4YFN BARCELONA

A small signal from a week at 4YFN .

Understanding startups is no longer just a VC problem.

4YFN brings together startups from many sectors, but being part of the broader MWC ecosystem means much of the spotlight naturally goes to telecom and mobile technologies.

Still, some of the most interesting conversations our team had were not with VCs.

They were with: • Banks exploring whether similar models could support risk analysis or KYC • Universities looking at how AI could help map and understand startup ecosystems • AI students curious about how data can be used to evaluate innovation

Interestingly, the traffic to our platform during the event reflected that same diversity.

Over the course of the week, those conversations translated into 100+ leads requesting meetings or product trials, with interest coming from countries including the US, Spain, and the Netherlands.

It reinforced something we strongly believe at Riselens:

As startup ecosystems grow more complex, evaluating startups is increasingly becoming a data problem — not just a network or intuition problem.

This shift will shape how venture capital, corporates, financial institutions, and public organizations understand and engage with innovation.

Great to be part of the Dutch startup delegation — and thanks to everyone who stopped by for thoughtful conversations throughout the week.