Press Invitation
South Summit Madrid 2026 to Welcome His Majesty King Felipe VI at the Leading International Gathering for AI and Entrepreneurship
- During his visit, His Majesty the King will learn firsthand about the projects developed by the finalist startups, meet with investors to discuss the main investment trends, and visit the AI Forum, a hands on artificial intelligence space led by IE University.
- Óscar López, Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Administration, will officially open the 15th edition of South Summit Madrid, which this year is focused on artificial intelligence.
- Isabel Díaz Ayuso, President of the Community of Madrid, will close this edition on June 5 and preside over the Startup Competition Awards Ceremony.
WHEN: June 3 to 5, 2026
WHERE: La Nave (C/ Cifuentes, 5), Madrid
Madrid, June 1, 2026. South Summit Madrid 2026, co organised by IE University, will have the honour of welcoming His Majesty King Felipe VI on the second day of its 15th edition, on Thursday, June 4, from 12:00 pm, at La Nave. During his visit, His Majesty the King will discover some of the projects developed by the 100 finalist startups selected from applications submitted worldwide, and will engage with entrepreneurs and investors on the key trends shaping investment, innovation and business growth. He will also visit the AI Forum, one of the major new features of South Summit Madrid 2026. This space, powered by IE University, has been designed to turn artificial intelligence into a practical and applied experience, enabling participants to work directly on their ideas and develop functional prototypes with guidance from AI experts. Madrid Mayor, José Luis Martínez Almeida will also take part in South Summit Madrid 2026. The institutional agenda of #SouthSummit26 will begin on Wednesday, June 3, with the official opening ceremony at 10:00 am on the Arena Stage. The ceremony will feature Óscar López, Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Administration; María Benjumea, Founder and President of South Summit; and Lee Newman, Dean of IE Business School. One of the key innovations of this edition will be the introduction of the Defence & AI vertical, which will officially open on Wednesday, June 3 at 9:30 am on the Playground Stage, with participation from NATO through its defence innovation accelerator, DIANA. This new vertical responds to a growing investment and strategic trend across Europe, where artificial intelligence has become a critical tool for strengthening competitiveness, security, cybersecurity, dual use technologies and the continent’s technological sovereignty. The closing ceremony of South Summit Madrid 2026 will take place on Friday, June 5, and will be led by Isabel Díaz Ayuso, President of the Community of Madrid. During the ceremony, the Startup Competition Awards will be presented, recognising the winning startups in the categories of Most Disruptive Startup, Most Sustainable Startup, Most Scalable Startup, and Best Team Startup.
INSTITUCIONAL AGENDA Wednesday, June 3 09:30 am Opening of the Defence & AI vertical. 10:00 am Official Opening of South Summit Madrid 2026, with Óscar López, Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Administration. Thursday, June 4 12:00 pm Participation of His Majesty King Felipe VI at South Summit Madrid 2026. During his visit, His Majesty the King will meet finalist startups, engage with representatives from the investment ecosystem, visit the AI Forum, and tour the Marketplace. Friday, June 5 01:30 pm Closing Ceremony of South Summit Madrid 2026, led by Isabel Díaz Ayuso, President of the Community of Madrid, followed by the Startup Competition Awards Ceremony. #SouthSummit26 is supported by the Secretary of State for Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence, the Community of Madrid, Madrid City Council, Mutua Madrileña, Google for Startups, BBVA Spark, Wayra Telefónica Innovation and BStartup by Banco Sabadell.
Press Accreditation for South Summit Madrid 2026
Media representatives wishing to attend as accredited press should send their first name, last name, media outlet, email address, telephone number, date of birth, passport or national ID number, and country of origin to: pablo.gomez@trescom.es ignacio.crespo@trescom.es