On March 4, Founders’ Day will bring together founders, CEOs, IESE professors, and entrepreneurial alumni and students for a day of networking, discussions, and learning. Organized by IESE’s Startup and Entrepreneurship Club, the event features panel talks, keynotes, and a pitching competition, providing insights into the challenges and opportunities of entrepreneurship.
Speakers include IESE alumni Josep Casas (Europistachios), Rahul Jain (Peach Payments), Enrique Linares (Plus Partners, letgo), Iván Rodríguez (model.ia), Borja Sanfeliu (LoyalGuru), and Elo Umeh (Terragon Group), among other guests. Join industry leaders and gain insights that could shape your next big venture. Register here! 

As healthcare emerges as a top sector for investment, a researcher, an entrepreneur, and an investor are each working to develop breakthrough solutions for patients. Discover how these three individuals, closely connected to IESE, are driving innovation and making a difference in the recently published IESE Insight article, Transforming Health: How a Researcher, an Entrepreneur and an Investor Are Making a Difference. The article features UNAV researcher Gabriel Villarrubia, entrepreneur and EMBA’16 Marina Rigau, and investor and GEMBA’06 Josep Sanfeliu, who are dedicated to bringing cutting-edge medical solutions to market.

We sat down with IESE Senior Lecturer Mathieu Carenzo to discuss his trajectory and how his passion for entrepreneurship has shaped his career as a founder, investor, and educator. Originally from France, Mathieu pursued an MBA at IESE and has spent 25 years guiding startups and investors. Carenzo believes entrepreneurship fuels innovation, creates jobs, and solves challenges. His book, Hablando en Plata, offers practical insights for entrepreneurs and investors.  His advice for future entrepreneurs? “Work on yourself. Know your strengths and weaknesses. If you truly believe in your idea, go all in.” Read the full interview in our Entrepreneurship blog.

TravelPerk (founded by Avi Meir, MBA’11) has secured $200 million in Series E funding, nearly doubling its valuation to $2.7 billion. The round, led by Atomico, includes EQT Growth, Noteus Partners, Kinnevik, and General Catalyst. As part of its growth strategy, TravelPerk has also acquired Yokoy, a Swiss provider of AI-powered expense management solutions. This move enhances TravelPerk’s ability to offer a fully integrated travel and expense platform. The funding will support U.S. expansion, product innovation, and AI development, further strengthening TravelPerk’s leadership in corporate travel management. Read the full press release.

The EULAC Digital Accelerator joined the Science 4 Industry (S4i) event in Madrid, with IESE Business School and Octantis representing the initiative. This event provided a key opportunity to connect with corporates and startups exploring open innovation challenges. S4i promotes collaboration between universities, research centers, companies, and investors to drive deep science commercialization. Events like S4i are essential in strengthening the corporate venturing ecosystem. Stay tuned for more EU-LAC Digital Accelerator updates! 

Registrations are now open for the next edition of the Business Angels & Family Office Academy, a training designed for investors, entrepreneurs, and professionals seeking expertise in startup investment and family office structure and operations. Led by IESE professors and industry experts, the academy provides practical methodology and insights, attracting executives, entrepreneurs, and innovation leaders from diverse ecosystems. Sounds of interest? Find out more here.

Entrepreneurship education (EE) in Spain didn’t emerge from demand, it was built through academic leadership. A new study highlights IESE’s pioneering role in shaping EE between 1974 and the 2000s, establishing it as a discipline through resource mobilization, differentiation, and legitimacy-building. Unlike in early industrialized nations, Spain’s EE evolution was supply-driven, showcasing how institutions can shape fields in late-developing economies. We’re proud to see IESE’s contributions to entrepreneurial thinking recognized in academic research.

Entrepreneurship Senior Lecturer Kandarp Mehta plays a key role in the award-winning film L’àvia i el foraster (Grandma and the Foreigner), which explores prejudice, belonging, and leadership. The film highlights how diverse groups can overcome biases and collaborate on a common project, a message Kandarp Mehta also conveys in his IESE workshops on negotiation and creativity for executives and students. This story serves as a powerful reminder that embracing diversity fosters dialogue, shared values, and personal growth. Discover more about the film’s leadership insights.