Startup Valencia is experiencing exponential growth year after year, as evidenced by the figures reported at the close of 2022: 338 members and 26 partners. This momentum is also reflected in the organisation’s expanding team, which now boasts 16 individuals.
We had the pleasure of speaking with their latest addition, Diego Ferragud, who brings valuable expertise to the team and will be leading the operations area of the startup association of the Valencian Community.
Going from offering training on blockchain technology to overseeing the operations of Startup Valencia is a significant change. What led you to make it?
With Criptendo I created a business that operates almost automatically through effective operational processes and external staff, allowing for stable annual growth.
This provided me with a lot more free time, and as someone who has been involved in the Startup Valencia ecosystem for several years now and is also a member of the Blockchain Hub committee, I wanted to contribute with my experience and do my part to help scale the association to the next level.
Tell us a bit about who Diego Ferragud is.
I’m an engineer by profession, and for the last 8 years I have been working on the strategy and operations of different startups in the Valencian ecosystem. Since 2018, I have also been heavily involved in the crypto and blockchain space, working as a consultant on different web3 projects.
In 2022, I founded my own startup, Criptendo, an online educational platform offering practical training on blockchain and web3 technology without the need for prior experience, which is still up and running. I have also been collaborating with Startup Valencia since last year as a committee member of the Blockchain Hub.
I consider myself a person with a highly strategic vision and a very analytical mindset who believes that in order to scale, one must consistently establish operational processes. Apart from sport, my great passion is travelling and learning about new cultures.
What value do you think your previous experience and track record brings to an organisation like Startup Valencia?
I can bring the experience and knowledge of having worked with different startups in both strategic and operational areas, while also being the founder of one of them.
From my point of view, I believe this can provide great value in terms of scaling and organising Startup Valencia for the complex challenges it faces in the medium-term, such as the sixth edition of Valencia Digital Summit (VDS) and the opening of La Terminal in La Marina de Valencia.
What are your medium-term objectives?
To be able to bring my vision and experience to all the ongoing projects at Startup Valencia in order to achieve the important and ambitious objectives set for this year.
What is the most interesting challenge you face in this new position?
Without a doubt, one of the most significant challenges for Startup Valencia is to exceed the standards set by last year’s Valencia Digital Summit (VDS), not only in terms of the number of attendees but also with respect to investment.
To achieve this, it’s crucial that the whole team works like clockwork in close coordination. This can be accomplished by streamlining all internal processes and encouraging efficient communication between departments, ultimately enhancing our problem-solving abilities.
And what are you most looking forward to experiencing or undertaking from within Startup Valencia?
The Terminal and VDS are key projects for the scalability of the ecosystem. I would love to see the significant impact my strategic and operational contributions can have on both projects and the team, so that our expectations are met and Startup Valencia continues to grow.
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