Context
All ecosystems are built on people. DEEP Ecosystems brings together a large community of creative minds who believe in innovation to change our world: ecosystem leaders, investors, corporates, and governments. The DEEP Startup Ecosystem Conference is a 2-day conference where up to 100 ecosystem leaders, investors, corporates, and governments from Europe and across the globe come together to share ideas, learn and collaborate to drive innovation through:
- Inspiration by thought-leaders on the frontiers of innovation
- Challenge-driven working groups with dedicated data analysts
- Joint publication of white papers with results of the working groups
- Startup databases and portfolio managers
- Partnerships around concrete opportunities, e.g. EU funding calls
For more information on the DEEP Conference, the value it creates for participants, and outcomes from previous editions, please visit its umbrella website.
In 2025, the Conference’s theme is the Nature-based Economy for a reason. Biodiversity and healthy ecosystems are essential to the functioning of our economy. Biodiversity loss can have significant impacts on business operations, as well as long-term costs and risks. More than half of global GDP (US$44 trillion) is moderately or very heavily dependent on nature.
Nature based Solutions (NbS), defined by the IUCN as “actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural and modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously benefiting people and nature”, provide critical investment opportunities as they are cost-effective and provide multiple benefits. Actually, according to the World Economic Forum, investing in NbS can not only mitigate future environmental catastrophes, but also generate over US$10 trillion in additional annual business opportunities and 395 million jobs by 2030.
Yet, here is a funding gap, particularly from the private sector. As stated in UNEP’s State of Finance for Nature 2023 report:
- The funding gap to halt and reverseb biodiversity loss is estimated at US$700 billion annually.
- Funding for NbS is currently at US$200 billion annually, 30 times lower than funding for activities that have a direct negative impact on nature, which amounts to US$7 trillion (7 % of global GDP). It exposes a concerning disparity that underscores the urgency to address the interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation.
- Finance Nature-based Solutions is led by governments, contributing with 82 % (US$165 billion), while private finance remains modest at 18% (US$35 billion). To meet the Rio Convention targets on limiting climate change to 1.5C, as well as the Global Biodiversity Framework target to set aside 30 per cent of land and sea by 2030 and achieve land degradation neutrality, finance flows to NbS must almost triple from current levels (US$200 billion) to reach US$542 billion per year by 2030 and quadruple to US$737 billion by 2050.
In short, both public funding and private investment need to increase dramatically, in conjunction with the re-alignment of finance flows that have a detrimental impact on nature. While public funding will continue to play a critical role, private finance should increase its share of nature-based finance from 18 to 33 % at least by 2050.
Goals
Within this context and the EU Climate Pact ambassadors network we belong to, the goals of the DEEP Conference 2025 – Nature-based Economy are as clear as crucial:
- Raise awareness on the need to leverage Nature-based Solutions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore nature, for the sake of our own health and wellbeing directly linked to biodiversity’s.
- Accelerate the transition to a nature & people-positive economy, where every economic activity and investment contributes to improving the state of nature and society, thus building resilience and equity.
- Engage the private sector in scaling up finance for nature, together with the public sector, making the business case for it.
Partners
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More local, regional, national and international partners will be announced in the coming weeks, to join in, please contact us.
Corporate partners
To participate as speakers, share your initiatives, attract talent, partner with entrepreneurs and change-makers to address sustainability & regeneration challenges, and be part of the Nature-based Economy, please check our Strategic Partnerships options.
Program
Day 1 – March 26 | Day 2 – March 27 | |
08:45 – 09:15 | Registration | |
09:15 – 10:00 | Welcome – representatives of Aranda City Council, DEEP & NBSCLIMATE | DEEP Startup Heatmap Report and the Nature-based Economy in Europe |
10:00 – 10:45 | Panel 1 – Nature-based Solutions, Nature-based Enterprises and the Nature-based Economy: concepts, state-of-the-art, illustrative cases, potential | Panel 4 – Finance for Nature: new financial mechanisms, triple bottom line and SROI |
10:45 – 11:15 | Coffee break and networking | Coffee break and networking |
11:15 – 12:00 | Panel 2 – Opportunities in rural areas: agriculture, forests, ecosystems & biodiversity, local traditions and repopulation | DEEP Dives 2 – Co-creation of Nature-based Solutions
Hands-on workshop to (*):
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12:00 – 12:45 | Panel 3 – The rural-urban interface: food, water, circular economy, green corridors and bio-regions | |
12:45 – 14:15 | Lunch break (catering) | Lunch break (catering) |
14:30 – 16:30 | DEEP Dives 1 – Ecosystem Development
Hands-on workshops on (*):
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Visit to a regenerative winery, with wine tasting
Closing remarks |
16:30 – 17:00 | Coffee break and networking | |
17:00 – 18:00 | DEEP Ecosystem spotlights: presentations from around the world (DEEP Community & expert partners) | |
20:00 – 22:00 | Official dinner |
(*) Corporate partners will be the challenge owners of each DEEP Dive workshop, so that the solutions co-created address their own challenges around the topic.
