- The Finnova Foundation strengthens its commitment to promoting entrepreneurship, innovation, and European funding within the startup ecosystem.
Brussels, March 12, 2026. The Finnova Foundation will take an active part in the International Startups Congress of Seville 2026, one of the main international meetings of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, which will be held from 17 to 19 March at the La Cartuja Auditorium. The event will bring together startups, investors, universities, institutions and corporations with the aim of fostering innovation, knowledge transfer and the consolidation of entrepreneurial ecosystems at European level.
Top100 Innovative Leaders Ranking Awards
As a prelude to the congress, on 17 March the Top100 Innovative Leaders Ranking Awards will take place at the Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville. In this edition, Juanma Revuelta, CEO of Finnova, has been nominated in the “Transformational Leaders” category, in recognition of his track record in supporting innovation and sustainable entrepreneurship.
First main contribution during the Congress
During the congress, which will start on 18 March, Finnova will take part in three thematic panels, sharing its experience in European funding, the development of territorial ecosystems and support for startups and scaleups.
Juanma Revuelta will participate as a speaker in the round table Salud & biotech en el ecosistema startup (13:00–13:20), where he will talk about the European project SMACC+, an initiative focused on innovation in health and biotechnology.
SMACC+
The SMACC+ project (Sustainable Microalgae- and Cyanobacteria-based Active Compounds for Cosmeceuticals and Nutraceuticals) is a 30‑month initiative whose objective is to create high-value, eco‑friendly ingredients to replace synthetic additives in cosmetics and nutraceuticals. Through the sustainable cultivation of native microalgae species and advanced biorefinery methods, the project aims to reduce environmental impact and strengthen the European blue biotechnology sector. Among its innovative approaches is the development of green extraction technologies, such as supercritical CO₂ extraction and hydrothermal extraction, which make it possible to recover bioactive compounds without harmful solvents or excessive energy consumption. The project also places special emphasis on creating safe, effective and sustainable cosmeceutical and nutraceutical products, together with knowledge‑transfer activities aimed at SMEs, researchers and local communities.
Second contribution
The second contribution will be a round table moderated by Finnova, dedicated to university–business collaboration to promote technological and social entrepreneurship (17:45–18:15). Representing Finnova, Juanma Revuelta will moderate the session, bringing the foundation’s vision on how to connect innovation, talent and European funding to drive impact projects. The round table will address several topics, among which Finnova will introduce issues related to technological and social entrepreneurship for debate. As an example of these practices, Finnova will highlight its experience in the European project LIFE RESSKILL.
LIFE RESSKILL
The LIFE RESSKILL project, co‑funded by the European Union’s LIFE programme, aims to train and re‑skill professionals in the construction and building sector to meet the challenges of the clean energy transition. Through knowledge centres and innovative training tools, the project promotes the adoption of renewable energy technologies and the development of digital and green skills among technicians, engineers, architects and other specialists in the sector.
Third contribution
On 19 March at 11:30 there will be a final session on “Innovación, atracción del talento y desarrollo local: los elementos para la construcción del ecosistema innovador en los territorios.” In this session, in which Juan Manuel Revuelta will also participate as a speaker, the Glocal Circular Economy Summit of Ibagué (Colombia) will be presented as an example of good practice.
Glocal Circular Economy Summit of Ibagué
The city of Ibagué will host the Ibagué Startup Europe Awards (SEUA) 2025, an initiative promoted by the European Commission and implemented by the Finnova Foundation in collaboration with Startup Europe. This call aims to identify and reward innovative solutions that address key challenges of the circular economy, including water management, organic waste and sustainable construction.
The Ibagué SEUA 2025 are structured around three major challenges:
-Urban wastewater management and recovery: solutions for reuse through biogas, green hydrogen, composting or the production of eco‑friendly fertilizers.
-Urban organic waste management: proposals that turn food waste into resources within the circular economy.
-Waste2PropTech: conversion of peri‑urban waste into sustainable construction materials, such as sound‑absorbing pavements, thermal insulation and components for social housing or regenerative urban planning.
The participation of the Finnova Foundation in the International Startups Congress of Seville 2026 represents a key opportunity to strengthen its commitment to innovation, sustainability and the promotion of European entrepreneurship. This meeting will serve as a point of connection between public administrations, companies, universities and startups, generating new synergies around European funding, technology transfer and the green economy.
For Finnova, the congress is also an occasion to showcase flagship projects such as SMACC+ or LIFE RESSKILL and to continue promoting international initiatives such as the Startup Europe Awards, consolidating its role as a bridge between Europe and Latin America in the creation of sustainable, innovative ecosystems.