These figures were positively assessed by María Benjumea, president and founder of South Summit: “In addition to continuing to attract and generate business and global reach, this year our focus is on fostering growth. In Europe, we need larger companies and startups, which is why one of the major new features this year at South Summit is our Growth Camp, a meeting point for those shaping the innovation of tomorrow.”

The presentation of #SouthSummit25, which will take place at La Nave in Madrid from June 4 to 6 under the slogan 'In Motion', was opened by the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, who defined the meeting as “Madrid’s best window to the world in the fields of innovation and entrepreneurship. The celebration of South Summit is an example of how a city can reinvent itself and gather the talent needed under the best conditions for entrepreneurship.” The Mayor of Madrid also assured that “We are firmly committed to accompanying South Summit on this journey and to continuing our work to consolidate Madrid as an internationally renowned ecosystem, where those who arrive with a dream find the support they need to make it come true.”

South Summit Madrid 2025 is also positioned as a key driver of employability and international appeal, with the report forecasting the creation of over 3,443 jobs for the 2025 edition (a 14% increase compared to 2024), and 58% of attendees are expected to come from outside Madrid.

In this regard, Diego del Alcázar Benjumea, CEO of IE University, stressed that “At IE University, we share South Summit’s international vision and commitment to positive impact through the development of global, diverse talent and the promotion of entrepreneurship from the academic world. We believe in knowledge, excellence, and innovation, and we put them in motion to transform the world.”

For her part, Rocío Albert, Minister of Economy, Finance and Employment of the Community of Madrid, highlighted that “Today we come together to witness the results and share a common success story; a story of how to become a reference in innovation and entrepreneurship by creating vision, image, and future”. Meanwhile, María González Veracruz, Secretary of State for Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence, stated that: “Investing in innovation and entrepreneurship means building a fairer, more modern, and more cohesive country—a better country. It is my duty to once again reaffirm my commitment, as we already do through our investment and our presence, to South Summit, to entrepreneurship and startups, and to all of you who make it possible for Spain to grow and become an economic engine within the OECD.” She went on to describe South Summit as: “An essential commitment to movement and an example of how, together—with the support of public administrations and the drive of private companies—powerful synergies of value can be created.”

Globalisation and growth: key points from startups and South Summit

2024 marked a very positive shift in trend following the global decline in startup investment between 2022 and 2023, which saw a 38% drop. Last year, however, global startup investment volume rose by 10%, reaching $337 billion in capital raised, according to the PwC report.

Notably, ecosystems such as Latin America demonstrated resilience and growth, with an 8% increase in investment volume from 2023 to 2024, while Spain stood out significantly, recording a 35% increase and reaching an investment volume of €885 million. In fact, Spain’s growth contrasts sharply with the broader trend in the rest of Europe, which saw a 9% decrease in investment volume over the same period.

During the presentation of South Summit Madrid 2025, Alberto Tornero and Jordi Esteve, partners at PwC Spain, explained that this investment rebound “is largely due to an improved macroeconomic and geopolitical environment, along with a soft economic landing driven by lower interest rates and investors prioritising funding rounds in more mature companies.”

At the national level, the average size of investment rounds increased by 58%, mainly due to a 66% rise in megarounds. Investment volume also grew by 35%, and foreign investment in Spain rose by an impressive 134%, compared to a 14% increase from domestic investors.

In this context of rising startup investment and growing internationalisation, South Summit Madrid 2025 is set to further strengthen its role as the leading platform for fostering growth, collaboration, and global expansion for entrepreneurs. This was emphasised by María Benjumea during a conversation at the launch event alongside Carmen del Campo, CIO of Mutua Madrileña, and Iñaki Berenguer, Managing Partner at LifeX Ventures. All three speakers agreed that South Summit is a space where talent shines, and a platform for boosting the emergence of scaleups in Spain, connecting with international entrepreneurs and investors, and staying at the forefront of technological innovation.

Madrid, Barcelona… and Palencia Emerge as Key Entrepreneurship Hubs

Spain’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has shown clear territorial expansion over the past year, with significant progress across various provinces. While Madrid and Barcelona remain the main hubs for entrepreneurship, cities like Bilbao, Valencia, and Málaga also maintain a strong presence within the ecosystem. Specifically, Madrid hosts 28% of all startups in the country and 34% of the investors, while Barcelona accounts for 51% of the total investment volume.

Once again, Madrid has strengthened its position as a leading hub for entrepreneurship both nationally and internationally, ranking first globally among emerging ecosystems and third in terms of exits, totalling €4.2 billion. Additionally, in 2024, Madrid registered more than €821 million in investment (a 6% increase from 2023), and its nearly 11,000 startups employed around 1.5 million people last year.

Amid a landscape dominated by Madrid, Palencia has emerged as a new player to watch. Despite having a limited base of investors, startups, and operations, the city has managed to establish itself as a relevant innovation hub, according to PwC’s report. This achievement is largely attributed to the €225 million funding round raised by the company Zunder.

South Summit: A Guarantee of Success and Visibility for Startups

The findings of the “Socioeconomic Impact of South Summit in Spain 2025” report not only support the economic and employment boost generated by the event, but also highlight its direct influence on the hundreds of startups that compete each year in various editions of the Startup Competition to be recognized as the most innovative project worldwide.

Since 2012, the 1,381 finalist startups that have participated in South Summit events held around the world have raised €17.651 billion in investment, achieved a survival rate of 85%, and generated 110 exits. Specifically, South Summit Madrid’s Startup Competition has seen 1,062 finalist startups raise €12.206 billion in investment since 2021. Roughly 70% of this investment corresponds to Spanish startups (€8.535 billion), and half of that (€4.268 billion) was secured by Madrid-based projects.

In fact, in 2024 alone, South Summit Madrid finalist startups raised over €311 million in combined investment after participating in the event, a 63% increase compared to the capital they had secured before attending.

This effect is even more pronounced for Spanish startups, which nearly doubled their investment (+92%) after reaching the finals of South Summit Madrid 2024, reaching a total of €196.5 million, of which approximately one-third (€31.1 million) went to startups based in Madrid.

South Summit Madrid 2025: In Motion

#SouthSummit25 will be supported by the Secretary of State for Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence, the Community of Madrid, and the Madrid City Council, as well as Mutua Madrileña, Google for Startups, BBVA Spark, Wayra – Telefónica Innovation, and BStartup by Banco Sabadell.

Under the theme “In Motion,” the 14th edition of this international gathering aims to create a purposeful and impactful movement among all ecosystem players, transforming uncertainty into opportunity. South Summit Madrid 2025 will feature prominent global leaders in the innovation space, including: Greg Hoffman, the mind behind Nike’s brand evolution and one of the world’s most influential experts in branding and business creativity, Marc Randolph, co-founder of Netflix, and Dennis Hong, UCLA professor and globally renowned robotics expert.