Desafía Boston 2024

ICEX Spain Export and Investments and the Economic and Commercial Office of Spain (OFECOMES) in Chicago are launching the first edition of Desafía Boston, an immersion program aimed at innovative Spanish startups and companies in the biotech sector, specifically in healthcare biotechnology. This program, developed by Richi Entrepreneurs, has two main objectives.

• The first is to introduce entrepreneurs to the Boston ecosystem so they can acquire the experience and knowledge necessary to scale their business models with higher chances of success and facilitate their entry into the U.S. market. 
• The second objective is to deepen their understanding of the biotech sector in Boston and establish connections with key players in the ecosystem, including pharmaceutical companies, corporations, investors, and hospitals, with the goal of gaining the experience and strategic network needed to enter the U.S. market and scale their business.

Participants in the program will receive executive training specialized in the biotech sector and the U.S. healthcare system, learn about health industry regulations, the legal framework for establishing a biotech company in the U.S., and funding strategies. They will also be introduced to knowledge, investment, and innovation ecosystems in U.S. healthcare, especially in Boston and the state of Massachusetts. The program includes networking with leading figures in the biotech ecosystem, visits to incubators, hospitals, and innovation centers in Boston, and customized B2B meetings.

Additionally, participants will have access to mentoring from sector experts, a stable network of contacts, and will engage in activities before, during, and after the immersion, including a networking event with relevant health sector counterparts. There will also be a preparatory session in Madrid to develop each company's strategy before the immersion, as well as ongoing mentoring and support.

Selected companies will join the global Desafía network, which includes hubs in cities such as San Francisco, New York, Tel Aviv, Berlin, London, Singapore, and Boston. The program culminates in a demo day where participants will present their pitches to investors and biotech sector experts in Boston and develop a post-program action plan with mentors.