IESE and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) unveiled a global report on corporate venturing squads at the Venture Mindset Conference in Vienna and UNIDO headquarters. Mapping 116 squads across 671 organizations, the study identifies how small corporate alliances co-create innovation by scouting, testing, or investing in startups. With discussions in Davos spotlighting public-private collaboration, the report offers a practical execution model—fewer actors, clearer governance, and tangible outcomes—opening new avenues for corporate strategy, policy design, and academic research. Discover the report here. 

IESE’s MBA has expanded its core entrepreneurship curriculum. In Term 1, students now take “Fundamentals 1”, focused on entrepreneurial mindsets. In Term 2, “Fundamentals 2” builds on this with ideation, tech tools, and action-driven learning to prepare students for the Summer Entrepreneurship Experience. Both are mandatory and taught by professors Sandra Sieber and Liinus Hietaniemi. Entrepreneurship has been central to IESE since 1958. This evolution ensures all students, regardless of career path, develop the mindset and skills to think and act entrepreneurially.

A recent Business Times article highlights the growing appeal of search funds in Asia Pacific, where entrepreneurs are adopting this model to acquire and lead SMEs. While the region presents challenges such as valuation gaps and limited debt financing, successes in Australia and Japan signal momentum. IESE and Stanford are recognized as leading academic hubs for search fund research and training, supporting this global expansion. The momentum continues in Latin America with the upcoming 2nd Latam Search Fund Conference, co-hosted by IESE and Spectra on February 11–12 at IESE Campus São Paulo | ISE Business School.

IESE joined leaders from Europe’s top technical and business universities at the EuroTeQ Presidential Strategy Forum in Tallinn on 15–16 January 2026. Deputy Dean Professor Marc Badia and representatives from IESE’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center contributed to shaping the long-term vision of the EuroTeQ Engineering University Alliance—an EU-backed initiative advancing cross-border cooperation in education, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Discussions focused on consolidating and scaling joint initiatives, fostering academia–industry collaboration, and aligning curricula with the skills needed in a fast-changing global economy. The forum highlighted the strategic role of interdisciplinary partnerships in driving European competitiveness.

IESE’s Business Angels Network launched 2026 with its latest New Ventures Pitch Session, following a strong 2025 that closed with approx. €1M in investment across 10+ startups. The first session featured five ventures spanning AI, telemedicine, sustainable construction, energy regulation, and travel tech—highlighting the pipeline’s breadth. The event opened with a talk by Enrique Linares (IESE 40under40 and MBA ’06), and included startups led by IESE alumni (MBA ’21 and MBA ’26). The evolving format now includes educational segments, promoting professional, method-driven early-stage investing. Find out more. 

What does it really take to launch and scale a startup?  IESE’s Mathieu Carenzo tackles this question in Mastering the Art of Scaling and Convincing Investors. Featured among the Bestsellers 2025 at IESE Publishing, this interactive lecture series offers aspiring and early-stage founders a holistic roadmap to success. Through practical frameworks, real-world cases, and hands-on exercises, participants explore key decisions—from product timing to pitching. By addressing common pitfalls, it sharpens strategy, builds confidence, and strengthens investor engagement skills.

What does it take for companies to drive real societal impact? In a recent IESE Insight article, Professor Desirée Pacheco and co-authors explore how businesses can leverage cross-sector partnerships to address systemic challenges—from climate change to inequality. Drawing on real-world examples, the article shows that no single actor can drive change alone in complex, interconnected systems. Instead, companies must engage in intentional collaboration that aligns strategic goals with broader societal needs. Professor Pacheco offers a clear framework to help organizations shift from fragmented CSR initiatives to coordinated, high-impact strategies capable of enabling long-term, scalable system change across industries.

A new policy report by IESE’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center, published in collaboration with the European Innovation Council Scaling Club, explores how policymakers can better support corporate–scaleup collaborations in Europe’s deep-tech space. Despite growing interest, 69% of such collaborations fall short. The report identifies key challenges—like corporate culture gaps and resource constraints in mid-sized firms—and highlights solutions including pilot acceleration and micro-grants. Featuring benchmark programs from Singapore to Spain, the study offers actionable insights to unlock Europe’s scaleup potential. Find it here.
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