Facilitators & speakers
![]() Thomas Koesters – DEEP EcosystemsThomas is building ecosystems in Europe since more than 8 years. He has set up and run numerous international startup programs, including for Microsoft Ventures in Germany and has invested with EIT Digital in pre-seed stage in 20 countries in CEE and Southern Europe. Thomas is Co-Founder and Managing Director of DEEP Ecosystems, a global community and support organization for startup ecosystems. DEEP puts entrepreneurs in the driver-seat to create world-class startup ecosystems in their home regions and democratize innovation worldwide. |
![]() Takhmina Lolakova – DEEP EcosystemsProject manager at DEEP Ecosystems. Ecosystem and community expert with 5+ years experience. Background with international organizations and system change. As per her academic background, Takhmina has a Joint European Erasmus+ Masters in Comparative Local Development by Corvinus University of Budapest, University of Ljubljana, University of Regensburg and University of Trento; a Masters in Economic Governance and Development by the OSCE Academy in Bishkek, and a Bachelors in International and Business Law by the American University of Central Asia (AUCA). |
![]() Harald Eisenhauer – DEEP EcosystemsCo-Founder & Head of Accelerator at DEEP Ecosystems. DEEP empowers startup ecosystems to solve the biggest challenges of our times, because the future of the tech ecosystem is transnational, driven by entrepreneurs and their communities. DEEP helps grow and connect ecosystems through its DEEP Startup Ecosystem Accelerator (DEEPSEA), and its bi-annual DEEP Startup Ecosystem Conference. Its work is backed by data-driven insights on startup ecosystems through its open Startup Heatmap Europe data platform and Report. |
![]() Jesus Iglesias – NBSCLIMATEJesus is a social entrepreneur. Since 2009 he catalyzes social innovation processes for climate resilience and social equity. He has been appointed a EU Climate Pact Ambassador, and a EU project evaluator; and is a regular contributor to El País and elDiario.es. Also, he has obtained the Professional Certificates in the IUCN Global Standard for NbS, IUCN Finance for Nature, and ILO-UNEP-IUCN Decent Work through NbS. He is an engineer, with a MsC in Space & Earth Sciences, and a MsC in Sustainable Development. He actively participates in the MED NbS Cluster, Climate Reality or 350.org. |
![]() Claudia Sanchez– NBSCLIMATEClaudia is an architect by the Higher Technical School of Architecture of Valladolid (Etsava), with enabling master and Erasmus + stay in L’école Nationale Supérieure d’Echitecture de Bretagne (Ensab) of Rennes (France). Her passion and vocation for Nature-based Solutions have led her to develop her end-of-studies project on “city and biodiversity”, and more recently obtain a Master’s degree in urban ecology and green infrastructure by UNIR (La Rioja). |
Cristina Ferrer – NBSCLIMATECristina is an expert in communication, digital marketing and involving key actors in collaborative projects. She has managed the social media of multiple companies, mostly located in the Ribera del Duero region of Spain.She has been Deputy Director of Communications of a large Spanish company with more than 1,000 workers, 4 brands, 12 commercial delegations and 10 factories; where she worked both nationally and internationally, providing support to France, Algeria, Arabia and South America. |
![]() Sara Pelaez – NBSCLIMATESara is a biologist from the University of Salamanca with a Master’s in Ecosystem Restoration and a PhD in Soil Biodiversity and Ecosystem Restoration from the University of Limerick in Ireland. She is an EU project evaluator with extensive international experience. She has published several scientific papers and participated in EU projects at the Joint Research Center of the European Commission in Italy, the NGO SPEA (Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds), and the Global Nature Foundation in Spain. She has collaborated with IUCN, FAO, and is an active member of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) and has experience in public speaking at conferences and policy briefing meetings in Brussels. |
![]() Ana Bartolome – NBSCLIMATEAna María is an economist from the University of Valladolid and holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Management from ICADE. Since 2024 she has also held a PhD in Agri-Food and Biosystems Science and Engineering from the University of Valladolid. She has extensive experience in the management of European projects, as well as in rural development (more than 16 years), both in the region of Ribera de Duero, where she is from, and in that of Cerrato Palentino. From 2020 to 2022 she worked as a researcher at the University of Valladolid in Nature-Based Solutions, focusing on Urban Agriculture, the subject of her thesis. |
![]() Irene Morell – NBSCLIMATEIrene is a biologist specializing in Marine Biology and Coastal Systems, with a Master’s degree in Environmental Management. She has more than 15 years of experience on environmental management and climate change adaptation, with a strong focus on the Mediterranean Region, as part of organizations such as IUCN-Med, MedPAN, BLUESEEDS and ENI CBC MED, managing various regional programmes contributing to the adaptation of the region to the different environmental challenges it faces. She is also a member of IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management NbS Thematic Group. |
