Coming to the US changed everything for Happyrobot. Going through Y Combinator definitely helped, but simply being based in San Francisco opens doors we never could have imagined would open.
Pablo Palafox
Co-founder, Happyrobot
Spain's future founders live here.
Find your tribe, land in the hottest startups in Spain, and get your visa to Silicon Valley. 15 Fellows are already building in San Francisco.
CommunityConnect with top builders and access exclusive eventsLaunchpadJoin the hottest early-stage startups in SpainFellowshipGet your US visa and land in top Silicon Valley startups
Community
Connect with top builders and access exclusive events
Launchpad
Join the hottest early-stage startups in Spain
Fellowship
Get your US visa and land in top Silicon Valley startups
Spain needs more technical founders. Our mission is to find them before they even know it, and put them on an extraordinary path.
We believe in the extraordinary.
Our purpose is to drive progress and prosperity. Our thesis is simple: if we put extraordinary people in extraordinary places, they will go on to do extraordinary things.
We believe that the machinery of an exponential society requires only a few extraordinary persons.
Extraordinary people come from extraordinary experiences.
We act early in the careers of our community, bringing together the best talent and the best teams.
Our mission is to identify high-potential individuals at the onset of their careers, so we can accelerate their path to outsized returns for society. Because of the exponential nature of these individuals, a small but transformational experience today can benefit them – and the world – in ways we cannot imagine.
3. programs
/ˈproʊɡræms/
1. a set of related activities with a particular long-term aim.
Welcome to Exponential.
Opportunity. Community. Mentorship. These are the pillars of our programs.
We find and send Spanish technical whiz kids and show them what excellence looks like. We then give them a community of like-minded individuals and a network of experts to foster the next generation of exponential founders.
Fellowship
For the 1% of the 1%. We process your visa to work at top startups in the heart of Silicon Valley.
Learn more →Launchpad
Community
Before Exponential...Ignacio built statistical models for ESA's PAZ satellite mission at ICE-CSIC, won 1st place at Datafest '23 presenting data-driven solutions to IKEA, and earned a scholarship to develop Vision Transformers for wind energy prediction.
Before Exponential...Carmen graduated top 1% at ICADE and worked at Samaipata, Boston Consulting Group, and MCH Private Equity.
Before Exponential...Xabi had done research at Harvard and had led TUM.ai in Munich.
Before Exponential...Sergio built pvdeploy, an AI Operating System for Renewable Infrastructure Funds, and 4eat, a digital nutritionist that reached 15,000+ users.
Before Exponential...Nico had the best academic record in his Computer Science degree, and had released a couple of iOS apps.
Before Exponential...Graduated top 5% of his Telecomm Engineering class, and led product teams at TravelPerk at just 25.
Before Exponential...Celia was an aerospace engineer and Solution Architect at Salesforce for 3 years.
Before Exponential...Sofía had performed research at Columbia and Cambdrige, and was a Barrié de la Maza Fellow.
Before Exponential...Javi got into a YC company after working at Canonical.
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Testimonials
In their words
When Guli told me what he wanted to build with Exponential, I told him not to do it. Not because I thought it wasn't needed, but because I knew how hard it was going to be. To take on something like this, you have to want it for real. I'm so glad he didn't listen and pushed Exponential forward. Moving to Silicon Valley was the best decision of my career: it opened my mind and taught me to play in the big leagues. Being able to bring…
Miguel Carranza
CTO · RevenueCat
Spain makes you want to chill; SF makes you want to build. In this town, you breath tech, creativity, and innovation. Here, we met folks like Marc Andreessen, Guillermo Rauch, or Amjad Masad, who believed in our vision and gave us advice, connections, and resources that you cannot get elsewhere.
Víctor Pérez
CEO, Krea AI
I always new I wanted a different path. I wanted to be closer to cutting edge technologies. Go wherever the future was being built. Be part of it. And then bring that back home. But I had no idea where to start. Exponential is the compass that will guide future generations of builders, a factor that compounds over time creating wealth and prosperity.
