The start-up ecosystem is facing an unavoidable reality check at the Ibiza Tech Forum 2026. Beyond big ideas and technological disruption, the viability of any emerging project depends on its financial architecture and on its ability to scale.
No one knows this terrain better than Pilar Carrato, chief financial officer (CFO) of the Centre for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI), who led an insightful discussion at the forum on the sector’s hits, misses and unfinished business in Spain, before joining the Euronews set to talk about talent, entrepreneurship, scalability and the recipe for success.
Drawing on the strength of a public body that in the last two years has invested 3 billion euros, with an active portfolio of 150 companies and 40 funds, Carrato breaks down the keys to competing in the international top tier.
Profitable vs scalable: speaking the investor’s language
For Pilar Carrato, the first mistake many startups make is their lack of strategic focus when they go looking for capital. “They need to know what stage they’re at and who they should be talking to, because otherwise they’re going to waste a lot of time,” she warns.
