Description
Desafía San Francisco (often simply Desafía) is a non-equity, public accelerator and soft-landing program designed to help Spanish technology startups expand into the U.S. market, particularly the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley. It is a public-sector initiative sponsored by ICEX Spain Trade and Investment and Red.es — Spanish government agencies promoting internationalization and digital innovation — and operated in partnership with SOSA, a global innovation network that runs tailored landing and accelerator programs.
Desafía has been ranked by external sources (e.g., Crunchbase) as a top non-equity accelerator in San Francisco — meaning there is no standard funding or equity stake taken by the program itself.
Specific Program Stage
Pre-Seed / Early-Stage Support for International Scaleups
- Desafía is not structured as a venture capital investor. Instead, it focuses on international expansion readiness for companies that already have products, traction, and early results in Spain or other markets.
Soft-Landing / Market Entry
- The core goal is to help Spanish tech startups prepare for, enter, and scale within the U.S. market, particularly Silicon Valley — not to provide standard seed or venture funding.
Investment / Funding Model
Equity / Funding Structure
- Desafía is a non-equity public initiative — it does not take equity or issue standard investment checks as part of the program. Instead, its value is in market entry support, ecosystem access, and strategic introductions.
- Participating startups are responsible for their own funding and financial arrangements outside the program (e.g., direct fundraising with U.S. investors). The accelerator itself is non-dilutive.
Program Funding / Support
- The program is part of a public internationalization effort by Spain to help companies scale globally, with a budget allocated for running immersive experience cohorts. Participation costs for founders are typically limited to travel and participation — not equity relinquishment.
Equity Structure
- Because Desafía does not function as a VC or investor, it does not set or require equity dilution from participating companies.
- Equity decisions — if any — only arise later through independent fundraising with investors encountered during or after the program.
Application / Submission Method
Submission Process
- Spanish technology companies apply through an open public call hosted by the program’s official site or government channels.
- Applicants typically include companies with demonstrated traction or growth in Spain seeking to expand internationally.
Selection
- Selected companies are chosen for cohort inclusion, usually 8–10 startups per year, based on criteria such as readiness for U.S. expansion, product maturity, and scalability potential.
What an Applicant can Obtain
Immersion in Silicon Valley Ecosystem: A 2-week in-market program in San Francisco, including meetings with investors, innovation leaders, corporate partners, and mentors.
Bootcamp Preparation: Pre-immersion workshops and a launch event in Spain to prepare founders for market entry and U.S. expectations.
Strategic Workshops: Sessions on U.S. market entry, go-to-market strategy, and fundraising preparation.
Investor and Partner Introductions: Targeted networking with U.S. VCs, angel networks, and corporate innovation contacts to help founders refine their pitches and build relationships.
Demo Day: A culminating public pitch opportunity to engage with investors and ecosystem stakeholders.
Alumni Network & Continued Support: Ongoing access to the Desafía alumni community and additional resources for international expansion.
