Wayra, the Corporate Venture Capital of Telefónica, has organized a new edition of its Investors Day at Espacio Fundación Telefónica under the slogan "Europe's Next Advantage," an event that has gathered about 250 people with the mission of discussing how to consolidate digital sovereignty in Europe.
Coinciding with the 15th anniversary of this innovation platform, the session has focused attention on how to turn innovative capacity into a lasting competitive advantage through technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and advanced connectivity, key to strengthening resilience in an increasingly demanding global scenario.
At the opening, the CEO of Wayra, Andrés Saborido, reviewed the organization's journey over these 15 years of activity and emphasized that cooperation between startups, investors, and large corporations is one of the most effective ways to transform innovation into real business opportunities.
Saborido also pointed out that at Wayra they strive to ensure that technologies with the greatest potential can access customers, specific use cases, and growth paths, aligned with Telefónica's purpose of being the best gateway for citizens and companies to digital technologies.
Debate on funding, space, and technology
The program included the roundtable "Can Europe own its technology future?", in which the founder of 33N, Carlos Moreira; the general partner of Noteus Partners, Guillaume d'Audiffret; the managing partner of Adara Ventures, Alberto Gómez; and the investment director of Wayra, Paloma Castellano, examined the challenges of financing and scaling technological capabilities in Europe.
Additionally, the space sector focused another panel moderated by the director of alliances and innovation services at Wayra, Agustín Moro, with the participation of the CEO of Sateliot, Jaume Sanpera, and the co-founder of Kreios Space, Francisco Boira, who discussed the strategic role of the space industry in the technological sovereignty of the continent.
Throughout the event, proposals from the companies Whalebone, Quantum Bridge, Omniloy, telli, and Red Sift were presented, showcasing solutions in cybersecurity, quantum cryptography, and artificial intelligence applied to both the healthcare sector and customer service.