Sergio Conejo 🚀

London is one of the biggest startup hubs in Europe, having the UK 4x more VC invesment volume than Germany, and over 10x more than countries like Spain. These are some of the most active VCs (let me know in the comments who I'm missing) 👇 Speedinvest Founded: 2018 Investments: 100+ Investment Stage: Seed Seedcamp Founded: 2007 Investments: 491 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B Eight Roads Founded: 1969 Investments: 472 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D Balderton Capital Founded: 2000 Investments: 376 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D LocalGlobe Founded: 2019 Investments: 341 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A Octopus Ventures Founded: 2008 Investments: 327 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D Ascension Founded: 2012 Investments: 277 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A Anthemis Group Founded: 2010 Investments: 222 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D Entrée Capital Founded: 2004 Investments: 221 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D 83NORTH Founded: 2006 Investments: 207 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D Atomico Shoutout to Federico Ruosi Founded: 2006 Investments: 204 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D Notion Capital Shoutout to Itxaso del Palacio, PhD & Chris Tottman Founded: 2009 Investments: 161 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B Downing Ventures Founded: 1986 Investments: 166 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D Frontline Ventures Founded: 2012 Investments: 134 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D Connect Ventures Founded: 2012 Investments: 109 Investment Stage: Seed firstminute capital Founded: 2017 Investments: 109 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B AlbionVC Founded: 2004 Investments: 108 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B MMC Ventures Founded: 2000 Investments: 180 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B Dawn Capital Shoutout to Henry Mason Founded: 2006 Investments: 114 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B SuperSeed Shoutout to Dan Bowyer & Mads Jensen Founded: 2018 Investments: 15 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A Felix Capital Founded: 2014 Investments: 95 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D 20VC Shoutout to Harry Stebbings Founded: 2017 Investments: 38 Investment Stage: Pre-seed Index Ventures Shoutout to Paula Garcia Domingo & Vojtech Horna Founded: 1996 Investments: 300+ Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B, Growth Crane Venture Partners Founded: 2015 Investments: 72 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B Greyhound Capital Founded: 2015 Investments: 57 Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B MassMutual Ventures Shoutout to Ryan Collins & Maximilian Stemper Founded: 2014 Investments: 60+ Investment Stage: Seed, Series A, Series B+ More about VC at: https://lnkd.in/d_zxqrr6

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🌟 Spain’s Startup Ecosystem is Booming! 🚀 🌟 With over 7,000 tech companies, including 3,640 startups and 1,185 scaleups, Spain is solidifying its position as one of Europe’s most dynamic innovation hubs. Here’s why: Key Highlights 💰 Valuation & Economic Impact • Spain’s startup ecosystem is valued at a massive €100 billion, contributing €11.5 billion annually to the economy and generating 100,000 direct jobs. Leading Innovation Hubs 🔹 Barcelona • Startup Count: Over 2,000 startups, a 6.3% growth from the previous year. • Top in Europe: Ranked as the 5th best ecosystem in the EU for startups, following Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, and Amsterdam. • Tech Focus: 76% of startups specialize in Industry 4.0 technologies, including AI, big data, cloud computing, and IoT. • Investment: In 2022, Barcelona startups raised €1.653 billion, marking a 4.3% increase from the previous year. 🔹 Madrid • Rising Star: Madrid is quickly becoming a top destination for startups and entrepreneurs, consistently attracting more tech companies and investors. 🔹 Valencia • Emerging as a vibrant startup hub with significant growth in entrepreneurial initiatives. 🔹 Málaga & Bilbao • Developing dynamic startup ecosystems, further diversifying Spain’s tech landscape. What Makes Spain Stand Out? 🎓 World-Class Talent: Spain boasts a highly skilled workforce, particularly in engineering and development. 📜 Startup-Friendly Policies: Government initiatives and investment funds support startups by easing access to capital and promoting innovation. 🌍 Quality of Life: Cities like Barcelona and Madrid offer an exceptional lifestyle, attracting both entrepreneurs and international talent. If you’re considering expanding or starting your venture in Europe, Spain is the place to be, offering opportunities across various cities and tech sectors. https://lnkd.in/dBJ_nQC2

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The much awaited yearly Spain Ecosystem Report by Dealroom.co Kfund Wayra SpainCap Endeavor Spain GoHub Ventures BBVA Spark Enisa con el emprendimiento innovador There are many insights to discuss about, the most interesting for me are the following: 1. The value of Spanish tech is growing faster than other key ecosystems like France or Germany. We are catching up! 2. There is more than just Madrid and Barcelona as tech hubs. Valencia, Bilbao or Málaga are thriving. 3. If we take out the "lunacy" years of 2021-2022, the investment deployed in Spain follows a positive trend, with +2B invested in 2023. 4. There is still a lot to do, to ensure more female-led projects are funded, only 12% of VC investment since 2019 was made into their startups. 5. The future looks promising, Spain is where France was 5 years ago. If we do things right with support from all stakeholders we can create incredible value in terms of jobs and local wealth. 6. More and more collaboration with international funds is happening, as our local VC firms mature and achieve more relevant size and reach.

