Meet the experts joining our “Corporate Venturing in Europe: From Pilots to Scalable Partnerships” panel at the EU-Startups Summit 2025!

On April 24-25, 2025, the EU-Startups Summit returns to Malta for two action-packed days of networking, inspiring talks, and in-depth discussions with Europe’s most forward-thinking founders and investors.

As the startup landscape matures, collaboration between corporates and startups is becoming a vital engine for innovation across the continent. More than ever, large enterprises are turning to agile startups for new ideas, technologies, and business models—while startups gain access to markets, capital, and expertise. But how do we move from short-term pilots to long-term, scalable partnerships that deliver real impact?

To explore these questions, we’ve brought together two top experts for our panel “Corporate Venturing in Europe: From Pilots to Scalable Partnerships”

Gabriela Matic – Aerospace Xelerated

Gabriela is a Venture Partner at Aerospace Xelerated, a global aerospace accelerator run in partnership with organisations like Boeing and Tawazun Council. She is also the Co-founder and Director of Metta, an innovation agency focused on improving the sustainability and accessibility of innovation. Since 2016, she has supported more than 150 startups directly and mentored hundreds more across different industries and stages. Gabi is also an angel investor with a particular interest in sustainability, health tech, and underrepresented founders, and she continues to advise a range of early-stage startups.

Manuel Mendigutía – European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency

With more than two decades of experience in international affairs, economic development, and innovation, Manuel is a Senior Strategy Adviser and Programme Coordinator at the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), where he leads the EIC Corporate Partnership Programme, an initiative aiming to connect the best European corporations with EIC-funded companies. His work focuses on turning pilot collaborations into strategic, scalable partnerships that help European startups grow.

Victoria Hernandez Valcarcel – CaixaBank

Victoria is a seasoned executive and board member with a strong track record across the tech, banking, and innovation sectors. She currently serves as Non-Executive Director at CaixaBank Payments & Consumer, where she sits on both the Technology & Innovation and Risk Committees. With additional roles representing the EIC Fund on various boards, Victoria plays a key role in driving strategic alignment between corporates and high-tech ventures. She is also a recognised expert in European innovation policy, a champion for diversity, and an active contributor to thought leadership on digital humanism and emerging technologies.

This panel is a must-attend for founders looking to navigate corporate partnerships, innovation leads building open innovation frameworks, and investors interested in the evolving dynamic between startups and established industry leaders.

Secure your ticket today and stay tuned for exciting updates on our event page—you can also check out the full agenda here to keep track of all the speakers and panels.

OUR HEADLINE SPONSOR

Malta Enterprise is Malta’s economic development agency, facilitating economic growth, investment, and innovation, by offering a range of support services for local and foreign enterprises setting up a productive presence in Malta. As a key player in Malta’s economic landscape, it contributes to the nation’s prosperity by attracting investments, supporting businesses, and driving innovation, thereby reinforcing Malta’s position as an attractive destination for entrepreneurs and investors alike. Malta Enterprise actively cultivates a vibrant startup ecosystem, playing a pivotal role in fostering a conducive environment for startups and offering tailored support and incentives to empower emerging businesses.

OUR SPONSORS

Scytale helps startups get compliant and stay compliant with frameworks like SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, NIS 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS and more, without breaking a sweat.

Airwallex is a leading global financial platform for modern businesses, offering trusted solutions to manage everything from payments, treasury, and spend management to embedded finance. With their proprietary infrastructure, Airwallex takes the friction out of global payments and financial operations, empowering businesses of all sizes to unlock new opportunities and grow beyond borders. Proudly founded in Melbourne, Airwallex supports over 100,000 businesses globally and is trusted by brands such as Brex, Rippling, Navan, Qantas, SHEIN and many more.

EUROCROWD is an independent network organisation aiming to support and promote crowdfunding as an alternative funding mechanism for small and medium-sized enterprises and innovative projects. EUROCROWD promotes and supports the development of Crowdfunding mechanisms as a viable funding source to European entrepreneurs and funders.

M. Demajo Group is a leading business player in Malta, with a successful history spanning 115 years. The Group’s growth and diversification have resulted in a wide coverage of business sectors through a commitment to long-term results. M. Demajo Group’s workforce is 500 strong and their various activities have been developed through organic growth, acquisitions, partnerships, and startups. Its strong financial situation and ethical standards, its business reputation, and its renowned track record as a business partner are all key factors in its continued expansion.

The European Innovation Council (EIC) is a flagship initiative of the European Commission to turn disruptive European science into groundbreaking commercial propositions and accelerate the scale-up of “game-changing” innovations. It is a key building bloc of a reinforced European ecosystem and the New European Innovation Agenda, filling the gap between R&D support, private investors, and the market. With a budget of over €10 billion under the Horizon Europe Programme (2021-2027) it seeks to position Europe as a global leader in the current wave of deep tech innovation.

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