The 2025–26 Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) program concluded with its annual Super Session, bringing together around 700 founders, mentors, partners, students, and ecosystem leaders from across the global CDL network. IESE attended through CDL San Sebastian, which supports founders developing ventures in artificial intelligence and quantum technologies by providing mentoring and entrepreneurial expertise to accelerate their growth. The event featured speakers from organizations ranging from Google to Multiverse Computing, founded by IESE MBA ’90 alumnus Enrique Lizaso. It provided an opportunity to connect with ventures and collaborators from across the CDL community.

IESE hosted the 7th annual Search Fund Investor and CEO Summits at its Munich campus, bringing together investors, CEOs, searchers, and alumni from across the global search fund ecosystem. At the heart of the discussion was the central role of CEOs as the driving force behind the search fund model. These gatherings create valuable opportunities for CEOs to share experiences, lessons learned, and challenges with peers, investors, and alumni. Sessions also explored topics such as AI in portfolio companies, governance, and leadership. The summit reinforced IESE’s role as an international meeting point for the search fund community, where trust, knowledge sharing, and ecosystem growth thrive.

The 11th edition of WeGrow, IESE’s scale-up mentoring initiative, kicked off at our Madrid campus, bringing together 16 companies from Brazil, Germany, Spain, Mexico, and the United Kingdom across a range of sectors, including several ventures led by IESE 40 Under 40 honorees. More than 50 active mentors—most of them IESE alumni— are part of this initiative to support entrepreneurs on their growth journey. Led by Mathieu Carenzo, the launch highlighted the power of mentorship, with former participants sharing how WeGrow helped accelerate their companies’ development. Thank you to all IESE mentors for making this possible! Discover this year’s mentors and mentees here.

The IESE MBA Startup & Entrepreneurship Club begins a new chapter under the leadership of 2027 MBA candidates Patrick Oosdijk and Thomas Pickering, for the 2026–27 academic year. Committed to strengthening entrepreneurship as a viable MBA career path, the Club will organize networking events, speaker sessions, ecosystem engagement activities, and flagship initiatives such as Founders Day. Whether students aspire to launch a venture, join a scaleup, or drive innovation within established organizations, the Club aims to connect them with the knowledge, networks, and opportunities that help entrepreneurial careers thrive. Find out more and meet the entire leadership team on the Club’s page.

This June, IESE will host two events exploring key questions in entrepreneurship and innovation. On June 17, founders, investors, and healthcare leaders will discuss the challenges of scaling a healthcare venture, from fundraising and financial discipline to international expansion. Featured speakers include Josep Sanfeliu (GEMBA ’06, Asabys) and Lily Chen (MBA ’25, Insight Lifetech), with the session moderated by Carlos Nueno (MBA ’99). On June 18, The Capital and “Crazy” of Silicon Valley will bring together Mahendra Ramsinghani (Secure Octane Investments) and Professor Thomas Klueter to explore what Silicon Valley can teach us about innovation, responsibility, and politics.

A delegation of Austrian business angels visited IESE’s Barcelona campus to learn about the school’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and its approach to angel investing. The visit included an overview of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center’s activities, highlighting how IESE connects students, entrepreneurs, investors, and alumni. The group also met with the leadership of IESE’s Business Angels Network for a dedicated session on the network’s evolution and impact. Founded in 2003, IESE BAN has become one of Europe’s leading business angel networks, fostering investment opportunities and supporting entrepreneurial growth for more than two decades. Learn more about IESE's Business Angels Network.

A recent IESE Insight article highlights new research on how companies can improve their startup collaboration efforts. Drawing on research by Professor Mª Julia Prats and IESE’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center, the article argues that successful corporate venturing requires a structured approach to startup scouting. Rather than relying on opportunistic partnerships, companies should systematically identify, select, and evaluate startups that align with their strategic priorities. The proposed framework offers practical guidance for organizations seeking to strengthen innovation through external collaboration.

How can organizations tackle complex social and environmental challenges that no single company can solve alone? An IESE Insight article explores how businesses can scale sustainable innovation through strategic partnerships. Drawing on research by Professor Desirée Pacheco and co-authors, the article argues that lasting impact requires collaboration among businesses, governments, suppliers, and communities. Rather than focusing solely on their own operations, leaders can drive broader system change by mobilizing key stakeholders and accelerating the adoption of innovations that create both business value and societal benefit.