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It’s surprising how many entrepreneurs and freelancers in Spain don’t know about the financial support available for them 🤔: 💼 Grants for new autónomos in every region 💻 The Kit Digital (yes, up to €2,000 for things like a new laptop or digital marketing) 📉 Tarifa plana and even "Cuota Cero" in some regions Don't miss out on these opportunities! 💸 Have you looked into any of these? Let me know 👇 #SpainBusinessSupport #EntrepreneursSpain #DigitalNomadsSpain #NewAutonomos #SmallBusinessSpain #KitDigital #TarifaPlana #CuotaCero #StartUpSpain #FinancialAidSpain

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Why we are seeing great companies thrive, like Arkadia Space of my friend and fellow #DeepTech #WorkGroup of Startup Valencia member Francho García, and others like PLD Space, just to name a couple? Because the will impact beyond traditional space sectors, enhancing industries like retail, supply chains, and disaster mitigation. Lower costs and increased access to space technologies are expected to revolutionise various sectors, like the smartphones and cloud computing did. There are even companies cleaning the space, something unimaginable just a few years ago. It is definetly a vertical we have to (and we will) keep an eye at TRL+ Space is booming, it's really really hot. https://lnkd.in/daqsZPXr

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🌟 Over the past two days, I had the privilege of attending Andalus Innovation Venture in Sevilla! It was truly inspiring to meet so many passionate founders and startups working on groundbreaking solutions that will shape the future. 🚀 Here are some general ideas & conversations with innovative startups: 💡 **AI-powered Everything**: Startups of all kind are now harnessing artificial intelligence to revolutionize everything that we had created before, to offer a more personalized experience and of course much faster. 🌱 **Sustainability**: Startups are turning a focused attention on everything to do with agriculture, by developing cutting-edge solutions and eco-friendly products. 📈 **Fintech reimagined**: Entrepreneurs using blockchain and digital tools to simplify financial transactions and promote financial inclusion for all. 🏗️ **Smart cities**: Companies designing smart infrastructure and IoT solutions to create more efficient, connected, and sustainable urban environments. 🌍 **EdTech pioneers**: Startups creating new ways to educate and engage students and children, fostering creativity, collaboration, and entrepreneurial mindsets from an early age. One message I walked away with is the 🎓 **importance of teaching entrepreneurship to our children**. So many of these entrepreneurs were admitting that they come with a lot of technical knowledge but lack business and entrepreneurial skills that are a blend of management skills, finance and leadership. Startup and entrepreneurship is about fostering creativity, resilience, and problem-solving, As well as Management of finances, Leadership, and Communication. In the long run, it is the combination of all of the above points that will drive innovation, create jobs, and strengthen a country's economy. Let’s continue to inspire the next generation to dream big and innovate! 💫 #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Startups #Education #FutureLeaders

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𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 Recently, in one of this posts Guillermo Flor highlighted the key reason why most startups fail is the failure to creating products that solve real problems people face. If you watch Y Combinator / Dalton Caldwell videos, you’ve probably heard the phrase “talk to customers” countless times. Yet, talking to customers is daunting for many founders and product managers. The process of customer discovery can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re new to it or haven’t seen the results you were expecting for in past attempts. You might find yourself asking questions like: ➡️ What insights do I actually need to collect? ➡️ How will these insights influence product decisions? ➡️ Will conducting discovery studies delay product development? 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: it’s completely normal to have these questions. Discovery doesn’t have to be complicated or resource-intensive. With proper planning and a lean discovery approach, you can gather actionable insights without being overwhelmed. Here are some key steps (not exhaustive) I use with my clients to simplify and streamline the discovery process. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘅𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗺 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺,. In the coming days, I’ll dive deeper into each step, sharing examples, challenges and case studies from the projects I have worked in the past. ----- I'm Praveen Karthikeyan. I help early-stage B2B Startups make quick, data-driven product decisions with lean discovery.

