Turning Pitches at Al Andalus Innovation Venture 2026

On 23 September, the ONE Platform of Red.es took part in the fifth edition of Al Andalus Innovation Venture, a leading event for fostering valuable connections between investors, entrepreneurs and corporations.

Pitch Train

Red.es’s participation in Al Andalus Innovation Venture went beyond Seville. On Monday, 21 September, the event organisers, together with Renfe’s TrenLab, launched the Pitch Train, a journey from Madrid to Seville that brought together entrepreneurs, investors and representatives from different institutions in a trip designed as a space to share ideas, projects and opportunities.

Red.es was represented by Yolanda Echarte, Deputy Director of Humanism and Entrepreneurship, who had the opportunity to gain first-hand insight into the participating projects and listen to their pitches, alongside other representatives from the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

ONE Opportunities Panel

The ONE Opportunities Panel, held on 23 September at 12:45 p.m., was the central element of ONE’s participation in the event. The initiative introduced an innovative format in which entrepreneurs stepped away, for a moment, from the traditional pitch format to take on a different role: first listening to what investors are looking for and what they have to say.

The panel featured Carmen Carpintero (AABAN), Orfeo Balboa (First Drop), Vanessa Galindo (Eoniq.fund), Mabel Santoyo (Fundalogy) and Javier Sánchez (Obersis Ventures), who shared with the audience what they are currently looking for in a project and the key factors that can spark the interest of the investment market.

During the conversation, Emilio Solís, the activity’s host, also wanted to know what factors could make an investor immediately lose interest in a project. The answers were as varied as they were direct. Orfeo Balboa summed it up clearly: “I have no competition — that’s something I don’t want to hear.” For his part, Javier Sánchez highlighted the importance of personalisation when making contact: “I’m tired of copy-and-paste messages on LinkedIn; we’re looking for something more personalised.”

After hearing from the investors, it was time for the audience to take part. The activity moved into a dynamic and engaging format in which investors had to turn around in their seats whenever they were interested in learning more about a project.

With the room packed with attendees, 16 participants had one minute to present their project, capture the attention of the investors on stage and secure the much-anticipated match.

The dynamic stood out for its informal, participatory and entertaining nature, and produced some particularly memorable moments, such as those when all five panellists turned around in response to the same proposal. One of the standout participants was Javier Peña, from Torch, who had also taken part in the Pitch Train journey on 21 September.

Once the dynamic had concluded, we had the opportunity to speak with some of the investors who took part in the panel. Vanessa Galindo, from Eoniq.fund, explained what can make her lose interest in a project: “The personality of the founders. When you’re talking to founders and they shut themselves off, when they’re not open to you contributing to the project or to other people contributing to it.”

The ONE Opportunities Panel thus established itself as a different kind of space for connecting entrepreneurship and investment, focusing not only on presenting projects, but also on gaining first-hand insight into what the investment ecosystem is looking for and how to create valuable connections.

The ONE Platform collaborates with the entrepreneurship ecosystem

Through initiatives such as this one, the ONE Platform strengthens its role as a space for connection and opportunity generation, creating an environment where entrepreneurs and the different stakeholders within the ecosystem can share experiences, identify common interests and open the door to future collaborations.

The ONE Opportunities Panel also represents a different way of bringing entrepreneurship and investment closer together: it is not simply about providing a stage for presenting projects, but about facilitating dialogue, bringing both sides’ needs closer together and creating genuine opportunities for connection.

Through its presence at initiatives such as Al Andalus Innovation Venture and the Pitch Train, the ONE Platform continues to promote spaces that enhance project visibility, provide access to new contacts and encourage knowledge sharing within the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem. It is a commitment to a model of connection in which the value lies not only in the pitch, but also in everything that can happen afterwards: a conversation, a contact, a collaboration or a new opportunity for growth.