Patio Campus
PATIO Campus is a Madrid-based non-profit open innovation hub founded in 2023 that connects eight founding Spanish corporations (BMW, Iberia, Inditex, L'Oréal, Mahou San Miguel, Merlin Properties, Moeve, Pascual) with curated startups through a 2,000 m2 facility, structured programs, challenge areas, and AI-focused training and research.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersMadrid, Spain
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Patio Campus does
PATIO Campus is a private non-profit association (Asociación sin ánimo de lucro) founded in 2023 in Madrid, Spain, operating as an open corporate innovation hub that connects large corporations with startups and innovation ecosystem agents. It was established on the initiative of eight major Spanish corporations — BMW Group Spain, Iberia, Inditex, L'Oréal Groupe, Mahou San Miguel, Merlin Properties, Moeve, and Pascual — with institutional sponsorship from the Community of Madrid. The organization runs a 2,000 m2 physical Innovation Hub in central Madrid (Plaza Ruiz Picasso, AZCA) alongside a programmatic structure organized around five service modules — Conecta (strategic connections), Descubre (inspiration), Aprende (training), Colabora (cross-sector collaboration), and Experimenta (creative space) — and four strategic challenge areas: Emerging Technologies, Corporate Innovation, Sustainability & Circularity, and Experience and New Customer Groups.
Its core offerings include event series (PATIO Connect, Converge, PATIO Social Club, PATIO Innovation Summit, PATIO GEO Summit), working groups (Squad IA, Squad de Innovación), training programs (Formación en IA Generativa with Brain&Code), and proprietary research publications (The Next 35 AI company ranking, State of Innovation in Spain report). The technology footprint is primarily operational rather than productized: PATIO functions as a curated two-sided platform curating startups against corporate challenges rather than building proprietary software products. Revenue is generated entirely through corporate membership fees from founding partners, sponsoring partners, and member organizations, with startups participating free of charge after a selection process. Additional members span enterprise IT (Kyndryl), technology consulting (NTT Data), media (Atresmedia), advertising (Publicis), infrastructure (Roadis), and urban services (Valoriza), alongside technology collaborators (AWS, Mistral, Freepik) and academic/VC partners.
The go-to-market combines enterprise field sales for corporate memberships with community-led, event-driven engagement for the broader ecosystem. Participation for startups is application-based and free; for corporations it is fee-based membership granting access to the physical hub, curated startup introductions, training programs, and co-creation frameworks. As of 2026, the organization employs 11-50 staff, has onboarded multiple new members in the prior 12 months, and has launched the Impact Leaders Strategic Council to pursue international expansion beyond Spain.
Patio Campus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Patio Campus
- Legal name
- PATIO CAMPUS
- Website
- https://patiocampus.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- PATIO Campus is a Madrid-based non-profit open innovation hub founded in 2023 that connects eight founding Spanish corporations (BMW, Iberia, Inditex, L'Oréal, Mahou San Miguel, Merlin Properties, Moeve, Pascual) with curated startups through a 2,000 m2 facility, structured programs, challenge areas, and AI-focused training and research.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Patio Campus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Madrid
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Patio Campus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Corporate Membership Fees: As a non-profit association, PATIO Campus is funded through membership fees from founding partners, sponsoring partners, and member organizations. Large corporations (BMW, Iberia, Inditex, L'Oréal, Mahou San Miguel, Merlin Properties, Moeve, Pascual) contribute as founding members, with ongoing membership from entities like Atresmedia, Kyndryl, NTT Data, Publicis, and others.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free participation for startups |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Patio Campus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Patio Campus is a private non-profit open innovation hub that connects large corporations with startups and scaleups to transform business challenges into innovation solutions. It delivers this through five service modules (Conecta, Descubre, Aprende, Colabora, Experimenta), a 2,000 m2 physical Innovation Hub in Madrid, recurring event series (PATIO Connect, Converge, PATIO Social Club, PATIO Innovation Summit, PATIO GEO Summit), challenge programs (Retos PATIO), working groups (Squad IA, Squad de Innovación), and original research (The Next 35, Estado de la Innovación en España).
Product overview
PATIO Campus is a European open corporate innovation hub based in Madrid that connects corporations, startups, and innovation ecosystem agents. The platform operates as a multi-service ecosystem comprising: (1) Physical Innovation Hub (Innocity) - 2,000 m2 collaborative workspace; (2) Five service modules - Conecta, Descubre, Aprende, Colabora, and Experimenta enabling strategic connections, inspiration, training, collaboration, and creative experimentation; (3) Event series including PATIO Connect, Converge, PATIO Social Club, PATIO Innovation Summit, and PATIO GEO Summit; (4) Working groups - Squad IA and Squad de Innovación focused on AI and innovation projects; (5) Research publications - The Next 35 (AI companies ranking) and Estado de la Innovación reports; and (6) Training programs - Formación en IA Generativa with Brain&Code. The organization channels innovation through four strategic challenge areas: Emerging Technologies, Corporate Innovation, Sustainability & Circularity, and Experience and New Customer Groups.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PATIO Connect: Event format where technology and strategy converge, featuring discussions on topics like AI transformation, organizational culture, and innovation.
