Spain's startup year turns on two big weeks, 4YFN in Barcelona in March and South Summit in Madrid in June, but Valencia, Málaga, Bilbao, Murcia and Vigo now run investor events of their own.
This guide lists startup, tech, investor and women-founder events across Spain from October 2026 to June 2027. We checked every date on the organiser's own website or a reliable second source. Where a date isn't published yet, we say so, and we mark each event as Confirmed (date on the official site), Announced (date from a reliable second source) or Expected (based on past editions only).
This article is regularly updated with new events. Do you know about an event that needs to be added? Send us some info and we will see if it's a fit.
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Best Startup Events in Spain 2026–2027: Calendar from October 2026 to June 2027
Autumn 2026: October to December
MERGE Madrid: 27–29 October 2026
A good place to meet Spanish banks and regulators on MiCA and tokenisation. The organiser's site says more than 3,000 people attend.
Barcelona: Smart City Expo and Deep Tech Summit, 3–5 November 2026
Founders selling to city governments meet buyers here. In the same halls, Barcelona Activa runs the free Barcelona Deep Tech Summit (3–5 November), where deep tech startups and university spin-offs meet investors and corporates.
Madrid: Tech Show Madrid and SIMO Educación, November 2026
One trip covers buyers for AI, cloud, cyber and e-commerce products; we found no pitch stage. A week later, SIMO Educación (11–13 November, IFEMA MADRID) is the place for edtech founders to meet schools and education buyers.
Cleantech Forum Europe, Sitges: 16–18 November 2026
A small, senior room of more than 250 dealmakers, so it suits climate founders who are raising. Speakers include Diego Díaz Pilas of Iberdrola.
Málaga Sun & Tech: 18–19 November 2026
Andalusia's new investor forum. Speakers include Marc Vidal, Málaga's mayor Francisco de la Torre and Jesús Amores of Vodafone. A week later, Málaga city council lists the Talent Land España youth talent festival for 24–26 November at the same venue.
Female Founder Day Madrid: 24 November 2026
One of Spain's main days for women founders, organised by the association Female Startup Leaders. The date comes from El Referente's event listing; check the venue before you book travel.
South Summit Industry & Energy, Bilbao: 25–26 November 2026
A small format with large Basque industrial companies. Startup showcase applications closed on 15 October. Two days later, DevFest Madrid (27 November, Celonis offices in Tetuán) gathers the city's developer community.
Murcia and Barcelona: WaykUp Forum and Tech Spirit, 2–3 December 2026
Places were sold out when we checked on 19 October, so treat it as a 2027 target and watch for the next call.
Tech Barcelona's year-end gathering of the city's founders, investors and corporates, in the old stock exchange building. Speakers are not announced yet.
Winter and spring 2027: February to May
Madrid and Barcelona: Startup OLÉ and EdTech Congress, February 2027
A chance to meet the Startup OLÉ network and BME Growth, the stock market for small companies. In Barcelona, Fira de Barcelona says EdTech Congress Barcelona returns on 3–4 February 2027; about 3,000 people came in 2026.
4YFN and MWC Barcelona: 1–4 March 2027
The startup side of MWC, with investors, corporates and an awards stage. 4YFN Awards applications are open until 26 October 2026. MWC Barcelona runs the same days and is the biggest week of the year for meeting telecom and corporate buyers.
Transfiere, Málaga: 10–12 March 2027
The place for spin-offs to meet universities, research centres and the public bodies that fund R&D.
The Way Startup Summit, Vigo: 5–7 May 2027
The main investor event in Galicia and a good reason to look beyond Madrid and Barcelona.
June 2027: South Summit, DES and HIMSS Europe
South Summit Madrid: 2–4 June 2027
Spain's biggest startup week of the year. Watch the official site for the Startup Competition call, which picks the finalists who pitch on stage.
Málaga and Barcelona: DES and HIMSS27 Europe, 8–10 June 2027
Good for founders selling software to companies. The same days, healthtech founders can meet European hospital IT leaders at HIMSS27 Europe in Barcelona.
Dates not announced yet
- Startup OLÉ, Salamanca: the main congress ran on 13–15 October 2026; expected again in October 2027. startupole.eu
- Canarias Destino Startup, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: last held on 7–9 October 2026; expected in October 2027. canariasdestinostartup.com
- BNEW (Barcelona New Economy Week): last held on 5–7 October 2026. bnewbarcelona.com
- B-Venture, Bilbao: the north of Spain's entrepreneurship meeting was on 21–22 April 2026 at the Palacio Euskalduna. b-venture.com
- HackUPC, Barcelona: the student hackathon ran on 24–26 April 2026; expected in spring 2027. hackupc.com
- Alhambra Venture, Granada: the 13th edition ran on 8–10 July 2026. alhambraventure.com
- Forinvest, Valencia (last 11–12 March 2026), Wake Up, Spain!, Madrid (April 2026), the BIND 4.0 Demo Day near Bilbao (2 July 2026), Al Andalus Innovation Venture, Seville (22–23 September 2026) and Zebra Fest, Zaragoza (30 September – 1 October 2026): all expected again in 2027.
- The 2027 editions of VDS, Smart City Expo, Tech Show Madrid, WaykUp Forum and Tech Spirit Barcelona are expected in the same season as in 2026.
