Held from May 12 to 23, 2025, the second Swiss edition of the Desafía program brought a cohort of 9 Spanish scaleups to Switzerland for an intensive two-week roadshow. Launched the 1st edition in late 2024, Venturelab welcomed in Spring 2025 a 2nd group of deeptech comopanies. Through tailored meetings with investors, corporates, and ecosystem leaders, the scaleups explored pathways for international expansion and potential collaboration beyond their home market.
Meet Daniel Hernández, Co-Founder of eSignus. The cybersecurity-focused startup develops hardware-based blockchain solutions, including HASHWallet—a biometric d...
Meet Luca Venza, CEO of Distinkt. The startup introduces a patented nanoparticle-based hardware and software solution that combines dynamic, color-changing QR c...
Meet Adriel Sosa Marco, Co-Founder of Uncharted Therapeutics. The biotech startup leverages generative AI to accelerate drug discovery, offering experts access ...
Meet María Fernanda González, Co-Founder of Planetai Space. The sustainability-focused startup employs satellite technology and Quantum Machine Learning to addr...
The Desafía Switzerland 2025 program launched in Madrid with nine Spanish sustainability-focused startups set to explore growth opportunities in Switzerland. Ba...
Meet Juan Gutierrez Canseco, Co-Founder of Agrolinera. The sustainability-driven startup is transforming the dairy farming industry by digitalizing the collecti...
Meet María José Pedragosa, Co-Founder of Revivack. The sustainability-focused startup enables producers to meet EU circularity regulations by automating product...
Meet Emilio Gallego, CEO of Verázial. The biometric security-focused startup helps pharmaceutical companies to ensure secure, efficient, and error-free identity...
Meet Fernando Tadakuma, Co-Founder of Woza. The deep-tech startup develops scalable platforms that enable enterprises and governments to address complex challen...
Desafía Switzerland is a public initiative sponsored by ICEX and Red.es that helps Spanish technology companies scale faster and globally.
ICEX Spain Trade and Investment is a public export promotion agency under the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Business. Its mission is to promote the internationalization of Spanish companies to enhance their competitiveness and add value to the Spanish economy while encouraging foreign investment in Spain. In collaboration with the Trade Commissions of Spain, ICEX provides a dedicated platform for companies and professionals interested in doing business with Spain, offering comprehensive access to all necessary information.
Red.es is the public corporate entity attached to the Ministry of Digital Transformation and The Civil Service. Red.es develops programs to boost the digital economy, innovation, entrepreneurship, training for young people and professionals and support for SMEs through the promotion of efficient and intensive use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
Venturelab has a 20-year track record of developing impactful startup programs and building relationships with institutions, investors, industry experts, academics, and innovators. Having worked with over 90% of Swiss-based startups, Venturelab has established a stellar reputation within its Swiss and international network spanning Europe, the U.S., Africa, and Asia. Its network of partners includes well-known corporates, leading academic institutions, and globally renowned investors.