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Just wrapped up our #DB1FounderDAY24 last week – such a blast catching up with our portfolio! It was awesome to pause, share stories, and think about the journey that brought us all together. 🌟 It's always a pleasure to learn from our founders. Here are a couple of trends we've noticed: 🤝 Founders are open to sharing experiences and due diligence processes. 💸 Profitability is a must. For SaaS companies, the Rule of 40 is a key metric to balance where your revenue growth and profit margins are in harmony, ensuring health and profitability. ⏩ In terms of investment rounds, things are moving faster than in 2023. 👷‍♀️ Beyond a great idea, effective execution and organizational structure matter. 🚀 #DraperGoGlobal #DVN #FounderCommunity

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Great to see TechCrunch echoing latest Dealroom.co report on the #Spanish #tech #ecosystem, here 4 facts to highlight: 💸 Enterprise Value (EV) of Spanish startups surpassed €100 billion in 2023. 🚀 Spanish tech is one of the fastest growing among Europeʼs major ecosystems, with a 2,7x EV Growth during 2019-2024 period. 🌱 Early stage investment is at an all time high, with €1,1B investment in 2023, ranking #4 after UK, France and Germany. 🔥 Number of investors has increased from 488 in 2019, to 888 in 2023. Corporate investors reached a record in 2023, #CVCs participated in 16% of the rounds. Congrats Wayra, Kfund, Endeavor, SpainCap, GoHub , BBVA Spark, Enisa con el emprendimiento innovador 👏

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Work hard play hard

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🎙 From selling a #startup for €165 million in 5 years to investing in the best startups in Europe. This week, Ander Michelena, General Partner of Acurio Ventures, participated in the Nova Talent podcast. During this episode they have discussed several interesting topics of entrepreneurship:  ➡ What is Ander most proud of when he thinks about his professional career. ➡ How Acurio improves the risk-return ratio with its investment model.  ➡ Why the rest of the funds do not perceive Acurio as a threat. ➡ Why rebranding when your company's brand is already well known in the market. #investment #entrepreneurs

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Building Andorra's Startup Ecosystem: A Gateway for International Scaleups 🚀🇦🇩 Why Andorra? Andorra, a small but ambitious nation, is positioning itself as a unique hub for tech talent and startups. Despite its small local population, Andorra offers unique advantages that can create something powerful. 🌍✨ A Promising Environment for Tech Talent Andorra’s light fiscal environment is attracting tech talent from around the world. Developers, startup founders, and digital entrepreneurs are choosing Andorra for its promising tech ecosystem. To ensure this ecosystem flourishes, we need to structure and showcase it effectively to capture the attention of government entities and investors. 🏔️💡 Ideal for Scaleups Seeking International Expansion Andorra is well-positioned to become a haven for scaleups looking to expand internationally. Many companies face high tax burdens in their home countries, which limits their competitiveness. Andorra’s favorable tax structure provides a compelling solution, giving these scaleups the room to grow and compete globally. 🌐💪 Our Vision: SEED Andorra At SEED Andorra, our mission is to create the infrastructure to support this transformation. We aim to build incubators, accelerators, and clusters to foster a supportive environment for startups. Our approach? Nurture the local ecosystem while bringing in mid-sized companies and venture capital players to boost Andorra’s visibility as a center of innovation. 💼🌟 Addressing Challenges for Growth To achieve this, we must tackle technical and legal challenges—from ensuring Andorra's legal framework is startup-friendly to creating incentives for venture funds to invest locally. These topics will be part of our future discussions as we work towards transforming Andorra into a startup paradise. 🏗️📈 Join the Adventure Are you ready to be part of this journey? Let’s turn Andorra into the startup powerhouse it can be. Reach out if you’re interested in collaborating, investing, or learning more about our vision. Together, we can elevate this small country into a giant in the world of innovation. 💬🤝 We'd love to hear your thoughts! Drop a comment, share this post, and like if you support our mission. Your engagement makes all the difference! 🚀💡 #StartupEcosystem #AndorraTech #SEEDAndorra #VentureCapital #TechTalent #Scaleup #InnovationHub #AndorraStartups #Startup