Javi Palafox
Founder · HappyRobot
Exponential is a window into talent around the world. An opportunity to discover the philosophy and mechanics behind many of the most interesting startups globally. Spain and San Francisco connected by talent and the ambition to build. An ecosystem of brilliant young people with the intention of revolutionizing industries. Guli is a great ambassador for Spain in San Francisco. And also for San Francisco among Spaniards who are…
Guillermo Garabito
Cofounder / COO · Speridlabs
Exponential has brought together the most exceptional group of individuals of an entire generation. Talks, events, or simply a WhatsApp group laying the foundations of what I have no doubt will be the future talents of this country
Álvaro Leal
Chief of Staff · Factorial
I am starting a venture and founding a robotics startup, I received help to seek legal resources for my US VISA process to found a company and also got in contact with San Francisco VCs
Alejandro Carrasco
Research Assistant · Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Before finding Exponential, ambitious technical people in Spain felt scattered and hard to find. Exponential created a place where builders naturally connect: founders, engineers, researchers, and operators all pushing toward bigger goals. Through the community, I've met incredible people working at some of the best startups in Spain and the US, and those conversations have expanded both my ambition and perspective. What makes…
Adria Blancafort
Software Engineer · Factorial
I just joined this community, but I already feel like I found a place where I will be able to grow much more and faster now, sharing with people that have similar values and technical background. I am pretty sure that in some time, there will be more that I can write here, after joining more events and meetups. Thank you for creating this!
Miguel García González
Frontend Software Engineer · Santander Group
I joined Exponential when I was 25. I had never considered going to the US because I thought there was no way to make it happen. Exponential changed everything. I left my 9-to-5 job at a large corpo to join MITO's first team. It's one of the best decisions I've made in my whole life. Now I can actually see myself going to Silicon Valley!
Juan Otálora Alarcón
Product Engineer · MITO AI
You often hear the phrase "high talent density" in job interviews, framed as the promise of an environment where you'll grow professionally. But you never think the place where you'll actually connect with people like yourself is through a community like Exponential. For me, it's been a source of inspiration to want to grow more, push myself harder, and realize that the talent in Spain is incredible — we have nothing to envy of other…
Telmo Linacisoro
Consultant · PwC
Exponential is what I wish I’d discovered when I first started building companies. Today, it’s one of the first places I look when hiring talent or meeting the next generation of founders to invest in. But more than that, Exponential is a glimpse into the future seen through the eyes of some of the most talented, ambitious, and curious people of the newer generations.
Sergio Alvarez Leiva
Founder / Investor · Kfund / Tinybird
I came from Galicia with an interest in tech entrepreneurship, but I saw it as something local and incremental. Exponential shattered that frame. The first thing I understood was that global problems aren't solved by large structures operating on inertia, but by small teams that deliberately build their own path. I learned the importance of generating optionality: choosing well where you work, with whom, and for what. Of mapping out a…
Alejandro Buján Pampín
AI Lead · Base10 Partners
Returning to Spain from building a startup in SF, I thought I was leaving top-tier networking behind. Finding Exponential changed everything. There is a great amount of cracked founders here. Every event acts as a multiplier, leaving me fired up and driven to build something exponential.
Diego Sanmartin
Co-founder · Supahost AI
Thanks to exponential I met a bunch of super cool people who are making me learn more than I’ve could ever imagine. Also I’m building a new company with some friends thanks to a Hackaton we where told on the community. Super grateful for what they’re doing. As a launchpad member, I’ve been having multiple interviews at a pace I would never expected.
Francisco Javier Sanchez Vadillo
Founder · rai raí
Exponential opened my eyes and made me think bigger. When alone, it's easy to limit yourself to your surroundings. But when you find people who share your ambition and/or have already done what you're trying to do, you suddenly realize you can do it too. By bringing them together, pushing each other further, and competing at the highest level, Exponential will create the next generation of builders and position Spain at the top 🚀.
Juan Alonso-Allende
Software Engineer · Kibo Ventures
It all started with Guli sharing a link to apply to Cursor in the Exponential Community. I clicked without knowing what to expect. A few months later, I’ve hosted tons of Cursor events in Madrid, met incredible builders, and built part of one of the most exciting AI communities in the world. Now, my scope has expanded from Madrid to all of Europe. Exponential is the kind of place where opportunities compound. And I’m pretty sure this…
Felipe Basurto
Cursor Community Europe Lead · Cursor
Exponential Fellowships has had a real impact on my life. Thanks to an intro arranged by them, I have started working at Karumi AI, which is a huge step for me professionally and a great opportunity to keep learning in the AI startup ecosystem. Beyond the role itself, Exponential has also connected me with a community of sharp, ambitious and generous people who are constantly sharing ideas, opportunities and insights about the future…
Pablo Berástegui
Product Engineer · Karumi AI (YC F25)
For me, exponential has been like a catapult for my professional career. Thanks to the community, I've gone from a corporate environment to working at a startup, and it's been one of the best things that's ever happened to me. I think it's essential that spain has these spaces where the talent density is brutal, and where opportunities for young people multiply.