![]() Stéfanie De Buck – UN FAOStéfanie De Buck is a Green Jobs Specialist at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with extensive experience in rural development, sustainability, and innovation in agrifood systems across Europe and the Global South. She joined FAO in 2017, working at the liaison office in Spain, where she supported the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the agriculture and food sector. Since 2021, she has been working in the implementation of the Green Jobs for Rural Youth Employment project in Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste, and Zimbabwe. This initiative focuses on locally tailored innovations and nature-based solutions to strengthen rural economies while creating economic opportunities for young people through entrepreneurship and wage employment programmes. Ms. De Buck holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Anthropology, as well as a master’s degree in political science from the Free University of Belgium. Additionally, she holds a Master of Science in Sustainable Project Management in the Agrifood Business from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and University College Cork, Ireland. |
![]() Andres Alcantara – IUCN-MedWithin IUCN-Med, Andres coordinates Mediterranean cooperation projects at the EU and international level. He was a member of the executive committee of the World Conservation Congress held in Spain in 2008, is a recipient of the Andalusian J. Research Award on Economics for being one of the authors of Malaga’s Green Pact, and its Local Agenda 21. Moreover, he led the efforts for the Declaration of the Intercontinental Biosphere Reserve of the Mediterranean area, and the conservation and governance of the Alboran Sea. He has been part of the European Environment Office and the Mediterranean Information Office. He was the director of the Conference on Finance for Mediterranean Protected Areas in coordination with the Biodiversity Foundation, as well as the Advanced Seminar on Management of Mediterranean Protected Areas and Local Development. On top of all, he has taken part in outlining strategic and environmental management plans for the Mediterranean basin. And also, he is a regular contributor to various media like El País, Quercus or Canal Sur. |
![]() Raúl Sánchez – CARTIFDesde junio de 2005 trabaja en la Fundación CARTIF, actualmente como Director del Área de Recursos Naturales y Clima (División de Alimentación y Procesos), específicamente en el ámbito de las Soluciones basadas en la Naturaleza. Es Coordinador del proyecto URBAN GreenUP (H2020-SCC02-URBAN GREEN-UP: Nueva metodología para la renaturalización de ciudades mediante soluciones basadas en la naturaleza). Raúl es especialista en ecología urbana para aplicar esta experiencia en el desarrollo de soluciones naturales en las ciudades (cubiertas y fachadas verdes, suelos inteligentes, granjas urbanas, corredores verdes, mejora de la conectividad del paisaje, acciones contra la erosión y mejora del bienestar con SBN). Su trabajo contribuye a acercar de nuevo la naturaleza a las ciudades mejorando su habitabilidad, y a la consecución de los ODS 3: Salud y bienestar; ODS 11: Ciudades y comunidades sostenibles; ODS 13: Consumo y producción responsables; ODS 13: Acción climática; ODS 15: Vida en la tierra. |
![]() Luis Marcos Naveira – University of BurgosDoctor, professor and director of the Green Office of the University of Burgos (UBUVerde). Although born in Bilbao, he is of Burgos origin and has lived in Burgos since his earliest childhood. He studied Chemistry and received his PhD in Chemical Sciences in 1996 with the thesis “Geochemical processes in the groundwater of the tertiary and quaternary aquifers of the Arlanzón river basin (Burgos)”, supervised by Dr. Fermín Villarroya Gil. Currently, he is a professor of chemistry at the University of Burgos and a researcher in the field of Environmental Chemistry, where he has published nearly a hundred scientific papers in conferences and specialized journals. |
![]() Claudia Zapattini – CONAMA FoundationShe holds a degree in Business Administration, with a Master’s in Strategies and Technologies for Development and another in the Integrated Water Cycle. She has additional training in Water Governance and Integrity, Human Rights, Sustainable Development and Public Policies. She has worked in internal control, strategic planning, public policies and international development. She has also collaborated with international organizations, NGOs and multilateral banks as a specialist in public policies and governance in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector and led multi-stakeholder collaboration platforms, developed communication campaigns and created spaces and instruments for strategic decision-making. |
![]() Basilio Rodríguez – Rewilding SpainBasilio is a Technical Forest Engineer from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and has been working in rural development programs for almost 20 years. He has worked in development cooperation in sectors related to forest management, fair trade, organic farming and renewable energy in Latin America, Asia and Africa. In Spain, he has carried out numerous forest management plans for public and private forests, has collaborated in sustainable forest certification programs and is very involved in the development of the resin sector through training, research and consulting. |
