South Summit Madrid 2026, June 3–5 at La Nave
South Summit Champions AI as an Opportunity in Its 15th Edition and Calls for a More Competitive Europe
• Spain’s Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Administration, Óscar López, opened the 15th edition of South Summit, stating: “The OECD has just revised Spain’s growth forecast upwards from 2.1% to 2.2%. That is no coincidence. It is the result of a national commitment to digital and green transformation.”
• María Benjumea, President and Founder of South Summit, stated during the opening ceremony: “AI is not a threat. It is imperative that we grow, and Europe must remove the obstacles that push companies to relocate to the United States. A startup born in Spain should be able to think of Europe as its natural home, not as 27 different borders.”
• Kim Perell, Silicon Valley entrepreneur, serial founder, and investor in more than 100 companies, highlighted that: “Entrepreneurship is not about having a great idea. It is about the discipline to execute and keep moving forward even when you do not have all the answers.”
• Under the theme AI Convergence, South Summit Madrid 2026 continues until Friday, June 5, featuring distinguished participants including His Majesty King Felipe VI, Enrico Letta, former Prime Minister of Italy, Sebastian Thrun, founder of GoogleX, and Anna Hartvigsen, cofounder of Female Invest.
• #SouthSummit26 is supported institutionally by Spain’s Secretariat of State for Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence, the Regional Government of Madrid, and Madrid City Council, as well as by Mutua Madrileña, Google for Startups, BBVA Spark, Wayra – Telefónica Innovation, and BStartup by Banco Sabadell.
Madrid, June 3, 2026 – The fifteenth edition of South Summit Madrid, co-organised by IE University, officially opened this morning at La Nave in a ceremony led by its President and Founder, María Benjumea. During her remarks, she highlighted the role of Artificial Intelligence as a driver of business transformation and stressed the need for Europe to create a more agile and competitive environment for startups. “Artificial Intelligence is not a threat but a tool for growth and improvement. Europe must remove the barriers that push companies to move to the United States,” Benjumea stated.
Under the theme AI Convergence, South Summit Madrid 2026 reinforces the central role of AI in a new chapter for the entrepreneurial ecosystem. As Benjumea explained during the opening ceremony, “AI has ceased to be a standalone technology and has become a cross-cutting force that is redefining industries, business models, and strategic capabilities.”
During her speech, Benjumea noted that in just three years, “Artificial Intelligence has gone from attracting 30% of global venture capital investment to 61%.” In her view, this demonstrates that “this is not just another technological shift; it is a paradigm shift.” She emphasized that Europe possesses the talent required to compete in this new era but must remove barriers to business growth, highlighting the importance of initiatives such as the European Commission’s Regime 28. “A startup founded in Spain should be able to see Europe as its natural home, not as 27 separate borders. The goal is not to retain companies, but to ensure they do not need to leave in order to grow.”
South Summit’s commitment to AI is reflected in the AI Forum, a new space designed by IE University where participants can build or transform businesses and develop prototypes in just three hours with guidance from AI experts. According to Benjumea, the initiative responds to an increasingly evident reality: “Artificial Intelligence has dramatically shortened the distance between an idea and the ability to start building. It does not replace judgement or vision, but it shortens timelines, accelerates processes, and turns ideas into tangible outcomes.”
Minister Óscar López officially inaugurated the event, highlighting the strengths of Spain’s entrepreneurial ecosystem: “The OECD has revised Spain’s growth forecast upwards from 2.1% to 2.2%, while lowering forecasts for other countries. That is no coincidence. It is the result of a national commitment to digital and green transformation.” He also stressed that “Spain has the best connectivity in Europe, with more than 96% fibre optic coverage and nearly 94% 5G coverage. This is one of the reasons why we are a leading destination for new investment.”
López further emphasized that “Spain has already allocated €1.5 billion to its Artificial Intelligence strategy, and we are the first country in the European Union to supervise and develop trustworthy and open AI. One million SMEs and self-employed professionals have received support to digitise their businesses. This public investment has been essential in preparing Spain to compete in the technologies of the future.”
The opening ceremony also featured Lee Newman, Dean of IE Business School at IE University, who underlined that “we are facing an unprecedented opportunity to innovate and create value. AI enables small teams to operate with the agility, reach, and impact of much larger organisations. For entrepreneurs, investors, and changemakers, the question is no longer whether it is possible, but how far they want to go and what they want to achieve.”
The World’s Most Influential Entrepreneurs Gather at #SouthSummit26
Until Friday, June 5, South Summit will serve as a meeting point for some of the most influential leaders in the global entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem. With more than 600 international speakers, 20,000 attendees, approximately 4,900 participating startups, and more than 2,000 investors, family offices, venture builders, corporations, and institutions, discussions will focus on how Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the world.
One of the highlights of the opening day was Kim Perell, one of the most respected voices in entrepreneurship and innovation, a Silicon Valley leader, bestselling author, and investor in more than 100 startups worldwide. During her keynote, Mistakes that Made Me a Millionaire, Perell shared her personal journey to becoming a self-made millionaire before the age of 30, reframing failure as a valuable source of learning. “When I look back, it is incredible to see how far I have come, but the truth is that my mistakes contributed more to my success than anything else. Before reaching the next level, you will make mistakes, fail, face rejection, and want to give up. What I discovered is that those mistakes did not break me; they made me stronger.”
Perell has founded nine successful startups, selling her most recent company for $235 million. Reflecting on her entrepreneurial experience, she stated: “Entrepreneurship is not about having a great idea. It is about the discipline to execute and keep moving forward even when you do not have all the answers. If you wait until you feel 100% ready, you will probably never start.”
The event will also feature global leaders including Enrico Letta, former Prime Minister of Italy; Sebastian Thrun, founder of GoogleX; and Anna Hartvigsen, cofounder of Female Invest. A strong institutional presence will also include His Majesty King Felipe VI, Madrid Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida, and President of the Community of Madrid Isabel Díaz Ayuso.
#SouthSummit26 is supported by the Secretariat of State for Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence, the Regional Government of Madrid, Madrid City Council, Mutua Madrileña, Google for Startups, BBVA Spark, Wayra – Telefónica Innovation, and BStartup by Banco Sabadell.