Sesame Summit 2026 – application open

How to build the Spanish Deep Tech Ecosystem, Challenges – Selected

The following is my distillation of the Spanish Deeptech ecosystem as obtains through countless hours of conference and event participation, data culled from The Collider‘s Technology Transfer and Business: Challenges and Opportunities report, and interviews done to key stakeholders and players from the Deeptech ecosystem in Spain including:

Many challenges arise from key players

1. Entrepreneurs & Researchers

  • Fear of missing their economic stability
  • Lacking knowledge on how to start their companies
  • Failure of projects due to a non specific market problem solution (focus on their research topics instead of looking at the market needs and trends)
  • Looking to license the technology instead of developing it into a business
  • Lack of emotional support and fear of emotional loneliness during the entire business creation process
  • Willingness to find alternatives to develop their projects and research out of academia

2. Tech Universities & R&D Centers

  • Need of more human capital
  • Need of more funding resources
  • Necessity to track spinoffs situation and evolution
  • Aquire more education on the business side
  • Need to have a closer relation with organisations
  • Need to understand technology applications in the market and business needs
  • Lack of exponential innovations (moonshots) vs incremental innovations
  • Lack of ecosystem unification (who is who?)

3. Organizations

  • Looking for incremental innovations, not exponential
  • Focus on short-medium term results
  • Lack of an agile collaboration structure (companies – startups)
  • Involvement in later stages, when risk is lower
  • Focus on the operational side, lack of time to understand market evolution and innovations developments
  • Looking to understand technology applicability in business
  • Looking for new business models to stay competitive in the market

4. Investors

  • Need for a bigger funding approach to initial phases and industrialisation stages (be more risk averse)
  • Looking for a higher number of qualitative and quantitive dealflow in scientific and new technology innovations
  • Need to adapt indicators for each stage: quantitative vs. qualitative

5. Public Institutions

  • Capital access to motivate researchers to start a business
  • Capital access for Deeptech innovations (TRL3-7 – 3 being “Experimental proof of concept” and 7 “Prototype demonstrated in a relevant environment.” )
  • Provide constant support to universities and R&D Centres
  • Attract talent to the city / region / country
  • Work on fiscal incentives to attract investments
  • Provide more visibility to Deeptech innovations
  • Educate about science and new technologies
  • Create quality job employment
  • Build a Deeptech entrepreneurship culture since School
  • Boost and expose more science into the market
  • Knit the Deeptech innovation culture

Therefore, in order to build a strong Deeptech ecosystem, Spain must provide more visibility and exposure, more resources, funding capital and, especially, more education on scientific and high technologies to its citizens and key players.

Building relationships between key players is vital and necessary. If the Spanish economy wants to become a strong economy, investing in the Deeptech ecosystem is key for its long-term survival.

Stay tuned as I expect to have my part followup, (Part 2), with further data and conclusions within the next weeks.

In the meanwhile, three events you should take a look at:

International Conference on Agricultural, Biotechnology, Biological and Biosystems Engineering – 21-22 October 2020 – ICABBBE 2020 aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of Agricultural, Biotechnology, Biological and Biosystems Engineering.

Kaspersky Security Summit – 6-8 October 2020 – The Kaspersky Security Analyst Summit (SAS) is a yearly event that gathers high-caliber anti-malware researchers, global law enforcement agencies and CERTs and senior executives from financial services, technology, healthcare, academia, and government agencies.

BIO-Europe 2020 Digital – 26-29 October 2020 – BIO-Europe is the largest partnering conference in Europe dedicated to the global biotechnology industry. This year reaches its 26th edition and will be held in digital format.

you might also like

Fundraising 1 day ago

Despite ongoing conflict, Ukrainian fintech companies continue demonstrating remarkable resilience in securing international investment, challenging preconceptions about wartime entrepreneurship in Europe’s eastern frontier. The latest proof comes from Fintech IT Group, which has successfully raised €16.5M in growth funding from the Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund (UMAEF), marking one of the most significant wartime investments in the Ukrainian startup ecosystem. This funding round represents more than capital allocation—it signals international confidence in Ukraine’s tech sector durability and the strategic importance of maintaining financial infrastructure during crisis periods. Ukraine wartime funding attracts international backing The Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund’s investment thesis centres on supporting critical financial infrastructure that serves both civilian and business communities during unprecedented circumstances. UMAEF, backed by the U.S. government, specifically targets companies providing essential services that maintain economic stability in challenging geopolitical environments. “We’re investing in companies that demonstrate not just financial potential, but strategic importance for regional economic resilience,” noted UMAEF representatives familiar with the deal. This approach differs markedly from traditional European venture capital, which typically prioritises pure growth metrics over strategic infrastructure value. The investment reflects broader international recognition that Ukrainian fintech companies have proven their operational capabilities under extreme stress conditions—a unique value proposition in European markets where regulatory compliance and operational resilience increasingly matter to institutional investors. Monobank’s European expansion strategy Fintech IT Group, operating primarily through its flagship Monobank platform, has established itself as Ukraine’s leading digital bank with over 7 million active users. The company’s mobile-first approach and robust API infrastructure have proven particularly valuable during wartime, when traditional banking channels face physical disruption. The €16.5M funding will primarily support technological infrastructure expansion and enhanced security measures, according to company leadership. This includes strengthening cross-border payment capabilities and developing additional financial products tailored for both domestic and international Ukrainian communities. “Our experience maintaining financial services during conflict has given us unique insights into building resilient fintech infrastructure,” explained Monobank leadership. “These capabilities position us well for expansion into other European markets where operational reliability is paramount.” The funding also enables deeper integration with European financial systems, potentially positioning Monobank as a bridge between Ukrainian diaspora communities and their homeland—a strategic advantage as refugee populations establish new lives across European capitals. This investment underscores how wartime innovation often produces solutions with broader European market applications, particularly in financial services where trust and reliability prove more valuable than flashy features. For Ukrainian startups, proving operational excellence under extreme conditions may well become their unique competitive advantage in European expansion.

