Entrepreneurs were squarely the focus during this conference that brought attendees from over 110 countries to Valencia, Spain
By Riley Kaminer
We may have been in the land of oranges and paella – but among the 12,000+ attendees of VDS, a top European tech event in Valencia, Spain, Miami loomed large.
No other U.S. city had nearly the same level of interest or visibility among attendees.
Take, for example, the opening session in which Patricia Pastor, an investor and the president of VDS, shared a conversation she had in Miami with a French investor that lives there.
“They said they asked ChatGPT what was the nicest place to live and work in, and Valencia is what came back.”
We’ve continuously reported on the strong connections between Spain and Miami across all aspects of the innovation ecosystem: from key players like entrepreneurs and investors to crucial ecosystem enablers such as soft-landing programs and legal experts. But these two days in Valencia highlighted the particular synergies between these two cities (beyond the beautiful beaches, of course).
A primer on soft-landing in Miami
The question top of mind for the Miami-curious attendees was undeniably a practical one: How do I actually land in the Magic City?
“You need to do some planning before you hop on the plane to Miami,” shared Euclides Moreno, managing partner of the PWA Family Office. That includes thinking through the proper legal structures, considering market entry strategies, and fully devoting yourself to the Miami tech ecosystem.
“You have to commit fully,” asserted Francisco Micó, the co-founder of Sherpas Wealth. “You need to have your team there, operate from there, and have your clients there.”
“If you’re planning to go to Miami, you can’t just visit twice a year and expect results,” Micó added. The Valencian entrepreneur is walking the walk: his wealth management tech platform is leveraging Miami as its launchpad into the US.
“You can’t just show up in Miami and just say, ‘I have a great product, here I am,’” asserted Etienne Gillard [pictured below], the head of ventures for Mana Tech, who has become a prominent voice on global stages, championing the #MiamiTech movement. Mana Tech provides international entrepreneurs with the tools, services, and knowledge they need to land in Miami and expand into the U.S. market.
“We try to open their minds, helping them understand the mindset of US investors and the questions they’ll face when coming from an international ecosystem,” continued Gillard. “When you come to the US and open operations, you need to build traction first — then investors may take notice once you show early traction. Once you start getting traction, connect with angel investor groups, go through the process, and begin raising capital.”
“In Miami, we now have the complete journey — all the pieces of the puzzle are in place,” said Gillard, adding that Mana Tech offers free co-working space at its office for startups visiting Miami to vet it for their expansion plans.
This panel, “Softlanding in Miami: How to Scale to Americas,” additionally featured lawyer Moises Saltiel of Leon & Saltiel, PLLC; and real estate entrepreneur Yasmin Hani, CEO of Provit Capital. Notably, Miami was the only city featured in such a talk at the conference.
Serial entrepreneurs underscore the importance of focus, focus, focus
VDS started as an initiative built by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs – and this mentality was clearly in view at the event, with a variety of presentations focused on educating and inspiring founders.
Bobby Aitkenhead [pictured below], managing director of IDC Ventures, a Copenhagen-based VC with deep roots in Miami, gave a keynote presentation that highlighted his perspective on “burning the boats” – or going all-in on your dreams.
“Focus on the sole thing you’re trying to achieve, not the what-ifs,” he asserted. “You need to toss your Plan B overboard.”
“When you have no options, you figure it out. But when there’s another option, you’ll take it. You have to get rid of those other options.”
Angel investor Daniela Espinosa echoed many of these sentiments during a panel discussion all about advising founders on how to deal with the most difficult moments of entrepreneurship.
“Focus, follow-through, and execute,” she said. “There are only a few outlier examples of entrepreneurs who have succeeded without being focused.”
Espinosa co-founded Kushki, an Ecuadorian unicorn that has a major presence in Miami, with it also being the home of CEO Aron Schwarzkopf.
Founders working at the intersection of Miami and Spain share their success stories
Boopos CEO Juan Ignacio García Braschi sat on the same panel as Espinosa and shared his perspective on loneliness in the C-suite. As a now solo founder, it’s something García Braschi has thought a lot about.
“Lean on your peers if you don’t have a co-founder,” he said. García Braschi also advised founders to strive to understand their strengths and weaknesses early and often, and surround themselves with people that complement these skills. “You want to be on top of everything but you simply cannot be.”
Meanwhile, Jeeves CEO Dileep Thazhmon [pictured below] outlined the fintech’s expansion to Spain. “We’re seeing significant growth in transactions between Spain and Latin America.”
“The connection between Miami and Spain is quite similar to the link between Miami and Latin America,” he added. “Any company that’s doing well in Latin America typically has a presence in Miami.”
Thazhmon also expressed his excitement about Valencia in particular as a gateway for capital and entrepreneurs.
And of course, would it be Miami without a lick of web3? ClimateTrade co-founder and CEO Francisco Benedito [pictured below] made sure to satiate our crypto appetite in a discussion about sustainability.
“Transparency and traceability is critically important,” he said, as large financial institutions begin to trade carbon footprint offsets. In his view, the blockchain can help ensure that this is done fairly and effectively.
Rali Perduhova [pictured below], the Miami-based co-founder and CEO of 7RCC Global, expressed the same. Her firm is pioneering sustainability on the blockchain. “Our main goal is to target investors with mandates and concerns about the carbon footprint of Bitcoin mining, and to design a product that addresses these concerns.”
And VDS is putting their money where their proverbial mouth is by purchasing carbon credits to offset the impact of these two days in sunny Spain.
As entrepreneurs from both sides of the Atlantic continue to strengthen their ties, one thing remains clear: Miami is playing a role as a bridge to innovation, growth, and opportunity across borders.
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