This event will connect numerous institutions, companies, startups, and investors at the Espacio Mutua Tinerfeña in San Cristóbal de La Laguna. Registrations are open at www.canariasdestinostartup.com
Canarias Destino Startup Set to Take Place in Tenerife
On Friday, 19 September, Tenerife will host Canarias Destino Startup, the largest professional meeting for entrepreneurship and innovation in the Canary Islands. The event will be held at the Espacio Mutua Tinerfeña, located at 6 Nava y Grimón Street in the municipality of San Cristóbal de La Laguna. It will bring together entrepreneurs, producers, developers, institutions, investors, and key players in the ecosystem to discuss the challenges and opportunities in two rapidly expanding sectors in the Islands: audiovisual and video games.
A Strategic Location for Investment
The Canary Islands is a crucial territory for this industry, having recently emerged as an attractive destination for investment in audiovisual production and video game development. This growth has been driven by its Economic and Fiscal Regime (REF), emerging talent, and the establishment of technological and creative infrastructures.
Canarias Destino Startup aims to strengthen this strategic position, generate synergies among various stakeholders, and promote the Islands as an international hub of innovation and creativity. The programme will commence at 09:30 with an institutional inauguration featuring Cybell Kiessling, Vice-President of AJE Tenerife; María Delgado, President of AJE Las Palmas; Javier Franco Hormiga, Director of the Canarian Agency for Research, Innovation, and the Information Society; and Juan José Martínez, Councillor for Innovation, Research, and Development of the Tenerife Cabildo.
Key Presentations and Discussions
Fifteen minutes later, Genoveva Ayala, manager of the Canary Islands Audiovisual Cluster, will deliver a talk. Following this will be the first roundtable discussion titled “The Economic and Fiscal Regime of the Canary Islands Applied to the Audiovisual Sector,” featuring Olga Martín Pascual, Managing Director of the Tenerife Science and Technology Park; Sabita Jagtani from the ZEC Zone; Jaime Sanz, Tax Partner at KPMG Canarias; and Javier Pascual, Technical Advisor in the Audiovisual Sector at Proexca. The session will be moderated by Laura Rosales from AJE Tenerife and Director of PwC Spain.
At 10:35, the topic of “The Audiovisual Ecosystem in the Canary Islands” will be addressed by Luis Luque Oliva, President of La Plataforma de la Tele; David Carmona, President of the Canarian Association of Video Game Developers; and Jesús Moreno, full member of the Association of Audiovisual Production Professionals. This panel will be moderated by Concha Diaz Ferrer, Coordinator of the Tenerife Film Commission.
At 11:35, various audiovisual and technology startups, including HechicerIA, PipelinePro, Vocality, Kirodo, Flaming Frames, Novelingo, Lodos Film, and Reditorial, will showcase their work. One hour later, Mireia Solà Llort, representing the National Innovation Company (ENISA), will present a talk on financing innovative projects, highlighting the success story of Brand New Verse.
Exploring Future Trends
The challenges and opportunities in the video game sector, as well as “The Future of Audiovisual: Industry, Talent, and Innovation,” will comprise two main roundtable discussions. The former will feature Sergio Prieto Prado, Head of Design at Quantum Box; Mauricio García, Founder and CEO of The Game Kitchen; and Luis Antón, Founder and Developer of PlayMedusa, along with David Carmona. Moderating will be Jaime Romero, CEO of Macaronesia Films; Gadi Cimand, Executive Producer at Canary Productions; and Ariana Villalobos, Operations Director at Anima Kitchen. The session on the future of audiovisual will also be moderated by Rumen Justo, Secretary of Alianza Audiovisual.
Networking Opportunities
Additionally, Canarias Destino Startup aims to foster extensive networking, which is crucial in the ecosystem. All attendees who wish to participate can join a networking session at 14:20, with a private networking event for investors scheduled for 16:00 (registration required at www.canariasdestinostartup.com).
Transforming the Creative Future of the Canary Islands
This event is organised by the Association of Young Entrepreneurs and is supported by various public and private institutions committed to strengthening an innovative ecosystem in the islands.
With this first day in Tenerife, following the session held on 11 June in Fuerteventura focusing on tourism and innovation, Canarias Destino Startup continues to establish itself as the annual reference point. It contributes to the economic diversification of the archipelago and attracts new business opportunities. Registrations to participate are now open at www.canariasdestinostartup.com.
About Canarias Destino Startup
Canarias Destino Startup is promoted by the Association of Young Entrepreneurs of Las Palmas, in collaboration with AJE Tenerife, AJE Under 30, AJE Canarias, and CEAJE. It brings together Canary Islands startups and SMEs, entrepreneurial initiatives from the archipelago, interested organisations, business angels, and venture capitalists from across the country around an event designed to boost the startup ecosystem in key sectors. This makes it a showcase for Canary innovation.
Canarias Destino Startup is made possible by the sponsorship of the Gran Canaria Cabildo, through the First Vice Presidency; the City Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, through Turismo LPA; the Ministry of Industry and Tourism of the Spanish Government, in partnership with ENISA, PROEXCA, the Tenerife Cabildo, Tenerife Science and Technology Park, CaixaBank DayOne, the Fuerteventura Cabildo, and Cajasiete. It also collaborates with the Spanish Confederation of Young Entrepreneurs (CEAJE), Canarias ZEC, Canarias Excelencia Tecnológica, San Roque University Hospitals, Protelum Consulting SL, Chamber of Commerce of Fuerteventura, Alkora Canarias, Red CIDE, Tribuna de Canarias, Archipélago Next, Female Startup Leaders, the Canary Islands Audiovisual Cluster, and the Tenerife Film Commission.