Fundraising 1 day ago

The UK’s fintech landscape is witnessing a new wave of institutional backing as specialised accelerators emerge to bridge the gap between early-stage innovation and scalable growth. Against this backdrop, Antidote has secured €2.95M (£2.5M) in funding to launch its accelerator programme focused on fintech and Bitcoin-adjacent technologies. The funding signals renewed confidence in the UK’s position as a global fintech hub, despite ongoing regulatory uncertainties around digital assets. Led by Fulgur Ventures, the round reflects the growing appetite among European investors for infrastructure plays that can nurture the next generation of financial technology companies. The timing aligns with increasing institutional adoption of Bitcoin and digital assets across traditional finance, creating demand for specialised support structures. Fintech accelerator funding attracts specialist investors Fulgur Ventures’ decision to lead this round underscores the firm’s thesis around Bitcoin infrastructure and the tools needed to support mainstream adoption. The Venice-based venture capital firm, known for backing Lightning Network infrastructure companies and Bitcoin-native startups, sees Antidote as a strategic platform to identify and develop promising UK fintech talent. “The UK remains one of Europe’s most vibrant fintech ecosystems, but there’s a clear gap in specialised support for Bitcoin and crypto-adjacent innovations,” notes a Fulgur partner familiar with the investment. “Antidote’s approach combines traditional accelerator methodology with deep domain expertise in digital assets.” The investor’s portfolio strategy focuses on companies building critical infrastructure for Bitcoin adoption, from payment rails to custody solutions. Antidote fits this thesis by positioning itself as a talent pipeline for the next wave of Bitcoin-enabled financial services. Bridging traditional fintech with digital asset innovation Antidote’s programme targets the intersection between established fintech verticals and emerging digital asset opportunities. This positioning reflects broader market dynamics where traditional financial services increasingly integrate blockchain-based solutions, creating demand for hybrid expertise. The accelerator plans to support 8-12 startups per cohort, providing €50,000 in initial funding alongside mentorship from industry veterans. The programme specifically targets companies working on payment infrastructure, trading platforms, custody solutions, and compliance technology for digital assets. “We’re seeing exceptional talent in the UK who understand both traditional financial services and the technical nuances of Bitcoin,” explains Antidote’s founding team. “Our role is to provide the runway and expertise needed to turn these insights into scalable businesses.” The funding will support programme operations, mentor network development, and follow-on investment capacity for portfolio companies. Antidote also plans to establish partnerships with major UK financial institutions seeking exposure to digital asset innovation without direct investment risk. This launch reflects the maturation of Europe’s digital asset ecosystem, where specialised support infrastructure is emerging to complement general-purpose accelerators. With regulatory clarity improving across EU markets, accelerators like Antidote are positioning to capture the next wave of fintech innovation at the intersection of traditional finance and digital assets.

Fundraising 1 day ago

Germany’s tax advisory sector faces a looming crisis. With 57% of the country’s tax advisors aged over 50, the profession confronts both a demographic cliff and mounting pressure to digitalise decades-old processes. Into this gap steps AnyTax, which has secured €1 million in pre-seed funding from IBB Ventures to modernise Germany’s tax infrastructure through intelligent automation. The Berlin-based startup’s timing couldn’t be more strategic. As Germany’s Mittelstand grapples with increasingly complex tax regulations whilst traditional advisors edge towards retirement, AnyTax’s platform promises to bridge the growing expertise gap through technology that augments rather than replaces human judgment. German tax modernisation attracts strategic investment IBB Ventures’ investment reflects a broader recognition that Germany’s tax advisory market—worth billions annually—requires urgent technological intervention. The Berlin-based VC, backed by the city’s investment bank, has consistently backed companies addressing structural inefficiencies in German business processes. “The German tax system’s complexity creates both challenges and opportunities,” notes an IBB Ventures spokesperson. “AnyTax’s approach of augmenting advisor capabilities rather than replacing them aligns perfectly with how German professional services are evolving.” The funding round positions AnyTax within a growing cohort of European RegTech companies that specifically address continental European regulatory environments, rather than adapting Anglo-Saxon solutions. This localised approach proves increasingly valuable as EU member states maintain distinct professional service requirements. Addressing Germany’s tax advisor shortage through technology AnyTax’s platform targets the critical bottleneck facing German businesses: accessing quality tax advice amid advisor shortages. The company’s technology enables existing advisors to handle larger caseloads whilst maintaining compliance standards, effectively multiplying capacity within the existing professional framework. The startup’s solution addresses uniquely German challenges, including the complex interplay between federal and state tax obligations that confounds even sophisticated international businesses operating in Europe’s largest economy. By automating routine compliance tasks, AnyTax frees advisors to focus on strategic tax planning—precisely where human expertise adds most value. Founder insights suggest the €1 million will primarily fund platform development and partnerships with established German tax advisory firms, recognising that success requires deep integration with existing professional networks rather than attempting to bypass them entirely. AnyTax’s funding reflects broader momentum in European professional services technology, where regulatory complexity creates sustainable competitive moats for startups that truly understand local market dynamics. As Germany’s tax landscape grows increasingly sophisticated, platforms like AnyTax become essential infrastructure rather than mere efficiency tools.

Subscribe to
our Newsletter!

Stay at the forefront with our curated guide to the best upcoming Tech events.