Luis Font, speaker at Hit Barcelona: “Technology investment is becoming the core of many portfolios”
Interview by Emily Goligoski
With a little more than a week until the kickoff of HIT participants would be hard pressed to find anyone who’s anticipating the summit more than Luis Font. The Spain-based businessman whose Twitter description — “absolutely passionate about technology, entrepreneurs and Barcelona!” — is just one indicator of his interests in IT consulting and startup management. After 12 years with PricewaterhouseCoopers, he opened 12 international offices for software-as-a-service company NTRglobal and guides entrepreneurs, for which he’s a fantastic advocate.
Q: What effect, if any, do you think this year’s market volatility might have on the startups seen at HIT this year?
A: Before Lehman Brothers, we had a lot of money available and very few amazing projects. Now it’s completely the opposite. We now have a lot of companies with good ideas that are struggling to get funding.
Nevertheless, it seems than things are getting better and technology investment is becoming the core of many portfolios. Examples to look at are InBloon and Teambox, two absolutely superb projects.
What are you most looking forward to hearing at HIT?
Beside the interesting topics that we are going to see in the panels and keynotes, for me there is only one target: networking.
We are working very hard here in Barcelona to have the best matching between investors and entrepreneurs with activities such as elevator pitches, a Venture Capital corner, and speed dating. We’re planning to hold hundreds of meetings between outstanding companies and smart investors.
What do you think prospective entrepreneurs can get out of a conference focused on international innovation like HIT?
Many things: market trends, disruptive business models, new industries, crazy ideas, funding. And as I said, huge networking.
What would you add to current business school curriculum that current students might be missing in preparing to launch a company in the next year?
Usually business plans are very optimistic for the first two years. My advice is to ask whether you are going to get the results that you forecast in month 12 on month 24. Also, do you have enough funding to resist?
Hit Barcelona – World Innovation Summit 2010 is taking place in Barcelona in June 16th and 17th.
The Opinno team will be in Spain thorough June: at Hit Barcelona, among other conferences, for their Venture Exchange Program. Come join us!
Related posts:
- Interview with Jerry Engel, Chairman of the HiT Barcelona Conference
- Venture Exchange Barcelona: Mobile World Congress
- Drinks & Demo [Mobile Apps] sponsored by the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and Barcelona Activa in San Francisco
- Opinno at HIT Barcelona
- 40 Founders from Barcelona meet Silicon Valley
