Within the framework of the BIGBAN Investors Congress 2025, the heavyweights of investment in Spain will meet at the premier gathering of the private investment sector. To outline the state of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and provide insights into what the next year will bring, some of the most influential voices will be present: Hansi Hansmann, José Martín Cabiedes (a pioneer of venture capital in Spain), Mercé Tell (Encomenda), Rocío Pillado (Adara Venture), and Aquilino Peña (Kibo Ventures), among others. Investment in AI and deeptech will be the focus of analyses shaping the present and future of the sector.
On November 26 and 27, the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia will host the eleventh edition of one of the most representative events of Spain’s investor and entrepreneurial ecosystem: the BIGBAN Investors Congress 2025.
As leading figures in private investment in the country, the primary goal of this edition is to update the overall market outlook, bringing together the main business angels, entrepreneurs, family offices, corporates, and venture capital funds in the ecosystem, and to highlight which “technologies and sectors are driving deal flow, particularly AI and deeptech,” according to BIGBAN Investors Spain.
A clear example of the importance of this congress is the Advisory Board, assembled this year to shape the themes and achieve the outcomes reflected in the participation of nearly 300 of the most prominent figures in the sector.
The BIGBAN Investors Congress Advisory Board includes experts such as Paloma Cañete (Investment Director at Fides Capital), Paloma Castellano (Director of Wayra Spain), Jordi Rivera (independent director and business angel), Helena Torras (Venture Partner at Hans(wo)men Group), Eduardo Diez-Hochleitner (Chairman and Co-founder of Samaipata), Elena Rico (President of SpainCap), Sonia Fernández (Partner at Kibo Ventures), and François Derbaix (Co-founder and Co-CEO of Indexa Capital).
According to Jordi Rivera, business angel and member of the Board of BIGBAN Investors Spain and the advisory committee of the BIGBAN Investors Congress, “From an investor’s perspective, the BIGBAN Investors Congress is a must-attend event. Not only does it bring the main actors of private startup investment in Spain together in Valencia, but it does so around a highly practical program, with high-level conferences, discussion panels, thematic roundtables, and networking opportunities that facilitate conversation. From the advisory committee, we have worked to ensure that the content responds to the trends already being observed in the market.”
Key figures in the sector will speak to evaluate its evolution and offer perspectives on the challenges and opportunities shaping the future. Among them are Hansi Hansmann (The Hans(wo)men Group, one of Europe’s most influential business angels, with investments in over 70 startups), José Martín Cabiedes (Cabiedes Capital, pioneer of venture capital in Spain and a historic reference in the sector), Aquilino Peña (Kibo Ventures, co-founder and one of the main names in Spanish venture capital), Ramón Blanco (Bewater Funds, expert in liquidity and co-investment in private assets), Mercè Tell (Encomenda Capital Partners, one of the most recognized business angels and managers in the tech ecosystem), Jesús Martínez González (Ecotechers, investor in clean and sustainable technologies), Javier Ulecia (Bullnet Capital, founding partner and deeptech specialist), Rocío Pillado (Adara Ventures, investor specialized in deeptech and cybersecurity), Carlota Mateos (Ancla Life and co-founder of Rusticae, recognized entrepreneur and advocate for social and environmental impact), and Fernando Jiménez Míguez (Gradiant, expert in technology transfer and applied innovation).
“Every year we reinforce our commitment to the growth and professionalization of the Spanish investment ecosystem. BIGBAN Investors Congress 2025 maintains its boutique character, combining the quality of relationships and co-investment with high-value content, designed alongside the main sector leaders. This edition once again brings together the largest startup investors in Spain, consolidating the congress as the space where trends, experiences, and real opportunities are shared, driving private investment and innovation in our country,” explained Alberto Andújar, Director of BIGBAN Investors Spain.
This edition of the BIGBAN Investors Congress is supported by institutions such as Valencia Innovation Capital (Ajuntament de Valencia), ENISA (Spanish Government, Ministry of Industry), the Generalitat Valenciana, and the Institut Valencià de Finances, as well as leading companies in the sector including Caixabank DayOne, Aktion Legal, and Wayra (Telefónica).
All the mentioned leaders, and more, will take advantage of the various formats offered to provide attendees with insights on crucial topics for the sector. These topics will dominate roundtables and presentations such as Deeptech. Beyond AI, exploring technologies that are redefining the future beyond AI, how deeptech is driving advances in biotechnology, new materials, energy, quantum computing, and more. Experts will focus on the evolution of this type of innovation and the emerging opportunities in fields from biotechnology to defense. Similarly, Startup Investment in the Midst of a Tsunami. Market Insights will analyze the impact of the AI wave, which has also revolutionized startup investment.
The panel From Hype to Help will focus on how investors can provide real value, professionalize their role in the ecosystem, and position themselves on par with more advanced markets. Compared with highly mature markets like the UK, France, or Nordic countries, Spanish investors have traditionally favored smaller tickets, but today they are more selective, mature, and invest based on solid foundations.
Additionally, there will be personal stories and experiences highlighting investment trajectories and offering an experienced perspective on the future, such as From Cabiedes to Cabiedes. Few families can claim over two decades of anticipating where entrepreneurship in Spain is heading. The Cabiedes family has, including involvement in well-known cases like Privalia, Trovit, Kantox, BlaBlaCar, Deporvillage, and Indexa Capital.
Another sector challenge will be addressed in Fast Track to Exit. How to Accelerate Liquidity, responding to a common dilemma: What happens when a private company takes longer than expected to generate an exit and investors need a way out? More than a panel, this will be an immersion in how access to liquidity, investment, and new venture capital dynamics are evolving.
Furthermore, BIGBAN Investors Spain will tackle a pressing topic in Burnout: The Invisible Risk, raising the question: If the future of the ecosystem depends on the energy of its builders, why is nobody talking about protecting it?
As has been the tradition for over a decade, the BIGBAN Congress will host the BIGBAN Awards, recognizing individuals, entities, and projects that have contributed most to the development of Spain’s investment and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Due to the prestige these awards have gained, this eleventh edition will include the following categories:
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