Louis Prieto (Madrid, 46 years old) has always had a desire to explore the world around him. This spirit led him to settle in San Francisco (United States) in 2012, where he lived for six years after studying law in Madrid. “I went to take a six-month entrepreneurship course at Stanford University and eventually stayed for six years,” he said. third edition MadBlue for the event beginnings It is the founder of the company and focuses on the protection of nature. Entrepreneurs with good ideas to promote the circular economy and reduce their impact on the environment have an appointment on April 25 and 26. Financing up to one hundred million euros, 30 investment funds and 60 start-ups will be supported at the meeting.
Prieto’s interest in protecting the environment and ecosystems was awakened as a result of the American experience.. “In San Francisco I came in contact with a very nature-oriented lifestyle. There I met a group of people who worked at Patagonia, where founder Ynone Chouinard retired and gave the company to planet Earth. There are private companies working to restore ecosystems and environments that are in danger of losing their biodiversity. Erdogan is a group,” says Erdogan, emphasizing the entrepreneurial spirit he internalized in those years. “When I went to the United States, the effect of the financial crisis was beginning in Europe. I met the entrepreneurial culture there. start, then I made my own and eventually sold it to my American partner. “I also joined a cyber-intelligence company called Constelar,” explains Prieto, impressed by the innovation capacity of the world’s leading economic power. “Everyone wants to have their own company. In Spain, the situation was very different, everyone leaving the corporate world had neither the tools nor the finances for their ventures. That has started to change in recent years,” she admits optimistically.
After returning to Spain, he tried to imitate his experiences on the other side of the Atlantic. “I organized a festival that was a pilot experience. It was called Piel de Atún and we celebrated it in Cádiz. It was a meeting of arts, culture, science and sport.” After this first contact, he decided to export this first test to Madrid, the capital of Spain.. He submitted the project to the central government and was declared an event of public interest. “From that moment we launched MadBlue. The first edition was in 2021 because the coronavirus pandemic broke out in 2020. Everything happened to us: Filomena storm, covid, elections, more elections. Our goal with the event is art, more connected with nature, better science, culture and entrepreneurship to create a society,” he explains.
A new venture capital fund
In addition to seeking funding, this entrepreneur-promoted meeting will also begin to fund companies. By the end of the year, they plan to set up their own impact fund with a donation of 25 to 30 million euros to support Spanish companies and technology. Since the appointment, MadBlue Marine division, a green hydrogen boat company, has already been promoted. The first boat will be tested as a prototype in the waters of the Balearic Islands this September. The target by 2024 is to have 20 to 30 units in the Mediterranean.
“There are many initiatives by scientists, businessmen and adventurers from all over the world to help us save the planet. At MadBlue we are trying to bring it together. beginnings, innovation and investment funds. We also award prizes to people who excel in the media, science or sport. We want to highlight people who show that a lifestyle connected to nature brings wealth to society.“, explains the MadBlue founder, he has no qualms about claiming his businessman figure. expense of others. This began to change in Spain. Young people see this differently now and want to start their own projects.”
positive effect
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Contrary to what many companies repeat over and over, Prieto escapes the mantra: Sustainabilityvery fashionable in business. “We are concerned with positive impact. Sustainability is a utopia because it would be equivalent to returning exactly what you take out to produce an activity to nature. There is no company in the world today that is sustainable. A company is something that can be measured, tracked and scaled. At MadBlue we want to promote that.” says.
Some of the sectors that Prieto thinks have the most potential for investment are those related to regenerative products, aquaculture or green hydrogen. “Spain is a very talented country. We are also so devoted to climate and nature that we should set an example. Scientists have given us clear signs. If the planet’s temperature rises above 1.5 degrees Celsius in the coming year”, life on Earth is under threat. Responsible companies have the power to change this.“The Madrid entrepreneur concludes his words.