners.
The final panel addressed how investment funds are approaching AI-based projects and what elements they consider essential when evaluating such solutions. Luz Adell, Partner & Finance at Draper B1; Víctor Mollá, founder of Gurusup; and Javier López Blanes, Venture Capital Investor at GoHub Ventures, explored both investment theses and the real challenges of developing and implementing AI technologies in the session “Funds and Smart Investment. AI, Innovation and Capital: What Are Investors Looking for Today?”
With this edition, Focus Pyme consolidates its position as a key event connecting innovation, investment, and growth in the Valencian Region, creating new opportunities for startups and SMEs in a constantly evolving landscape.