- Converge
- The Next 35
- PATIO Innovation Summit
- Squad IA
- PATIO Social Club
- PATIO GEO Summit
Products and services
- Innovation Hub (Innocity) 2,000 m2 collaborative workspace in central Madrid (Plaza Ruiz Picasso 11) with flexible workstations, meeting rooms, training rooms, exhibition space, and networking areas for exclusive member use. Houses the Open Space, Events Space, Lab Rooms, Pitch Rooms, Nexus Rooms, Agora, and Showroom.
- Corporate Membership Program Annual corporate membership offering in three tiers — founding partner, sponsoring partner, and general member — providing structured access to the Patio Campus ecosystem, the Innovation Hub, events, challenges, and startup pipeline. Founding partners include BMW Group Spain, Iberia, Inditex, L'Oréal Groupe, Mahou San Miguel, Merlin Properties, Moeve, and Pascual.
- Retos PATIO (PATIO Challenges) Structured innovation challenge program covering four areas: Emerging Technologies (AI, robotics, automation), Corporate Innovation, Sustainability & Circularity, and Experience and New Customer Groups. Each challenge translates corporate business problems into solvable innovation briefs for startups.
- PATIO Connect Event Series Recurring event series exploring technology and strategy topics including AI transformation, organizational culture, cybersecurity, fintech, retail, leadership, and open innovation for the Patio Campus member community.
- Converge Event Series Sector-specific convergence events connecting corporations with startups on themes including Fintech, Deeptech, Material Intelligence with AI, retail point-of-sale innovation, decarbonization, and Tech for Retail. Includes Demo Days.
- Squad IA Program AI-focused workgroups meeting regularly to develop generative AI impact projects and business solutions for member corporations and startups.
- Squad de Innovación Program Innovation squads focused on proof-of-concept (POC) development connecting cross-sector talent from member corporations and startups to solve common business challenges.
- PATIO Social Club Monthly informal networking event for startups, corporations, and ecosystem members to build genuine connections without formal pitches.
- PATIO Innovation Summit Annual flagship summit connecting the Patio Campus ecosystem for knowledge sharing and collaboration on innovation and sustainability.
- PATIO GEO Summit Summit focused on Generative Engine Optimization, exploring how AI is redefining content visibility and competition for businesses.
- Formación en IA Generativa con Brain&Code Comprehensive generative AI training program delivered in partnership with Brain&Code, covering implementation roadmap, cybersecurity, HR, customer service, finance, sales, marketing, and low-code prototyping. Offered exclusively to Patio Campus members through monthly practical sessions.
- The Next 35 Report Annual research report identifying 35 Spanish AI companies with business impact potential, modeled on the IBEX 35 concept, focused on AI applied to enterprise solutions across data activation, process automation, decision-making, security, health, sustainability, and corporate productivity.
- Informe Estado de la Innovación en España (State of Innovation in Spain) Annual report analyzing corporate innovation maturity in Spain, covering open innovation adoption, AI prioritization, and the gap between innovation activity and pilot-to-production scaling. Finds that 79.6% of Spanish companies are in intermediate or advanced innovation phases, 98.1% identify AI as a priority technology, and only 15.7% effectively scale pilots to production.
- InnovAcción Program Transformation-focused innovation program for teams developing capabilities across innovation themes.
Quantifiable outcome
- 79.6% of Spanish companies are in intermediate or advanced innovation phases, with only 15.7% able to effectively scale pilots to production
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Patio Campus
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Patio Campus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability10 records
Patio Campus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
24 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- AtresmediacoreAtresmedia joined PATIO Campus in March 2026 to drive open innovation in audiovisual content and entertainment. The media group participates in the ecosystem to connect with startups and emerging technologies relevant to the media and entertainment sector.
- BMW Group SpaincoreBMW Group Spain is a founding partner of PATIO Campus, established in 2023. The automotive company contributes to corporate innovation initiatives and accesses startup solutions through the ecosystem.
- IberiacoreIberia is a founding partner of PATIO Campus, contributing to innovation in aviation, customer experience, and operational efficiency through startup partnerships.
- InditexcoreInditex is a founding partner of PATIO Campus, driving retail innovation, supply chain transformation, and fashion technology through ecosystem collaboration.
- L'Oréal GroupecoreL'Oréal Groupe is a founding partner contributing innovation leadership and beauty tech expertise. María Barrié, L'Oréal's Innovation Director for Spain and Portugal, serves as co-founder of PATIO Campus.
- Mahou San MiguelcoreMahou San Miguel is a founding partner contributing to foodtech and sustainability innovation within the ecosystem.
- Merlin PropertiescoreMerlin Properties is a founding partner driving proptech and smart building innovation through PATIO Campus.
- MoevecoreMoeve (formerly Cepsa) is a founding partner contributing energy transition and sustainability innovation expertise to the ecosystem.
- PascualcorePascual is a founding partner contributing to food industry innovation and sustainability initiatives within PATIO Campus.
