Desafia SF Fall 2026 Demo Day
Join us for the Desafía San Francisco Fall 2026 Demo Day, featuring 10 high-growth Spanish startups expanding into the U.S. market across AI, Fintech, HealthTech, Climate Tech, Smart Cities, FoodTech, and immersive experiences.
Selected for the Fall 2026 edition of the highly selective Desafía San Francisco program, these founders are showing the Bay Area what they’ve built and how they plan to enter the U.S. They are looking for commercial partners, investors, and expansion opportunities.
📝 **Please note, registration is required in two places:
Register here on Luma.
Register on the AWS Builder Loft portal: https://events.builder.aws.com/c/calendar/fc4e2932-9284-4564-982e-8764e037c5a7. Search for “Desafía San Francisco” and the event page will appear. You’ll need to create an account to complete your registration.
Run of Show:
🕕 6:00 PM: Doors open
🗣️ 6:30 PM: Welcome remarks
🚀 6:45 PM: Startup pitches (4 minutes each)
🍸 7:45 PM: Networking reception with drinks and light bites
🧐 Check out the 10 startups before you arrive: https://sanfrancisco.desafia.gob.es/desafia-fall-2026-dealbook
The evening brings together VCs, corporate innovators, founders, and international partners, followed by networking over drinks and light bites with the founders and community.
Space is limited. This event is intended for those looking to meet the founders, discover emerging technologies, and connect with VCs, corporate innovators, and international partners.
About the Program
Desafía San Francisco is a U.S. market entry accelerator for Spanish startups. Each cohort completes a bootcamp in Madrid and a two-week immersion in San Francisco, with investor meetings, corporate introductions, and mentorship from industry experts and SOSA's acceleration team. The Demo Day is the closing showcase.
The Desafía San Francisco program is operated by SOSA in partnership with ICEX, Red.es, and the Trade Commission of Spain in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
SOSA is a global open innovation company. We work with governments and corporations, building custom innovation programs to support the development and implementation of technological innovation. SOSA’s accelerator programs combine mentorship from SOSA’s innovation consultants, as well as in-market introductions to corporate contacts, VC investors, industry experts, and partners. Leveraging this network, SOSA creates valuable opportunities for deals, strategic partnerships, and funding for companies in its accelerator programs.
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 and productive sectors abroad; attracting and supporting foreign investment; and providing training in these areas. ICEX also promotes the international scalability of the technological and innovative entrepreneurship ecosystem through market intelligence, institutional support, and ecosystem partnerships.
Red.es is the public corporate entity attached to the Ministry of Digital Transformation and The Civil Service. It develops programs that boost the digital economy, innovation, and entrepreneurship, while training professionals and supporting SMEs and startups through the adoption of advanced digital technologies.