4 Years From Now (4YFN), the Mobile
World Capital Barcelona global business platform for the growing community of
technology startups, expects to receive more than 20,000 visitors in its fourth
edition, organised in partnership with GSMA Mobile World Congress (27 February–
1 March 2017). This figure marks a 60% increase on last year and consolidates
4YFN’s role as a meeting point and business hub for international
entrepreneurs, startups, investors and large corporations within the framework
of the congress.
World Capital Barcelona global business platform for the growing community of
technology startups, expects to receive more than 20,000 visitors in its fourth
edition, organised in partnership with GSMA Mobile World Congress (27 February–
1 March 2017). This figure marks a 60% increase on last year and consolidates
4YFN’s role as a meeting point and business hub for international
entrepreneurs, startups, investors and large corporations within the framework
of the congress.
At the same time, 4YFN Barcelona
stands out with its significant increase in international presence at the event
this year, which will see an increase in represented countries. This diversity,
which is a result of the rise in international startups and investors, is also
due to greater participation of international delegations at the event. To
date, 4YFN anticipates the presence of La French Tech (France), with 20
startups; Trade Fair UK Pavilion (United Kingdom), with 18 companies and entrepreneurs;
and the European Startup Network, which will gather a mix of 40 companies from
all over the continent. Moreover, they will be joined by the following
delegations: Intel Corporation (Israel), City of Belvenue (USA), Fundación
Exportar (Argentina), ProColombia (Colombia), ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (Sri
Lanka), Vimpelcom (Pakistan), Brilliant Lab (Kuwait), and the Industrial
Technology Research Institute (Taiwan). The South Korean delegation will also
be present at this fourth edition of the event with 60 representatives,
including members of the Smart Venture Institute & the Sejong Center for
Creative Economy & Innovation and the Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy
& Innovation. Also noteworthy is the Spanish delegation (Spanish Pavilion),
which will gather 32 startups.
stands out with its significant increase in international presence at the event
this year, which will see an increase in represented countries. This diversity,
which is a result of the rise in international startups and investors, is also
due to greater participation of international delegations at the event. To
date, 4YFN anticipates the presence of La French Tech (France), with 20
startups; Trade Fair UK Pavilion (United Kingdom), with 18 companies and entrepreneurs;
and the European Startup Network, which will gather a mix of 40 companies from
all over the continent. Moreover, they will be joined by the following
delegations: Intel Corporation (Israel), City of Belvenue (USA), Fundación
Exportar (Argentina), ProColombia (Colombia), ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (Sri
Lanka), Vimpelcom (Pakistan), Brilliant Lab (Kuwait), and the Industrial
Technology Research Institute (Taiwan). The South Korean delegation will also
be present at this fourth edition of the event with 60 representatives,
including members of the Smart Venture Institute & the Sejong Center for
Creative Economy & Innovation and the Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy
& Innovation. Also noteworthy is the Spanish delegation (Spanish Pavilion),
which will gather 32 startups.
4YFN is closing its first 4-year cycle
with a thoroughly innovative and global programme. Among the more than 100
planned talks that will be given by more than 270 speakers, the event will see the participation of Terry
von Bibra, Global Manager EMEA at Alibaba; Michael Spiegelman, Director of
Product Innovation for Growth & Acquisition at Netflix; Fernando Fanton,
CTO of Just Eat, and Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP Group. Furthermore,
renowned investors such as Tim Draper, Founder of the seed investment company
Draper Associates, or the Israeli Dov Moran, one of the inventors of the
with a thoroughly innovative and global programme. Among the more than 100
planned talks that will be given by more than 270 speakers, the event will see the participation of Terry
von Bibra, Global Manager EMEA at Alibaba; Michael Spiegelman, Director of
Product Innovation for Growth & Acquisition at Netflix; Fernando Fanton,
CTO of Just Eat, and Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP Group. Furthermore,
renowned investors such as Tim Draper, Founder of the seed investment company
Draper Associates, or the Israeli Dov Moran, one of the inventors of the
USB
memory stick and actual Managing Partner at Grove Ventures will be present.
memory stick and actual Managing Partner at Grove Ventures will be present.
More visitors, more networking,
more meetings
more meetings
4YFN Barcelona 2017 opens with new
meeting spaces and more options for promoting exchanges and interaction between
the participants in the event. Specifically, a matchmaking app aimed at
entrepreneurs called 4YFNetwork (available for Android and iOS) will be used
for the first time to bring them closer to potential corporate partners and
investors.
meeting spaces and more options for promoting exchanges and interaction between
the participants in the event. Specifically, a matchmaking app aimed at
entrepreneurs called 4YFNetwork (available for Android and iOS) will be used
for the first time to bring them closer to potential corporate partners and
investors.
On the other hand, the Founders &
Investors sessions for direct meetings have evolved to create spaces for
specialised sector networking. Also with this aim, the Startup Pitching
Sessions, a space in which startups – classified by sector and maturity– can present
their projects, are being reinforced. In addition to these, the Industry Networking
Sessions will be launched. Unlike the pitching sessions, these meetings have
been created as a straightforward networking forum that gathers startups,
entrepreneurs, investors, corporations and potential clients according to their
interests.