Jorge Hermo
Software Engineer · Omnia
I’ve been lucky to spend time around some of the best tech companies in the world, and the pattern is always the same: talent gets better when it is surrounded by other ambitious people. That is what Exponential is doing in Spain. The talent was already here. What was missing was the room, the network, and the standard. Exponential is helping more people see that building something global from Spain is not naive. It is possible.…
Jorge Bestard
VP EMEA · Harvey
Growing up, I felt like I was searching for something that didn't exist in Spain, a community of people who actually wanted to build, not just talk. Exponential didn't just introduce me to those people; it flew me to San Francisco to work alongside them. That trip changed everything. Now I'm building Rebolt with the same energy I found there, and I finally feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.
Manuel Suarez
Co Founder · Rebolt AI
Creating a successful company will always be a challenge, but in the USA I have had the wind at my back and the statistics on my side. The USA has given me access to a colossal and cohesive market and most importantly: access to capital and mentors who have achieved success before me.
Antoni Rosiñol
Co-founder, Stack AI
Exponential is the community I wish I'd discovered when I was 16 or 17. The amount of talks, people, and initiatives that come out of it would have been unthinkable to me just a few years ago. We've always been sold this story that working at a Silicon Valley startup was impossible or reserved for a chosen few. Thanks to Exponential, you realize how many opportunities are out there for anyone genuinely willing to put their skin in the…
Guillermo Vargas
Customer Success Engineer · Crossmint
joined a year ago thinking i had to leave spain to build. turns out i just had to find the right room. cracked builders my age, all hungry, all shipping. met the cto of linear, my favourite startup. got into hack europe with other fellows. spain has the talent. exponential is what connects it.
Lucas Losantos
founder · naiss ride
Joining a startup means stepping into an environment where you learn fast, take ownership, embrace challenges across different areas, and collaborate with exceptional people. That’s exactly why, at just 23, I decided to take the leap from Inditex to Omnia thanks to Exponential, and it’s a decision that continues to shape my growth every day.
David Rodriguez Bacelar
Product Engineer · Omnia
I had been curious about tech and startups for a while when I discovered Exponential at a Barcelona meetup. It showed me I wasn't alone and opened my eyes to the world I was heading into. Despite being ready to jump into entrepreneurship, Guli convinced me that joining a top-tier start up was the best move. It certainly was, thanks to Exponential I decided to join HappyRobot and saw what excellence really looks like. Knowing how it's…
Pau Matas Albiol
ML/AI Engineer · HappyRobot
Thanks to exponential, i was able to make it into a fellowship that flies you to SF, meet awesome people and seek for advice when needed. It is truly the best tech/entrepreneurial community in Spain
Alejandro Cañada
Research Assistant · Imperial College
A great group of super interesting people where I've made contacts and friends. Top!
Neil De La Fuente
Research Assistant · ETH Zürich
Exponential has been one of the most important changes in my life. Thanks to them, I'm at the best moment of my personal and professional life — I couldn't have joined Omnia without their support. Opportunities don't generate themselves — they're created when agents like Exponential bring talent together to make things happen, and they're pulling it off!
Jose Luis García del Río
Growth · Omnia
Exponential is a community where ambition is the bare minimum. It's the push that many young Spaniards needed to realize that we can reach the top, dream big, and turn those dreams into reality. They host talks with highly successful people who share their experiences and lessons, along with sessions on cutting-edge topics. They also act as matchmakers, helping you land a job at a U.S. company. It's about giving the right tools to…
Ignacio Navarro Blazquez
Founding Engineer · Tuyo
Exponential is the reason why Rebolt exists, without it, I would never have been surrounded by the that contagious ambition or access to capital in San Francisco. It's the best catalyst for young Spaniards to unleash their whole potential. From raising millions in Silicon Valley and entering YC to realizing that we can be #1, even coming from Spain!
