South Summit is a leading global innovation event, hosted in La Nave, Madrid Spain. It started just 8 years ago when Spain was suffering the worst of the financial crisis. The idea of the networking platform was to help showcase some of the promising new talents that were arising.
South Summit Startup Competition
One of the main events at this 3-day conference is the South Summit Startup competition. This allows anyone with a potential startup and a strong team behind them, the option to pitch their idea to an audience full of potential investors.
In 2018, over 3,500 projects were presented. While 47% were startups from Spain, an impressive 53% had traveled from abroad. More than 650 investors attended South Summit 2018. $1.5 billion was raised in funds with a further $34 billion funds under management. When you hear names like Cabify, Glovo, and Typeform, think South Summit!
This year, the numbers are expected to be even bigger. 2019 attendees include over 750 investors. Finalists have already raised $2.2 billion with another $55 billion under management. Startups are in the fields of energy, Fintech, Marketing & Content, Smart mobility, travel, healthcare, cutting edge technologies and many more.
What’s in it for the Finalists?
Some of the top picks so far have been bound4blue, Carbon Upcycling, WIDE EYES, Bodyo, CityScan, and PraxiLabs. The top 100 finalists are given opportunities one can only dream of at this early stage of their project. Even before the summit, they are looked after with a South Summit Bootcamp. Speakers are there to offer advice on how to talk to investors. Afterward, there is a cocktail session allowing the networking to begin.
The finalists have the chance to pitch their ideas on stage, to meet partners and investors, and 1 on 1 meetings. The top 100 are invited to a mentoring program providing advice on how to improve and adapt their pitch depending on the audience. And they are given a Funding and Corp book with key information about those who attended and what exactly they look for when investing in a startup.
The will be a massive media presence, more than 400 media attended last year. The organizers of the South Summit will have already introduced the startups to the media by providing them information based on social media. Those who are about to pitch their idea will have the added advantage of additional publicity!
Guest Speakers at the South Summit 2019
Huge names will be appearing from a number of top companies offering words of wisdom some to the best talents in Southern Europe, the Mediterranean, and Latin America. Here are just some of the guest speakers attendees will have the pleasure of hearing from:
- Niall Ferguson- Professor at Harvard University
- Valentin Stalf Founder and CEO of N26
- Anthony Salcito- VP of Worldwide Education Microsoft
- Elena Pisonero- President of Hispasat
- Patricia Kuhl- Co-Director of the Institute for Brain and Learning Sciences, University of Washinton
- Marcela Cubillos- Minister of Education, Government of Chile
- Marcus Witte- CEO of Babbel
Opening Keynotes begin at 10.30am on Wednesday the 2nd of October. Over the three days, there will be a diverse range of topics from the banking of tomorrow to other ways of leadership, legal hurdles when building a business, and doing business in Asia. There really is something for everyone!