Investors sessions for direct meetings have evolved to create spaces for
specialised sector networking. Also with this aim, the Startup Pitching
Sessions, a space in which startups – classified by sector and maturity– can present
their projects, are being reinforced. In addition to these, the Industry Networking
Sessions will be launched. Unlike the pitching sessions, these meetings have
been created as a straightforward networking forum that gathers startups,
entrepreneurs, investors, corporations and potential clients according to their
interests.
Project development: for
and by startups
and by startups
This fourth edition of 4YFN in
Barcelona also provides an opportunity to observe the evolution of the
entrepreneurial ecosystem and see how startups that have been linked to 4YFN
grow and gain relevance in the market. A clear example of this is the case of Pixoneye,
the Israeli startup that analyses users’ tastes and behaviour by means of the photographs
that they publish online. Since receiving its prize at 4YFN Awards 2016, it has
raised £2.4 million in a round of financing. The Japanese startup Soracom also stands
out: after just one year in operation, it already has more than 5,000 customers
all over the world and has become a gold partner in the current edition of the
event.
Barcelona also provides an opportunity to observe the evolution of the
entrepreneurial ecosystem and see how startups that have been linked to 4YFN
grow and gain relevance in the market. A clear example of this is the case of Pixoneye,
the Israeli startup that analyses users’ tastes and behaviour by means of the photographs
that they publish online. Since receiving its prize at 4YFN Awards 2016, it has
raised £2.4 million in a round of financing. The Japanese startup Soracom also stands
out: after just one year in operation, it already has more than 5,000 customers
all over the world and has become a gold partner in the current edition of the
event.
Along these lines, 4YFN continues to
reinforce the innovative role of the entrepreneurial community and will
maintain its creative and hacking areas within the event itself, among which,
for example, GSMA’s new programme – Women4Tech – stands out. This initiative poses
the Hack_D_Gap Global Challenge, a competition designed to create solutions, products
or services that boost gender diversity and equality in the tech industry. The event
will also host the demodays by NUMA Barcelona and Startupbootcamp IoT&Data,
both acceleration programmes by mVenturesBcn, and other parallel programmes
promoted by ECH Alliance, Impact Growth, KPMG Best British Mobile Startups,
Global Mobile Challenge, Telefónica Open Future_ or the first language technologies
Hackathon impulsed by Red.es and SESIAD.
reinforce the innovative role of the entrepreneurial community and will
maintain its creative and hacking areas within the event itself, among which,
for example, GSMA’s new programme – Women4Tech – stands out. This initiative poses
the Hack_D_Gap Global Challenge, a competition designed to create solutions, products
or services that boost gender diversity and equality in the tech industry. The event
will also host the demodays by NUMA Barcelona and Startupbootcamp IoT&Data,
both acceleration programmes by mVenturesBcn, and other parallel programmes
promoted by ECH Alliance, Impact Growth, KPMG Best British Mobile Startups,
Global Mobile Challenge, Telefónica Open Future_ or the first language technologies
Hackathon impulsed by Red.es and SESIAD.
Attraction and creation
of qualified talent
of qualified talent
According to the Startup Ecosystem
Overview report, created by MWCapital, Spain is already the fourth European
destination for tech talent and is the second country in the European Union
attracting more international entrepreneurs to launch new companies. This evolution
has also been possible thanks to a major density of local digital talent, where
Spain is ranked in the fifth position in terms of volume of qualified
developers. At the investment level, the report highlights that the average
investment ticket per startup has tripled in the last 3 years, increasing from
200.000€ in 2014 to 710.000€ in 2016. This evolution shows a major
grade of maturity in the sector, that maintains a global investment of over
half billion euros (502M€ in 2016). In the case of Barcelona, the city is the
5th European technological hub, behind London, Berlin, Paris and Amsterdam.
This consideration has made it the leader on startup’s investment in Spain, which
also lets the city attract the 56% of the total inputs. Moreover, the city produces
48,2% of all deals (mergers, acquisitions, etc.) in Spain.
Overview report, created by MWCapital, Spain is already the fourth European
destination for tech talent and is the second country in the European Union
attracting more international entrepreneurs to launch new companies. This evolution
has also been possible thanks to a major density of local digital talent, where
Spain is ranked in the fifth position in terms of volume of qualified
developers. At the investment level, the report highlights that the average
investment ticket per startup has tripled in the last 3 years, increasing from
200.000€ in 2014 to 710.000€ in 2016. This evolution shows a major
grade of maturity in the sector, that maintains a global investment of over
half billion euros (502M€ in 2016). In the case of Barcelona, the city is the
5th European technological hub, behind London, Berlin, Paris and Amsterdam.
This consideration has made it the leader on startup’s investment in Spain, which
also lets the city attract the 56% of the total inputs. Moreover, the city produces
48,2% of all deals (mergers, acquisitions, etc.) in Spain.