Javi Sanchez
Cofounder · Rebolt
I believe that, for every founder, one of the best things we can do is build what we wish we had had. I left Spain almost 20 years ago to surround myself with people who would push me to be better and to build with more ambition. Thankfully, that is what I found, and I keep pushing myself and I keep building. When I left Spain, Exponential didn't exist. If it had, I would have gotten much farther, much sooner, and it would have given…
Adeyemi Ajao
Founder, Tuenti; Managing Partner · Base10
Exponential VC offers young Spaniards a unique opportunity to learn inside Silicon Valley startups that are born with global ambition and a different way of taking on challenges. Working alongside people who face similar challenges and collaborate to solve them accelerates learning enormously. Its greatest value lies in the multiplier effect it creates when that talent returns to Spain and applies that mindset to build new companies,…
Carina Szpilka
GP K Fund · KFund
Seeing how other people in the Exponential community got outstanding achievements and moved to SF, it pushed me to do the same and ended up getting a Vercel internship in SF. If it wasn't for the Exponential community, I would have never imagined this was possible.
Marcos Hernanz
Software Engineer Intern (Next.js) · Vercel
This community has been invaluable to me in my growth. There is not a higher density of talented engineers / founders in Spain than in exponential. Not only is everyone cracked they are genuinely kind and alot of fun to talk to. Disclaimer only if you are in the tech space :)
Daniel Kumlin
AI Engineer · Infinitewatch
Spanish talent has always been aspirational. We are inspired when by those from our same background doing big things. This ambition has directed talent toward traditional corporate paths, and even the outliers who pursued entrepreneurship often did it with a local mindset. Exponential is the beginning of a new generation and a directional shift for what talent in Spain can become. It is changing ambition from the top down and pushing…
Jesus Santos
Co-Founder · Arc
This is what founders giving back to founders looks like: turning shared support into exponential impact. It's simple, honest, and powerful.
Sebastián Fernández Medrano
Co-Founder · Bihar Batteries
Exponential is an amazing community. You will meet incredible people, discuss ideas, and hear firsthand stories that prove anything is possible. You just need to fight for it.
María Muñoz Pérez
AI Researcher for Health · HGUGM
Joining Exponential confirmed for me that Spain was finally starting to build truly incredible things, and that it was the right moment to make the most of all the talent we have here. I don’t think there’s another community with such a high density of talent while still being so approachable and accessible. It also allowed me to meet amazing people, some of whom even helped me land my current job. Huge thanks to everyone involved,…
Pablo Senabre
Automation Engineer · Maisa AI
Exponential has been a real eye-opener and accelerator for me. I’ve met incredibly talented people building amazing things, but when those efforts stay disconnected, the impact is limited. For me, Exponential has been the launchpad to join one of the hottest startups in Spain, connect with other ambitious builders, see what’s truly possible, and push my own ambition to the next level.
Jon Ortega
AI engineer · Embat
Exponential has opened so many doors for me. Not only I've met the top 10% of tech entrepreneurship and technical talent in Spain, but I've also made lifelong friendships that will be there to help me for the rest of my professional career.
Victoria Clotet
CPO · Twintual
Before connecting with Exponential, I had little clarity about the direction of my career — what steps to take, what opportunities were available, or how to shape my professional future. They reignited my enthusiasm for starting personal projects, pursuing certifications, and constantly pushing myself to learn and improve. The idea of accessing startups in other countries was something I had never even considered. Now it feels like a…
Gabriel Morán
Computer Engineering Student · UC3M
The Exponential Fellowship community has been the main engine that’s pushed me to aim for things I would have never even tried for by myself. They’ve created a space where talented, ambitious, like-minded people can connect and compound each other. It’s helped me get job offers at top places like Happyrobot or Multiverse - companies that are moving the needle and creating a real impact.
Jon Leiñena
Solutions Architect · Multiverse Computing
For me, exponential has been life-changing. I joined from the very beginning, and it's let me interview people like Linear's CTO in Valencia, as well as meet exceptional people — some I can now call friends. On top of that, this summer 10 of us from exponential are going to the YC AI Startup School, where we'll get talks from the likes of Nvidia's CEO or OpenAI's, plus an afterwork with Base 10 — an opportunity that wouldn't have been…
Manuel Martín Morante
Software Engineer · Tinybird
Two years ago I turned 25 and felt an ache I couldn't name. I had the job. I had the future. But everything I built stayed locked in my laptop. Then I found Go Exponential. I knew it was for me before I finished reading. Since day one, it has changed my life. Today I lead an AI team of 25+ in Silicon Valley. Building here is something you have to live. Everyone is shipping. The community pulls you forward. Exponential didn't give me a…
Santiago Gericke Parga
Director of AI · Techtorch
Exponential has been a definitive "before and after" in my professional life. Beyond meeting amazing people who give their absolute best every day, the mentorship and interview experience with world-class engineers is an incredible opportunity to learn and gather inspiration. Because of Exponential, I’m now a founding engineer at a startup. It’s the hardest I’ve ever worked, but I’m incredibly fired up about the journey and I feel…
Romulo Garcia Mus
Founding Engineer · Nutsh
Taking the risk to go to Silicon Valley was one of the best decisions of my life. The experience and the network that I developed there greatly accelerated my growth. It opened doors to Facebook, working at a venture capital fund, creating a company, and much more. A certain American mindset of thinking big is contagious and very necessary in Spain.