Past events
- Valencia Digital Summit (VDS) 2026: the ninth edition, with a Pitch Battle and a Women in Tech activity, on 21–22 October 2026 at the City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia. vds.tech
Recurring meetups and communities
- Startup Grind Madrid: monthly events; the next was on 27 October 2026. startupgrind.com/madrid
- Startup Valencia: the city's startup association, with a tech events calendar and open calls. startupvalencia.org
- Founder Institute Barcelona: a pre-seed programme with a Fall 2026 cohort. fi.co/barcelona
- GDG Madrid: Google developer meetups and DevFest Madrid.
- Techstars Startup Weekend Valencia: last held on 12–14 June 2026.
Some communities are quiet. Startup Grind Barcelona lists only past events, and we found no 2026 activity from Women Techmakers Spain, Mujeres Tech or HackMadrid. AI Congress Barcelona (20–22 October 2026) has closed public registration, and we found no new edition of Bilbao Slush'D or IoT Solutions World Congress. Global Entrepreneurship Week runs on 16–22 November 2026, but we found no Spanish host programme yet. genglobal.org
Events for women founders in Spain
We found these women-founder events:
- Female Founder Day Madrid, 24 November 2026: Female Startup Leaders' day for women founders and investors. elreferente.es
- IBEROMUJER 2026, Madrid, 5 November 2026: a hybrid meeting of women entrepreneurs from Spain, Portugal and Latin America, according to the business press (venue not published).
- Mujerhoy WomenNOW, Madrid: a women's leadership forum last held on 18–19 June 2026; expected again in June 2027. mujerhoy.com
- FFX Female Founders Experience, Barcelona: the last edition was on 10 February 2026; no 2027 Barcelona date is out yet. luma.com/FFXBCN
For money, look at ENISA's Emprendedoras Digitales loans and the women-led reserve in CDTI's Neotec grants below, and at our guide to funding for female entrepreneurs. If you organise an event for women founders in Spain, send it to us and we'll add it.
Funding and support to know before you go
- Startup Law (Ley 28/2022): certified startups pay 15% corporate tax in their first profitable year and the three years after, and count as startups for up to five years (seven in biotech, energy and industry). BOE
- Stock options and angels: the same law raises the tax exemption on employee shares from €12,000 to €50,000 a year, and the angel investor deduction from 30% to 50% on up to €100,000.
- Moving to Spain: the law cuts the prior non-residence needed for the special "impatriate" tax regime from ten years to five, and creates a visa for international remote work. Compare it with other routes in our guide to startup visas in Europe.
- ENISA participative loans: €25,000 to €1,500,000 with no guarantees; the Emprendedoras Digitales line offers the same range for women-led tech companies. ENISA, Emprendedoras Digitales
- CDTI Neotec: the 2026 call had €20.38 million for young tech companies, with a €5 million reserve for women-led projects and grants of up to €250,000 (€325,000 at the higher rate). It closed on 14 May 2026; the 2027 date isn't out. Ministry of Science
How to get the most out of Spain startup events
- Plan around 4YFN and South Summit. They are the two biggest startup weeks in Spain, so book investor meetings weeks ahead.
- Use the regional forums for real meetings. WaykUp in Murcia, Sun & Tech in Málaga and The Way in Vigo are smaller, and investors there have time to talk.
- Apply early for pitch slots. The 4YFN Awards close on 26 October 2026, and South Summit's competition and the Bilbao showcase select startups weeks ahead. See more startup competitions.
- Pick the city for your sector. Barcelona for mobile, deep tech, edtech and health; Madrid for fintech and enterprise buyers; Málaga for digital business and R&D; Bilbao for industry and energy.
- Speak some Spanish. 4YFN, MWC, Smart City Expo and South Summit run in English, but regional forums and local meetups often run in Spanish.
List your event in this guide
Do you run a startup, tech or investor event in Spain? Send us the name, dates, venue and official link, and we'll check whether it fits this guide. We list events for founders, with a real date and an official page.
This article is regularly updated with new events. Do you know about an event that needs to be added? Send us some info and we will see if it's a fit.
🔗 Add an awesome event
Startup events in other countries
FAQ
What are the biggest startup events in Spain?
4YFN and MWC in Barcelona (1–4 March 2027) and South Summit Madrid (2–4 June 2027). Smart City Expo World Congress (3–5 November 2026) and the Valencia Digital Summit (held each October) are also large.
Are there startup events outside Madrid and Barcelona?
Yes. Málaga (Sun & Tech, Transfiere, DES), Bilbao (South Summit Industry & Energy), Murcia (WaykUp), Vigo (The Way) and Sitges (Cleantech Forum Europe) all have dated events in this guide, and Valencia holds VDS every October.
Are there free startup events in Spain?
Yes. The Barcelona Deep Tech Summit (3–5 November 2026) is free with registration, and Startup Grind and GDG meetups are usually free or cheap.
Where can I pitch my startup in Spain?
At the 4YFN Awards (apply by 26 October 2026), the South Summit Startup Competition, the VDS Pitch Battle, WaykUp Forum's pitch contest and the startup showcase at South Summit Bilbao.
Are there events for women founders in Spain?
Yes: Female Founder Day Madrid (24 November 2026), IBEROMUJER (5 November 2026, Madrid) and Mujerhoy WomenNOW (expected June 2027).
Can foreign founders start a company in Spain?
Yes. The Startup Law created a visa for international remote work and eased the impatriate tax regime. Read more in our guide to startup visas in Europe.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
