Guide to the tech events for entrepreneurs you have to attend in 2024

Once the year has started, it's time to prepare for all events focused on innovation, startups and entrepreneurship which will be held throughout the year throughout Spain. At Santalucía Impulsa we have made a selection of some of the most important ones and we tell you everything you need to know: date, place, topics to be discussed and why to attend.

Mobile World Congress (MWC)

February 26th to 29th — BarcelonaEl Mobile World Congress, considered the most important congress in the world in its sector, will be held once again at Fira de Barcelona on February 26, 27, 28 and 29, 2024. The annual congress on global technology and R&D aims to promote international collaboration in mobile wireless communications. During the 2023 edition there were more than 88,500 attendees, a total of 2,400 exhibitors and 202 countries and territories participated. For this year, the major themes of the MWC that are shaping our industry will be 5G, IoT, generative AI, industry 4.0, the new technologies of the future and digital inclusion, diversity and sustainable technology.

4YFN

February 26th to 29th — Barcelona4yfn is associated with MWC, the world's most influential connectivity event. It's about the Reference event for startups and innovation in Catalonia, and this year it celebrates its tenth edition. The 4YFN offers emerging companies unique connection possibilities, allowing entrepreneurs, investors, companies and institutions to relate and create new businesses together. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary and to celebrate those ten years of promoting startups, venues and speakers are multiplying. In addition, they are improving their programs and integrating more interaction, practical experience and expert opinions.Some of the topics for the 2024 edition are the era of artificial intelligence, startup funding, corporate innovation and the rise of decentralized technologies.

Transfer

March 20 to 22 — MalagaTransferE, the European Forum for Science, Technology and Innovation, is the largest European event on R+D+i and knowledge transfer. It connects everyone Spanish innovation system and boosts its international reach. A meeting with high potential to generate global alliances and synergies, led by talent, scientific-technological development, access to investment and business.Transfer is consolidated annually in Malaga as an essential event for ecosystem agents. It is the ideal place to establish B2B connections, expand the network of contacts, find new strategic partners, and identify promising alliances and synergies. The comprehensive Transfer program provides the opportunity to access a) Valuable information and comprehensive details on various areas of current affairs: opportunities for internationalization, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, industry 5.0, financing, investment, research and open innovation or public purchase of innovation, among many other topics.

Meta World Congress

April 10 and 11 — MadridOn April 10 and 11, it will be held at La Nave in Madrid Meta World Congress 2024. A global meeting in which to discover the latest trends and advances in the technological world, interact with them and learn to apply them. Meta World Congress is an event with a focus focused on immersive experience. With this, it allows attendees not only to learn about the latest developments in technological innovation, but to interact with them and discover the practical applications in their corresponding business sectors or business contexts. From presentations and exhibitions to activities or networking, the event offers a deep immersion in topics such as AI, blockchain and web3, digital realities or new virtual environments. All this with the participation of international leaders and companies.

Insurance World Challenges

April 24 — MadridOne of the largest insurtech events in Southern Europe, Insurance World Challenges, celebrates its new edition in 2024. On April 24, a crowd of high-quality speakers and international coverage for the insurance industry will meet at the Civitas Metropolitan Stadium in Madrid. The Insurance World Challenges, which constitutes a meeting and reference point for insurance professionals, aims to enable them to share knowledge, exchange experiences and share insurance performance. It is an essential meeting on the agenda of the Ibero-American community, as it has become a Leading international conference in the insurance sector on the trends and challenges faced by the industry at a global level.

Ibiza Tech Forum

April 24 to 26 — IbizaThe second edition of Ibiza Tech Forum, which will take place in April 2024, is shaping up to be a melting pot of innovation, technology and collaboration.This event seeks to attract most avant-garde startups in crucial areas such as sustainability, tourism, smart cities and artificial intelligence. In fact, beyond being a meeting point for technological dialogue, the forum is committed to being a catalyst for change. Ibiza Tech Forum proposes, in this edition, enriching debates with interactive workshops that challenge conventional thinking and promote synergy between technology and practical needs.

Galicia Startup Congress

May 7th and 8th — GaliciaThe reference event in northwestern Spain, Galicia Startup Congress, is already preparing its thirteenth edition for the beginning of May of this year. The objective is to attract corporations and investors and their connection in the Galician entrepreneurial ecosystem.The congress represents a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs, investors and technology enthusiasts, as it offers a comprehensive program of presentations, round tables and workshops with the participation of renowned investors.

IOT Solutions World Congress

From 21 to 23 May — BarcelonaIoT Solutions World Congress, the main international event on digital transformation and disruptive technologies, presents its next edition, which will take place from 21 to 23 May at the Gran Vía venue in Barcelona. The IOTSWC 2024 provides access to the most recent knowledge and best practices of opinion leaders from all over the industry, as well as to exclusive advances from cutting-edge technologies, technologies that will have the greatest business impact and revolutionary innovations.This year, the IOTWSC is expected to bring together 12,000 visitors from more than 100 countries, more than 400 exhibitors and a line-up of 250 speakers and experts who will participate in the 125 sessions of the congress.Some of the disruptive technologies to overcome industry challenges that will be discussed at the conference are the IoT industry, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, cloud computing, cybersecurity, big data, augmented reality, 5G technologies or digital twins.

South Summit

From June 5 to 7 — MadridThe 13th edition of South Summit will take place on June 5, 6 and 7 at La Nave in Madrid, a space that brings together key players for boosting business progress and growth.The global entrepreneurship meeting, which brings together entrepreneurs, investors, startups and corporations, aims in its next edition to create real business opportunities and generate high-value connections within the global innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. South Summit has become a global benchmark for attracting talent and generating business opportunities within the entrepreneurial ecosystem. And in 2024 it expects to exceed the figures of the last edition, which was attended by more than 20,000 attendees from 125 different countries, 6,500 entrepreneurs, 2,000 investors and more than 650 speakers.