- Community of MadridcoreThe Community of Madrid is the sponsoring partner of PATIO Campus, providing institutional support and accelerating the organization's development.
- KyndrylmajorKyndryl joined as a strategic member bringing enterprise IT transformation expertise. The company was formally welcomed in April 2026 with the Kyndryl Uncovered event.
- NTT DatamajorNTT Data is a member contributing technology consulting and integration capabilities to the ecosystem.
- PublicismajorPublicis is a member contributing marketing innovation and AI adoption expertise to the ecosystem.
- RoadismajorRoadis is a member contributing infrastructure and mobility innovation to the ecosystem.
- ValorizamajorValoriza joined PATIO Campus in January 2026 to drive urban innovation and sustainability, representing the newest member additions to the ecosystem.
- Valorizasm / South SummitminorSouth Summit/Valorizasm participates as a member, contributing to startup ecosystem connectivity.
- KfundminorKfund is a member contributing venture capital perspective to the ecosystem.
- CEUminorCEU universities participate as members contributing academic perspective and talent.
- UCAMminorUCAM university participates as a member contributing academic perspective.
- Brain&CodemajorBrain&Code delivers Generative AI training programs exclusively for PATIO Campus members. The partnership provides monthly practical sessions on AI applications across business areas including innovation, operations, marketing, and finance.
- MagnificminorMagnific AI is a member and leads The Next 35 ranking as the top Spanish AI scaleup.
- SamaipataminorSamaipata VC participates as a collaborating hub providing venture capital perspective.
- Tetuan ValleyminorTetuan Valley startup school participates as a collaborating hub contributing to startup ecosystem development.
- London & PartnersminorLondon & Partners participates as a collaborating hub providing international ecosystem connectivity.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Patio Campus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tetuan Valley: Madrid-based startup school and pre-accelerator that collaborates with PATIO Campus. Directly comparable as a startup ecosystem builder in the Spanish market with overlapping programming and founder-development focus.
- Wayra: Telefónica's global corporate innovation and startup accelerator network, with active operations in Spain. Operates a similar open-innovation model connecting a major corporate parent with startups, but at significantly larger scale and with global reach.
- Lanzadera: Spanish startup accelerator and corporate innovation platform backed by Juan Roig / Mercadona family. Operates acceleration and corporate-startup programs in Spain comparable to PATIO Campus, with strong corporate funding and a broader startup support portfolio.
- Barcelona Tech City: Barcelona-based private tech and innovation hub that connects corporates, startups, and investors in a physical campus environment. A direct Spanish-market peer to PATIO Campus with a similar two-sided open-innovation model.
- Plug and Play Tech Center: Global corporate innovation platform running accelerator programs and corporate-startup matching across multiple verticals and geographies. Comparable in model (corporate + startup + programs) and increasingly a peer in the Spanish/European market.
- Impact Hub Madrid: Madrid-based innovation hub and coworking community with an impact and entrepreneurship focus. Operates as a physical member-based hub connecting startups, corporates, and ecosystem agents — closely analogous to PATIO Campus's physical and programmatic model.
- South Summit: Spain's leading startup ecosystem platform and conference, already partnered with PATIO Campus. Comparable as a startup-corporate matching platform and ecosystem convener, with global visibility through its annual Madrid summit.
- Open Future: Telefónica's open innovation platform for startups and developers with a presence in Spain. Operates an innovation ecosystem model comparable to PATIO Campus, although tightly tied to a single corporate parent.
Others
- Samaipata: Early-stage European VC with presence in Spain that participates as a collaborating hub in PATIO's ecosystem. Comparable as an ecosystem participant and capital partner rather than a direct operating peer.
- Kfund: Spanish venture capital firm that participates in PATIO Campus's ecosystem as a collaborating partner. Adjacent as a capital allocator in the same Spanish innovation ecosystem rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Patio Campus social profiles
Digital presencePatio Campus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Patio Campus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Patio Campus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Patio Campus M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Patio Campus
What does Patio Campus do?
Patio Campus is a private non-profit open innovation hub that connects large corporations with startups and scaleups to transform business challenges into innovation solutions. It delivers this through five service modules (Conecta, Descubre, Aprende, Colabora, Experimenta), a 2,000 m2 physical Innovation Hub in Madrid, recurring event series (PATIO Connect, Converge, PATIO Social Club, PATIO Innovation Summit, PATIO GEO Summit), challenge programs (Retos PATIO), working groups (Squad IA, Squad de Innovación), and original research (The Next 35, Estado de la Innovación en España).
Is Patio Campus a public or private company?
Patio Campus is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Patio Campus founded?
Patio Campus was founded in 2023. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Patio Campus based?
Patio Campus is headquartered in Madrid, Spain, in the Europe region.
How does Patio Campus make money?
One revenue line is on record: corporate Membership Fees.
Who are Patio Campus's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tetuan Valley, Wayra, Lanzadera, Barcelona Tech City, Plug and Play Tech Center, Impact Hub Madrid, South Summit and Open Future. Others are Samaipata and Kfund.
Does Patio Campus have an API?
No public API is recorded for Patio Campus.