Are you a Spanish tech startup ready to take on the U.S. market? Don't miss this chance to join Desafía San Francisco, offering an immersive program tailored to propel your growth in the United States!
Desafía San Francisco Spring 2026 is an immersion program for Spanish startups led by women, interested in scaling their business model internationally. The program's objective is to introduce Spanish women entrepreneurs to the Silicon Valley innovation ecosystem and facilitate a soft landing in the North American market through direct engagement with investors, corporate leaders, and strategic partners. Desafía San Francisco 2025 Spring 2026 is operated by SOSA in partnership with ICEX and Red.es.
The program is open to Spanish tech startups led by women entrepreneurs from all sectors who are ready to expand and scale in the United States. We offer a high-impact program experience, access to investors, industry experts, ecosystem leaders, and targeted workshops to accelerate your internationalization efforts. We look forward to partnering with you!
Why San Francisco
San Francisco and the Bay Area continue to dominate the U.S. startup and venture capital landscape. Through the first nine months of 2025, startups in the region raised a record $111.7 billion in venture funding, representing approximately 45% of all U.S. venture capital investment and surpassing the previous annual record set in 2021. San Francisco alone accounted for roughly $93.9 billion of that total, with sustained activity across early-stage, growth, and mega-rounds. This level of capital concentration significantly outpaces every other U.S. metro area and reinforces the Bay Area’s position as the country’s most powerful engine for startup financing.
The region is also the global epicenter for AI and frontier technology. In 2025, Bay Area startups raised approximately $122 billion in AI and DeepTech funding, capturing more than 75% of all U.S. AI venture investment, including OpenAI’s landmark $40 billion round closed in March 2025. Beyond capital, the ecosystem itself is unmatched, with over 18,000 active startups and 268 unicorns concentrated in a dense, highly connected network of founders, investors, corporates, and customers. For international startups seeking U.S. expansion, San Francisco offers direct access to the world’s largest technology market, deep sector expertise, and unparalleled opportunities to validate product-market fit, secure strategic partnerships, and scale globally.
Program Benefits
Bootcamp in Madrid
The selected companies will be invited to an in-person launch of the program. During a full-day bootcamp in Madrid on October 9th, the companies will align objectives, refine their U.S. value proposition, and prepare for the San Francisco program.
Two-week intensive immersion program in San Francisco
The in-market immersion, operated by SOSA and local partners, will offer the selected companies a personalized agenda aligned with their U.S. expansion and fundraising goals.
Workshops and strategic content sessions
An array of expert-led sessions will cover U.S. market entry fundamentals, legal and regulatory landscape, go-to-market strategy, how to win over U.S. investors, and other key topics.
Targeted meetings with investors in Silicon Valley
The program will include strategic meetings with VCs, angel networks, and family offices, focused on validating startups' market opportunity, refining their fundraising pitches, and building meaningful relationships.
Connections with key players in the San Francisco tech ecosystem
The immersion program will offer opportunities to meet SF ecosystem leaders, including innovation directors from corporates, accelerators, industry experts, and growth advisors.
Mentoring from experienced entrepreneurs
Founders who have successfully scaled their companies in the U.S. will offer direct insight into the realities of operating and fundraising in Silicon Valley.
Networking opportunities
This program will provide selected startups with a multitude of in-person touch points with key stakeholders in the San Francisco ecosystem, enabling them to build their U.S. contact base and explore commercial, investment, and collaboration opportunities.
Participation in a final Demo Day
During the San Francisco immersion, the selected startups will deliver a 5-minute pitch to a curated audience of investors, corporates, and ecosystem stakeholders.
Ongoing support through the Desafía Alumni Network
Upon completion of the program, the founders will connect to a broader community of Spanish startups and international partners, with continued access to resources and visibility.
Requirements
Be a woman entrepreneur with a technology startup (founder or member of the executive team) whose technology is the basis of an innovative product or service.
Have an annual turnover increase of more than 20% year over year (YoY)
Be headquartered and operating primarily out of Spain
No previous participation in a Desafía San Francisco Program
Have full professional proficiency in English
Full participation in all program phases, including the in-person Program Launch in Madrid (October 9th), the Virtual Program, and the entire two-week San Francisco Immersion (November 10-21st)
About ICEX
ICEX is a public business-oriented organization aimed at promoting the prosperity of the Spanish economy through internationalization. Its goals include enhancing the competitiveness of Spanish companies and their ecosystems in international markets; promoting Spain's image, its productive sectors, and companies abroad; attracting, promoting, and supporting foreign investments in Spain; and providing training in these areas. Its international network and close collaboration with chambers of commerce and sectoral associations are key to positioning Spain as a reference in global markets.
ICEX also promotes the international scalability of the technological and innovative entrepreneurship ecosystem through market intelligence activities, institutional support, and the promotion of our companies: startups, scaleups, investment funds, corporations, accelerators, incubators, etc. This is approached from a dual perspective of business development and investment attraction, as well as the creation of partnerships within the ecosystem.
Red.es is the public corporate entity attached to the Ministry of Digital Transformation and The Civil Service.
Red.es develops programs to boost the digital economy, innovation and entrepreneurship, in addition to offering training for young people and professionals and support for SMEs and startups through the promotion of efficient and intensive use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
SOSA is a global open innovation company that connects governments, corporations, and tech companies through a range of accelerator and market entry programs. From two day bootcamps to six month accelerators, SOSA delivers tailored initiatives that help companies navigate new markets and scale internationally. With offices in New York, São Paulo, and Tel Aviv, and partnerships across Europe, Asia, and North America, SOSA supports the global exchange of innovation.
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