El Referente
El Referente is a Madrid-based Spanish-language digital media outlet and ecosystem intelligence provider covering startups, venture capital, and innovation across Spain, Portugal, and the Americas, supported by its proprietary Scoutyn database of 10,000+ Iberian startups.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersMadrid, Spain
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What El Referente does
El Referente is a Madrid-based digital media outlet and ecosystem intelligence provider covering the Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American startup and innovation landscapes. Founded in 2009 and operated through the legal entity CHARAXES JASIUS, S.L., the company publishes daily editorial content — news, interviews, opinion, and sector coverage — distributed through its website, regional editions across Spain's 17 autonomous communities, dedicated Portugal and Americas sections, and seven thematic newsletters spanning Fintech & Insurtech, Greentech, Ehealth/Biotech, Foodtech & Agrotech, and general ecosystem updates.
The company's core technology is a web-based media platform augmented by Scoutyn, its proprietary database containing over 10,000 startups and SMEs and 4,770+ scaleups across the Iberian Peninsula. Scoutyn and the broader Ecosistema Startup platform provide searchable company profiles with founder and team data, supporting investor deal sourcing and ecosystem mapping. Sector-specific Scouting Maps extend this into dedicated intelligence products across eHealth (519 startups), Agrotech (202), Insurtech (490), Cleantech (754), and Fintech (492+), frequently co-developed with institutional partners such as ICEX, EIT Food, and Santalucía.
El Referente monetizes through three primary streams: advertising and sponsored content targeted at the startup ecosystem, sale of annual reports and investment guides (e.g., Guía de Inversión 2025 priced at €10), and newsletter subscription / data services. Premium sponsorships of the annual Premios El Referente awards ceremony (Banco Sabadell, Deloitte, RCD-DWF in 2023) provide supplemental B2B revenue. The customer base is diversified across startup founders, venture capital and business angel investors, and corporate innovation/accelerator teams, with no disclosed enterprise concentration.
El Referente firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- El Referente
- Legal name
- CHARAXES JASIUS, S.L.
- Website
- https://elreferente.es
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- El Referente is a Madrid-based Spanish-language digital media outlet and ecosystem intelligence provider covering startups, venture capital, and innovation across Spain, Portugal, and the Americas, supported by its proprietary Scoutyn database of 10,000+ Iberian startups.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where El Referente is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Madrid
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
El Referente business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Advertising and sponsored content: The platform generates revenue through advertising, sponsored articles, and promotional content placements targeting the startup and innovation ecosystem.
- Report and guide sales: Sale of investment guides and industry reports such as Guía de Inversión and thematic reports on blockchain, insurtech, and other sectors.
- Newsletter subscriptions and data services: Newsletter services and database access for professionals seeking startup ecosystem intelligence.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Monthly | Investment Guide 2025 available for purchase |
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
El Referente product offering
Product offeringCore offering
El Referente is a Spanish-language digital media outlet that publishes daily news, interviews, and opinion on startups, venture capital, and innovation across Spain, Portugal, and the Americas. It supplements its editorial coverage with the Scoutyn database platform (over 10,000 startups and 4,770+ scaleups), sector-specific ecosystem maps, thematic email newsletters, and paid annual investment guides and reports.
Product overview
El Referente operates as a unified media platform combining publishing (digital magazine covering startups and innovation), data services (Scoutyn database with 10,000+ companies and ecosystem mapping), and community events (Premios El Referente awards). The core product is the El Referente publication, supported by Scoutyn as the proprietary database platform and Ecosystem Startup for company profiles. Additional modules include sector-specific Scouting Maps, Investment Guides, Thematic Newsletters, and the annual National Tech Companies Report, all serving the Spanish and Iberian startup ecosystem.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- El Referente digital publication
Companies that use El Referente
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
El Referente technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
El Referente partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ScoutyncoreScoutyn is El Referente's proprietary database platform for startup ecosystem intelligence, providing company data, ecosystem mapping, and scouting capabilities for investors and corporations.
- EIT FoodcoreCollaborated on Agrotech ecosystem mapping report, presenting the Mapa de Ecosistema Agrotech en España 2023 with 202 companies identified.
- Santalucía ImpulsacoreJoint sponsor of Insurtech ecosystem reports and mapping, including the Informe del Ecosistema Insurtech 2023.
- ICEXcoreCollaborated on Cleantech ecosystem mapping (Mapa del Ecosistema Cleantech de España 2023) identifying 754 startups and initiatives.
- MIDE (Madrid Innovation Driven Ecosystem)minorJoint development of entrepreneurship map for the Community of Madrid, identifying over 1,000 startups and ecosystem actors.
- CorreoslabsminorCollaborated on logistics ecosystem mapping report for Spain 2022, identifying 133 companies in the sector.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
El Referente competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- VentureBeat: English-language tech media covering AI, startups, and enterprise, sharing B2B newsletter/sponsored-content monetization patterns with El Referente's advertising business.
- The Next Web: Established tech/startup media brand with events and newsletters, broader in geography and topic but operating a similar model of tech news, events, and ecosystem coverage.
- Wired: Global technology and innovation publication combining editorial, newsletters, events, and branded content — the same B2B media model El Referente operates at a regional level.
- Forbes España: Spanish-language business and entrepreneurship title covering startups, venture capital, and rankings — a comparable Spanish-language B2B media brand, though with broader business scope.
Direct peers
- EU-Startups: Long-running European startup news and database site covering ecosystem news, jobs, and reports — closely comparable to El Referente's combination of editorial coverage and ecosystem mapping.
- TechCrunch: The benchmark English-language startup and venture capital news outlet, directly comparable to El Referente as a daily news + events + data B2B media property serving founders and investors.
- Sifted: European startup and VC news outlet with newsletters and intelligence products targeting European investors, directly analogous to El Referente's role in the Iberian ecosystem.
- Crunchbase: Operates the leading global startup/VC database with paid intelligence subscriptions, directly comparable to El Referente's Scoutyn product in terms of data-model and monetization pattern.
Regional players
- El Español: Spanish general-news digital outlet with a substantial business, startups, and innovation section, competing for the same Spanish digital advertising inventory as El Referente.
- Expansión (Spanish newspaper): Leading Spanish-language financial daily covering markets, deals, and corporates, with overlapping coverage of Spanish venture capital and startups as El Referente.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
El Referente social profiles
Digital presenceEl Referente financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
El Referente leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
El Referente funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
El Referente 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 El Referente
What does El Referente do?
El Referente is a Spanish-language digital media outlet that publishes daily news, interviews, and opinion on startups, venture capital, and innovation across Spain, Portugal, and the Americas. It supplements its editorial coverage with the Scoutyn database platform (over 10,000 startups and 4,770+ scaleups), sector-specific ecosystem maps, thematic email newsletters, and paid annual investment guides and reports.
Is El Referente a public or private company?
El Referente is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was El Referente founded?
El Referente was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is El Referente based?
El Referente is headquartered in Madrid, Spain, in the Europe region.
How does El Referente make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Advertising and sponsored content is the primary driver. The others are report and guide sales and newsletter subscriptions and data services.
Who are El Referente's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are VentureBeat, The Next Web, Wired and Forbes España. Direct peers are EU-Startups, TechCrunch, Sifted and Crunchbase. Regional players are El Español and Expansión (Spanish newspaper).
Does El Referente have an API?
No public API is recorded for El Referente.