Following a promotional visit to Miami during eMerge Americas in May, where César Caballero, Coordinator of Gateway Summit, pitched Málaga as a rising hub for capital and innovation, the upcoming edition of the summit is set to take place on October 1 and 2 at the Málaga Cruise Terminal. In an exclusive interview with Hispanic Target Magazine, Caballero detailed the summit's goals: to generate concrete connections between entrepreneurs, investors, corporations, and innovation ecosystems on both sides of the Atlantic.
The reception in Miami was extraordinarily positive, Caballero said. “We noticed a massive interest in discovering new innovation hubs outside traditional markets. Málaga sparked tremendous curiosity due to its blend of talent, high quality of life, international connectivity, and a business ecosystem that has matured rapidly in recent years.” During eMerge Americas, the team held meetings with venture capital funds, tech corporations, accelerators, and institutions that view Málaga as a natural gateway to the European market. The summit is not just an event but a platform designed to create real connections between both continents.
Gateway Summit stands out for its disruptive, airport-inspired concept, featuring spaces like the “Pitching Runway” and “Takeoff Talks.” The airport concept reflects the summit's core philosophy: a connecting hub where ideas take flight, capital meets high-impact projects, and connections turn into real opportunities. The agenda balances top-tier content, investment, networking, and immersive experiences. In addition to keynotes and panel discussions, there will be the Pitching Runway, where 10 finalist startups pitch directly to investors, alongside specialized workshops, deal-making meetings, dynamic activities, and an Experience Zone with live demos and applied technologies.
Thematically, the summit will focus on major tech trends: Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, FinTech, EdTech, HealthTech, SpaceTech, Smart Cities, Connected Mobility, Tokenization, Bitcoin, Real Estate, Tourism, and Impact Investing. Investment plays a central role. A new format will bring together around 20 investors to build a live, practical guide on how startups are evaluated and investment decisions are made, sharing criteria and decision-making processes that usually happen behind closed doors.
Caballero emphasized the importance of practical, actionable learning. “We don’t want Gateway to be just a place to hear about what’s happening—we want participants to understand how it’s done, test it out, and take home actionable insights.” One unique format, led by Iván García Berjano, will gather approximately 20 investors to construct a live, practical masterclass on startup investing, demystifying the investment “black box.” Other sessions include Reental’s workshop on making alternative investments accessible and “Tres en Forma,” a dynamic masterclass featuring three renowned Spanish investors: Jesús Alonso Gallo, Rodolfo Carpintier, and Néstor Salvador Boichenco.
The international lineup includes executives from companies like Mastercard, Renault, and Indra to discuss connected vehicles and mobility; Quirón for healthcare technology; PLD Space for the space industry; Metricool for AI and automated workflows; and Markus Gotthard on drones, AI, and energy resilience for global security. Representatives from Cisco, Reental, and Bolt will also participate.
The summit is tailored for startups and scaleups, global corporations, venture capital funds, angel investors, family offices, institutions, universities, tech hubs, and growth-minded companies. For those traveling from the U.S. or Latin America, Gateway serves as a concentrated entry point into the Spanish and broader European ecosystems. Investors can discover high-potential deals via the Pitching Runway, evaluate curated startups, participate in dedicated investment rooms, and arrange targeted one-on-one meetings. Corporations can source cutting-edge technologies and identify partners, while founders can connect with investors and strategic allies.
Advanced networking and matchmaking tools will allow participants to arrange key meetings before the event. “We want to remove the randomness from networking and ensure the right decision-makers connect seamlessly,” Caballero said. “The key question at the end of Gateway shouldn’t be ‘Which presentation did you like best?’ but rather ‘Who did you meet, and what deals will follow from that meeting?’ That is the exact ROI we aim to deliver.”
