Connect to grow: ConexiONEs arrives in Ceuta

On Wednesday, March 25, Ceuta became a meeting point for innovative entrepreneurship with the fourth edition of ConexiONEs, the series of in-person events organized by the ONE Platform that travels across the country to connect talent, projects, and opportunities.

The event took place at Ceuta Open Future, a startup accelerator driven by the Autonomous City of Ceuta, through PROCESA, and Telefónica, establishing itself as a landmark space for fostering entrepreneurship and innovation in the city.

ConexiONEs arrived in Ceuta with a clear premise: to bring resources, conversations, and connections closer to the local ecosystem, placing at the center those who launch ventures, innovate, and build from the ground up. A day designed to share real experiences, build trust, and reinforce the idea that entrepreneurial growth is driven by collaboration.

During the event, ecosystem stakeholders came together to reflect, learn, and connect, demonstrating that entrepreneurship is not a solitary path but a collective process that grows stronger when lessons, challenges, and opportunities are shared.

The Value of the ONE Platform for the Ecosystem

The day began with the dialogue "The Value of the ONE Platform for the Ecosystem," focused on how shared spaces and public tools can drive collaboration and project growth.

During this session, Elena Cólogan provided a detailed explanation of the ONE Platform, delving into its features, uses, and services available to entrepreneurs and other stakeholders in the innovative ecosystem. Throughout the conversation, the discussion addressed how the platform facilitates access to strategic resources, visibility for projects, and initiatives related to the Spanish innovative entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The dialogue had a distinctly practical character, with an open space to answer questions from the audience, which made it possible to ground the workings of the ONE Platform in the real needs of the Ceuta ecosystem and showcase its potential as a support tool across the different stages of entrepreneurship.

In this context, special emphasis was placed on the importance of knowing about and leveraging public resources promoted by the State, which serve as key enablers for the development of innovative entrepreneurship. The ONE Platform was presented as an especially useful resource for addressing the real needs of innovative entrepreneurship. Attendees showed notable interest in the possibilities it offers in areas such as business intelligence applied to decision-making, access to calls for Spain Pavilions as an internationalization tool, and specialized content that supports entrepreneurs throughout the different stages of their projects. Knowing about these resources and understanding how to use them is a differentiating factor for moving forward with greater confidence and taking advantage of the public support available at the various stages of a project.

How to Scale a Project: Lessons from Success Stories

The second dialogue of the day, "How to Scale a Project: Lessons from Success Stories," focused on the growth of entrepreneurial projects from an honest and approachable perspective, sharing real experiences about decision-making, validation, mistakes, and adaptation in changing environments.

The panel featured Raúl Navas, Technical Director of Kikoto, and Carmen Jiménez Medina, CEO and Founder of Medhionine, in a conversation moderated by Sara González Paños, Communication and Marketing Mentor at Open Future.

Throughout the dialogue, the speakers agreed on the importance of networking and human relationships as a key lever for growth. They highlighted how kindness, approachability, and an open attitude can unlock unexpected opportunities: from meeting future clients to connecting with those who will eventually become investors or strategic allies. In this regard, the importance of leveraging resources and support promoted by the State was also underscored as a strategic element for driving and consolidating projects at their different stages of development.

Continuous learning was also valued as an inherent part of entrepreneurship. Scaling a project is not a linear path, and making mistakes is part of the process. As was shared during the conversation, failure is not the end but an opportunity to get back up, learn, and start again with greater perspective and experience.

Another key message was the need to develop projects that make sense and solve real problems. Beyond theory or following all the "perfect" steps, the importance of validating in the market, listening to users, and checking whether the solution truly adds value was emphasized. The more people who see their problem solved, the greater the project's impact.

Finally, the importance of being active within the ecosystem was stressed—getting to know other stakeholders, participating in shared spaces, and building a solid network that supports business growth. Validate, connect, and collaborate were some of the ideas that closed an especially inspiring conversation for those in the early stages of their projects.

Networking to Build Real Connections

The day concluded with a networking session in which each attendee presented their project, making it possible to identify synergies, share ideas, and continue building relationships that drive new projects and opportunities or inspire others to start their own ventures. 

ConexiONEs Ceuta brought together startup founders, entrepreneurs, innovation centers, and people interested in entrepreneurship, reinforcing the idea that ecosystem development is built through collaboration and proximity.

With this fourth edition, following stops in the Canary Islands, Cuenca, and Santander, ConexiONEs continues to establish itself as a key meeting point for innovative entrepreneurship, bringing the ONE Platform closer to local communities and placing at the center the people who make the ecosystem possible.

If you want to participate in upcoming ConexiONEs events, check the ONE Platform agenda to stay up to date on all the details.