Digital Enterprise Show (DES)

From 11 to 13 June — MalagaExponential technologies will be concentrated on the Costa del Sol with the celebration of the 8th edition of Digital Enterprise Show. We are talking about the largest multispecialist event in Europe on exponential digital solutions where talent, technology and business converge. During those three days in the month of June, Malaga will become the Epicenter of digital innovation, promoting the identification and creation of business and professional opportunities, and guiding companies, SMEs and administrations on their path to digitalization definitive to be more competitive. Under the slogan 'Feel the Exponential Intelligence', DES2024 wants to highlight the convergence between the potential of exponential technologies, currently led by artificial intelligence, and the capabilities of human talent. And it will do so through state-of-the-art conferences, a disruptive exhibition area and immersive networking opportunities.

Al Andalus Innovation Venture

September 24 and 25 — SevilleAl Andalus Innovation Venture, the reference event of Scaleups and Open Innovation in southern Spain, will celebrate its 3rd edition on September 24 and 25, 2024 at the Seville Navigation Pavilion, located in the Cartuja Science and Technology Park. For the third consecutive year, Al Andalus Innovation Venture will turn Seville into the meeting point of scaleups, venture capital, open innovation and startups in two days full of activities and networking, giving rise to a unique framework of entrepreneurship and innovation. In the last edition, held in September 2023, AAIV brought together at the Navigation Pavilion more than 1,900 visitors, 400 startups (of which 56 were finalists of the event), 174 exhibitors, 155 investors and 72 corporations with the support of major corporations, investors and institutions in Andalusia and at the national level.

Zaragoza Startup Fest

October 2 and 3 — ZaragozaOn October 2 and 3, he returns to the Aragonese capital. Zaragoza StartupFest, in order to bring together the protagonists of the Spanish entrepreneurial ecosystem at ETOPIA Center for Art and Technology. In this new edition, organized by Zebra Ventures, they will be present more than 500 attendees, 60 investors, 60 startups and 30 ecosystem agents.Startups, investors, corporations and institutions will come together to host conferences and workshops, pitches, stands and a lot of networking.

Startup Olé

October 8 to 10 — SalamancaThe eleventh edition of Startup Olé, which will be the largest so far, will take place on October 8, 9 and 10 both at the Palacio de Congresos and at the University of Salamanca. This year's event covers several aspects: a forum for investors and corporations, the Castilla y León European Innovation Valley forum, a forum for accelerators, another for Ibero-American innovation, another focused on impact and another related to universities. In this way, Startup Olé will once again consolidate itself as the The main innovation and entrepreneurship fair in Spain and Europe.

B-Venture

October 15 and 16 — Bilbaob-Venture, the largest Northern Spain entrepreneurship event, will hold its next edition in mid-October at the Euskalduna Palace in Bilbao, which, for two days, will breathe innovation, entrepreneurship, funding and ideas. Throughout the four editions that have consolidated the event as one of the most important events dedicated to startups in Spain, more than 400 startups have participated and 96 have been selected for competition. In this edition, 25 startups have been selected again. This 2024 B-Venture will feature some of the largest corporations, investors and venture capital firms in the country, which will offer a very practical approach through exhibitions, conferences, workshops and networking spaces.

Madrid Tech Show

October 16 and 17 — MadridMadrid Tech Show is established as the reference event for managers and professionals in the cloud, cybersecurity, big data, AI, data centers, eCommerce and digital marketing sectors. The fourth edition of this event will take place on October 16 and 17, 2024 at IFEMA. There, more than 350 managers and IT experts they will offer their conferences in the 14 auditoriums distributed in the six areas of interest, at the same time that experts and influencers from the sector will share real experiences, the success stories of their companies and the most outstanding case studies of the moment. Attendees who attend this event will have the opportunity to connect with more than 17,500 professional visitors, attend conferences with leading speakers and discover the solutions and strategies of the more than 400 exhibiting companies, market leaders, who will be present.

Waykup Murcia Startup Region

October 22nd and 23rd — MurciaWaykup Forum is a meeting space for investors, startups and corporations organized by the Institute for Development of the Region of Murcia. It promotes the latest trends in innovation and technology, entrepreneurs, investment funds and companies come together to create opportunities, and disruptive talent is the main ingredient. The forum seeks to be the nerve center of encounter between startups and the most disruptive emerging companies, with private investors looking for original and groundbreaking business ideas in the Region of Murcia. The objective of this event is connect startups with a hundred national and international investors to continue strengthening entrepreneurs and startups and to increase the number of new projects in the region.

Valencia Digital Summit (VDS)

October — ValenciaValencia Digital Summit, the international technological event organized by Startup Valencia in the City of Arts and Sciences that promotes connections between startups, corporations and investors, will celebrate its seventh edition in October 2024. VDS is a global 360 high-impact platform that shows disruptive solutions from the best innovative talent. In addition, it creates business opportunities by fostering connections between key players, thus boosting the ecosystem of technology and innovation. In the last edition, VDS once again beat its Record participation for the second year in a row, since it managed to bring together more than 12,000 professionals from 91 different countries, 500 speakers, more than 600 investors with a portfolio of 8 billion euros, more than 900 corporations and 2,200 startups. At the 2024 event, the international startup competition will once again stand out. In fact, the organization expects to return to exceed 600 applications from more than 50 different countries, and the call will attract the world's most disruptive startups.