More than 1,300 people gather in Valencia to drive impactful innovation at The Gap in Between 2025

• This Social Nest Foundation event is now established as a leading European platform for impactful innovation, with over 130 speakers and 48 hours of content.

• The winners of the Startup Challenge in the Growth Stage category were Eldes, a platform to learn sign language using AI.

• In the Early Stage category, the award went to Diptera.ai, which uses artificial intelligence and robotics to fight disease-carrying mosquitoes.

• 100% of ticket proceeds were allocated to post-DANA recovery and resilience projects in partnership

Valencia, October 27, 2025 – Over 1,300 people gathered this week at La Marina de Valencia to celebrate the third edition of The Gap In Between, the international event organized by Social Nest Foundation, a global platform that connects innovation, impact, and business while offering resources, opportunities, and personalized guidance to entrepreneurs, companies, governments, and investors to address the most pressing social and environmental challenges.

“We live in complex times, where gaps seem to widen every day. But it is precisely in those in-between spaces—between progress and the planet, between knowledge and action—where transformative ideas are born. The Gap In Between is that place where change is not awaited, but provoked,” said Margarita Albors, President of Social Nest Foundation.

Albors noted that “this edition is also a tribute to collective resilience. One year after the DANA storm, we decided to dedicate 100% of ticket proceeds to support reconstruction efforts in the Valencian Community, in collaboration with Fundación Felisa. Because rebuilding is not just about resisting—it’s about doing it together.”

From left to right: Marta del Castillo, CEO of Social Nest Foundation; Paula Llobet, Valencia City Councilor for Tourism, Innovation, and Investment Attraction; Margarita Albors, President of Social Nest Foundation; and Ester Olivas Cáceres, Director General of Entrepreneurship and Internationalization at the Valencian Government’s Department of Innovation, Industry, Commerce, and Tourism.

The opening ceremony also featured Paula Llobet, Valencia City Councilor for Tourism, Innovation and Investment Attraction, and Ester Olivas Cáceres, Director General of Entrepreneurship and Internationalization at the Valencian Government’s Department of Innovation, Industry, Commerce and Tourism, who celebrated The Gap in Between for turning Valencia into the epicenter of purpose-driven innovation.

Over two days, more than 130 speakers—40% of them international and with gender parity—shared ideas, experiences, and concrete solutions to close the gaps that hinder progress and build a fairer, more resilient, and sustainable future.

The event’s agenda included speakers such as Javier Peña (Hope!), Fernando Valladares (CSIC), Laura Durán (IKEA Spain), Santi Mallorquí (Organic Cotton Color), and Ugo Biggeri (London School of Economics), among others. Sessions addressed key topics such as economic regeneration, environmental sustainability, social resilience, and purpose-driven innovation. The program featured 48 hours of content, including talks, 27 workshops, and parallel events.

“There are many gaps, many disconnections—even among companies working in the same sector,” said CSIC researcher Fernando Valladares, referring to the event’s name. “Collaboration is the foundation of sustainability, and to collaborate, we need to get to know each other, come together, exchange information, build trust, and share successes and failures. We need to fill those gaps with knowledge,” he added. “We need a business and political fabric willing to collaborate.”

Carolina Rodríguez, CEO of ENISA and speaker at The Gap in Between, stated: “Today, innovation must have purpose—or it won’t be innovation. Companies must not only seek scalability in their business models but also in the impact their solutions generate.”

“At Enisa, we’ve always seen innovative entrepreneurship as a lever for transformation. Entrepreneurs have the ability to respond to today’s and tomorrow’s challenges, and they have the superpower to reimagine the future and redesign it based on the context they live in,” she added.

During the event, the winners of the Startup Challenge were announced. In this competition, 20 finalist startups—selected from over 500 projects worldwide—pitched to investors and experts to gain visibility and real opportunities.

The winner in the Growth Stage category was Eldes, which received €10,000 to continue developing its platform for learning sign language using artificial intelligence. “For us, beyond the financial value or recognition, this means knowing we’re on the right path and that what we’re doing is leaving a mark,” said Fabián Curzio, CEO and co-founder of Eldes.

In the Early Stage category, the winner was Diptera.ai, which received €5,000. This deep-tech startup uses artificial intelligence and robotics to fight disease-carrying mosquitoes. “We operate as a deep-tech startup truly aiming to make a difference. There are very few spaces genuinely focused on impact, and The Gap in Between is one of them. We’re trying to solve the problem posed by what’s considered the deadliest creature on the planet, and we’re proud to receive this kind of validation, motivation, and support that helps us move forward,” said Navonel Glick, CEO of Diptera.ai.

“The Gap In Between was born to accelerate the transition toward a fairer and more equitable economic system. Today, this initiative exists thanks to those who bet on new business models and dare to think differently. This community is what makes change possible,” said Marta del Castillo, CEO of Social Nest Foundation.
“The Startup Challenge showcases the talent and commitment within the impact entrepreneurship ecosystem.”

Del Castillo concluded: “We believe it’s possible to generate wealth without leaving anyone behind and without sacrificing the planet. It’s not an easy task—it’s titanic. But through innovation, creativity, and above all, collaboration, it becomes possible.”

The Gap in Between stood out for its inclusive approach: it offered sessions in English and Spanish with subtitles on the main stages, and the venue was accessible to people with physical and intellectual disabilities, in collaboration with Asindown.

With over ten years of experience, Social Nest Foundation continues to strengthen the impact ecosystem in Europe and Latin America, connecting capital with purpose and fostering cross-sector dialogue. The Gap In Between has become one of its most ambitious initiatives, aimed at activating systemic change from the local to the global level.

This edition was co-organized by Zubi Group and First Drop, in partnership with Fundación Felisa. It was also supported by Caixa Popular, CAPSA, COVAP, Enisa, Renfe, Hijos de Rivera, Iberia, CaixaBank, and The Terminal, among others.

Images here

About Social Nest Foundation:

Founded in 2010, Social Nest Foundation is a global platform that provides impact-driven entrepreneurs and investors with the resources needed to consolidate and grow new solutions to humanity’s most urgent challenges. Today, the foundation has a network of 670 startups, 800 investors, and 80 companies, and leads programs and activities involving over 16,000 participants, with the goal of paving the way for positive social and environmental impact. For more information: https://socialnest.org/