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Most startups fail because they build products nobody needs. 💔 But there are those rare startups that grow to be worth over $1 billion! 💹 Guillermo Flor analyzed some of these companies, and here are 10 takeaways on how to reach product-market fit (PMF) 👇: 1. What is Product-Market Fit (PMF)? Step-by-step guide with success stories from companies like Notion, Canva, and Stripe.    2. Find your first 10 customers and keep them beyond the first month—learn how others succeeded. 3. The $1M ARR Playbook—how HeyGen, Lemlist, and Canny reached this milestone. 4. Customer-Centric Go-To-Market Strategy—the most effective way to sell, plus a growth flywheel strategy. 5. Ship fast! Create a customer feedback loop that scales your startup. 6. Sales for first-time founders—insights from Notion, HubSpot, and PandaDoc. 7. Product-Market Fit Framework from Sequoia—what's the magic formula? 8. The four levers of Product-Market Fit from First Round Capital—pull them right! 9. Learn from Linktree’s story—how they went from 0 to $37M ARR and 12M users with a simple product. 10. Understand timing—it took years for some of the biggest players like GitHub, Figma, and Slack to hit PMF. Startups that succeed do one thing right—they build what people need. What’s your biggest PMF lesson? P.S. You can access Guillermo Flor's original post from the link below: https://lnkd.in/efsxp4nj #startup #productmarketfit #growth #entrepreneurship #PMF #GoToMarket #yatırım #yatırımcı #girişimci #girişim #kitleselfonlama #alestagroupe #girişimsermayesi #risksermayesi #kitlefonlaması #startup #danışmanlık

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💉 Usability and Human Factors engineering are paramount in Medical Device development

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It’s amazing to see so many Spanish startups pushing the boundaries of innovation. In 2021, Spanish startups raised over $4 billion in venture capital, making Spain one of Europe’s fastest-rising tech hubs. The country’s lifestyle continues to attract global talent, and more investors are taking note During the pandemic, Spain became a sought-after destination for remote work. Not only Madrid and Barcelona benefited, but smaller tech hubs also gained momentum, welcoming specialized talent and digital nomads. This shift has been instrumental in fueling the growth of Spain’s startup scene Overall, European tech is on a strong upward trajectory. Across the continent, VC investment crossed $100 billion in 2021 for the first time, more than doubling from the previous year. I’m proud to see Spain playing a key role in this renaissance, and I’m convinced the next major tech success will emerge from Europe

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Startups live on the edge of two sharp cliffs: One called ambition, and the other called runway. As founders, we dream big, but the harsh reality is simple: without enough cash to keep the wheels turning, dreams don’t matter. Let’s talk about two critical milestones: securing your runway and reaching break-even. 👉 The Runway Reality Fundraising isn’t just about getting money; it’s about buying time. Time to learn. Time to adapt. Time to survive. 1- Why 18-24 Months? Investors know this is the sweet spot. It’s enough time to test hypotheses, refine your product, and uncover what works. 2- Stretching Every Dollar: In the early stages, every dollar spent must lead to an insight. Marketing experiments, product tweaks, customer feedback loops—everything should be about learning, not just scaling. 3- Avoiding the Burnout Cliff: Running out of cash forces desperate decisions. That’s why managing a runway is about staying calm under pressure while maximizing every opportunity to prove your concept. 👉 Break-Even: The Calm After the Storm Reaching break-even is a game-changer for startups. It’s the moment when the business sustains itself—when survival is no longer tied to fundraising. 1- Why It Matters: Break-even provides stability, allowing founders to focus on growth, innovation, and strategic decisions instead of survival. Your investment burn rate is close to Zero. It means every dollar you spend - you spend on the scaling hypothesis. 2- How It Shapes Decision-Making: Once you’re break-even, you gain the flexibility to take calculated risks and experiment without fear of sinking the ship. 3- The Psychological Win: For founders, reaching break-even isn’t just a financial milestone. Before Business was on Founder/s back. Now it’s the reassurance that the business can stand on its own two feet. Does it mean that challenges are over? Hell no. ⏰ Balancing the Two The real challenge? Knowing when to push for aggressive growth versus when to conserve resources for the long haul. ✅ Smart Spending: Fundraising shouldn’t just be about hitting vanity metrics. It’s about finding product-market fit, refining operations, and scaling sustainably. ✅ Saying No to Pressure: Investors might want to see exponential growth, but founders need to stay grounded. Remember: revenue without sustainability is a house of cards. As founders, our biggest battle isn’t just building the product or convincing investors—it’s managing time and resources wisely. What are your strategies for balancing ambition with financial discipline? Let’s exchange the biggest lessons in it. #Startups #Fundraising #BreakEven #RunwayManagement #Entrepreneurship

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