Iván Landabaso
Partner, jme.vc
Working at a startup in San Francisco was the best professional decision I have made in my life. It opened the doors to understanding a different way of developing software. I learned to build from scratch alongside world-class colleagues, and I found a co-founder and employees to later start my own startup.
Miguel Carranza
Co-founder, RevenueCat
I joined Exponential in 2025 while living abroad to stay connected to Spain’s AI industry. Through the community, I met peers who introduced me to my current role as a Technical Account Manager at Multiverse Computing in Barcelona. This community provided me with the first hand advice that I needed to relocate. Since returning to Spain, they’ve continuously opened me the doors to new events and professionals. I’m usually skeptical of…
Francisco Salas
Manager · Multiverse Computing
The Exponential Fellowship has given me something I didn't quite expect: a much clearer picture of just how much talent Spain actually has. It's the kind of community that makes you realize the talent isn't the bottleneck. If anything, the Fellowship has made me more optimistic about what Spain could become. We have the people, the ideas, and the drive; what we've been missing is the right environment and the right network to push…
Alejandro Fernández Camello
Cofounder | CTO · ZeroChats
Exponential has had a huge impact on building ecosystems and talent environments in Spain. It's let me meet some of the brightest technical minds in the country, surround myself with incredible people, and completely shift my mindset about what's possible. Thanks to that, today I have far more ambitious goals. The most valuable part has been being part of a community of people with a real drive to build and think big. Being around…
Oscar Martinez Cubel
Founder · Built in Europe Newsletter
The impact Exponential has had on my career couldn't be greater. They opened the door to leading the AI side of a New York startup backed by top-tier investors like a16z and Y Combinator, and helped me build the network I needed to confidently take the leap and found my own company, Traza. Today, we're proud to be hiring top Spanish talent and giving back to the community that supported us.
Santiago Martinez Bragado
Co-Founder · Traza
Being part of the community has been the best way to meet people with the same ambitions and interests, both personal and professional. Highly skilled technically, but with their minds set on applying technology to the world — recognizing possibilities and turning them into reality. It was through this community that I landed my position at the company I always wanted to be part of. A place where teams pursue excellence in every…
Alejandro López Gómez
Associate AI Engineer · Prosper AI
Exponential is a unique bridge connecting UPM students and recent graduates with the frenetic world of tech entrepreneurship. They excel at organizing high-impact events that do more than just network, they inspire! These events have been instrumental in fostering a startup mindset, encouraging students to look beyond traditional corporate paths and embrace the transformative potential of early-stage ventures. By providing the tools,…
Pedro Reviriego
Catedrático de Universidad · Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
Exponential is going to create the next generation of founders in Spain. Exponential gave me the opportunity to work at a top-tier startup in San Francisco. Here you get to meet and learn from the architects of the future — self-driving cars, AI, robots. The best in the world. All in a city the size of Seville. Exponential was a professional turning point for me. They've given me the most important opportunity of my life. My next…
Nicolas De Ory Carmona
Founding Engineer · Caspian
Exponential is the community where the cool stuff happens. If there's an event or anything going on in the tech/startup world, you can be sure Exponential is in on it. The people are top-tier and genuinely focused on lifting each other up. One of the best communities/initiatives I've come across.
Ismael Romero Ortega
Product Engineer & Obsessive Founder/Builder · Qamarero
Joining Exponential has been a fantastic opportunity. I learn a lot from the community WhatsApp group daily. I've attended a few excellent events in Madrid with top-tier speakers. When I needed help, the community was extremely supportive. I'm impressed by Exponential and where it's going. It's the most competent, high-performing group I've been part of, and I'm 100% sure that future Spanish unicorns will be born from this.
Xuban Ceccon
ML Engineer · Multiverse Computing