Challenge San Francisco – Spring 2026 Immersion Program
Call closed.
ICEX España Exportación e Inversiones, Red.es and the Spanish Economic and Commercial Office (OFECOMES) in Los Angeles, in collaboration with SOSA, launch the call for applications for the DESAFÍA San Francisco immersion and support program, Spring 2026 edition. It is aimed exclusively at Spanish women-led tech startups ready to scale their business model internationally, with a strategic focus on landing, growth, and funding in the U.S. market.
The Desafía San Francisco 2026 program has been designed with two main objectives:
- To introduce entrepreneurs to the Silicon Valley innovation ecosystem and equip them with the tools needed to successfully scale in the U.S.
- To support the landing of selected startups in the North American market through direct contact with investors, corporations, and strategic partners.
The program is structured in three phases:
Bootcamp (March 26, 2026): The program will begin with an in-person strategic workshop in Madrid. During this session, the selected startups will start defining the objectives to be achieved throughout the program, meet the SOSA team, and take part in preparatory workshops focused on storytelling, goal setting, and market positioning. This activity will be key to preparing a high-impact experience in the following weeks.
Pre-immersion program (March 30 – April 24, 2026): Over four weeks, startups will participate in a virtual program consisting of masterclasses, mentoring sessions, and activities aimed at preparing their business development strategy. These sessions, led by U.S. market experts, will help companies refine their value proposition, optimize their investor pitch, and begin building their lead generation strategies.
San Francisco Immersion Program (May 4 – 15, 2026): This two-week in-person immersion will take place in the heart of the Bay Area and will focus on direct engagement with the local ecosystem.
The program includes:
- Selected meetings with investors, corporations, and founders from Silicon Valley.
- Practical workshops and mentoring on legal aspects, marketing, sales, and investment fundraising strategy.
- Visits to companies and networking events with key ecosystem stakeholders.
- A final Demo Day, where startups will present their projects.
Application deadline: February 27, 2026, at 15:00 (CET).
If you need further details, feel free to schedule a meeting with the ICEX España Exportación e Inversiones team via this link.