![]() Pancho Purroy – Land LifeDirector of Land Life in Spain and Portugal, Pancho is dedicated to tackling the climate emergency. Coming from a family of biologists, his passion for ecology and nature conservation is deeply ingrained in his DNA. His mission is to restore degraded lands by planting native mixed forests, creating a green belt to protect the Iberian Peninsula and restore biodiversity through his projects. |
![]() David de Jong – CobanaDavid is a pilot, community weaver, and founder of Cobana, a co-living and working hub inspired by Transylvania’s wild beauty. With a background in human factors and complexity science, he explores how diversity fosters effective collaboration. At Cobana, he curates residencies and gatherings for change-makers, leveraging the TeamFlow Alignment method to uncover synergies and enhance project impact. Dedicated to rural ecosystem development, he creates networks that blend global and local voices, promoting regeneration and sustainable living. |
![]() Nacho Martín Andrés – WilderwayForest engineer and program manager with 8 years of international experience in environmental restoration projects, the Voluntary Carbon Market and the emerging Nature Credit market. Currently Nacho leads a team of ecologists working to develop private funded rewilding initiatives across Europe at Wilderway. Wilderway enables the large scale restoration of European landscapes by bringing together landowners, buyers and restoration projects in line with the Rewilding principles and by delivering high quality carbon and nature credits. Passionate about nature and involved in rural initiatives Nacho lives in a small village in the north of Burgos. |
![]() Thais Glod – INNOBOUNDInvestigadora nata con formación en ingeniería y apasionan de como la innovación y la tecnologías verdes pueden hacer del mundo un lugar mejor. Ha mentorizado a más de 100 iniciativas Greentech, CleanTech, Agrotech y ClimaTech, participando como conferencista en diversos programas de aceleración de la Unión Europea. Cuenta con un amplio conocimiento del ecosistema de emprendimiento español y europeo. Es fundadora de INNOBOUND, una agencia de innovación abierta que promueve soluciones que apoyan zonas rurales y periubanas en su transicion verde y climatica. Actualmente, lidera la Primera Acelerado Climatica para Áreas Rurales de la Península Ibérica, Rural ClimAccelerator Iberian, una iniciativa de la colaboración entre Innobound y Climate-KIC. Es Business Innovation Coaches del EIC Accelerator de la Comisión Europea, embajadora del Pacto Climático Europeo, parte de la Guía Mujeres Referentes del Emprendimiento Innovador Promovida por la Presidencia de España, Embajadora de Misión Valencia 2030, y ha sido galardonada como una de las Líderes Transformadores de Innovación en Iberoamérica. |
![]() Maria Recio – IHCantabriaMaría Recio has a degree in Biology from the University of Oviedo and a PhD from the University of Cantabria. She completed her PhD studies at the University of Chile, within the International Mobility Program “Pablo Neruda”. She is a Senior Consultant at the IHCantabria with 15+ years experience, specialized in environmental management of littoral ecosystems. She has participated in several projects funded by European and international programs (LIFE, Horizon EU…), covering different topics such as: ecology of estuarine communities; climate change; ecosystem services; Nature-based solutions; and threats to conservation and littoral habitats restoration. She has published 12 SCI papers, four book chapters and different articles in journals not indexed. In addition, she has participated in different educational programs (e.g. ERASMUS+) and publications. |
![]() Khaoula Behi – Future IslandsKhaoula Behi, as the Managing Founder of Future Islands, plays a pivotal role in reshaping the landscape of entrepreneurship and fostering a culture of innovation in Tunisia. She has further extended her impact by establishing a Berlin-based platform dedicated to sustainable and inclusive solutions for communities facing crises, harnessing the power of traditional knowledge and ancestral practices. With a diverse professional background, Behi has served as an innovation consultant, contributing her expertise across both the African and European regions. Her primary areas of focus encompass social innovation, purpose-driven entrepreneurship promotion, and bolstering community resilience. Additionally, Khaoula is actively engaged in research endeavors, exploring crowdfunding development in the North African region, to advance alternative financing mechanisms to support innovation initiatives. |
![]() Gema Gomez – Slow Fashion NextProvocative thinker & Speaker, CEO & Founder at Slow Fashion Next. Sustainable, Circular and Regenerative Fashion. Business Ecosystem Facilitator. Together much better. Gema is the soul of Slow Fashion Next, a platform with the purpose of transforming the fashion sector into one that is exciting for everyone, from the producers of the material to the consumers, including entrepreneurs and companies. SFN has been organizing the annual Sustainable Fashion Day in Madrid for 12+ years, a major gathering of changemakers all throughout the value chain of the fashion industry in Spain and Europe. Creativity is a passion for her. Giving shape to new things, adding ideas, creating something new, beautiful and different, from a garment when she was a designer to a business model or a positive vision of the world. Creativity is always present in her life. |
![]() Cameron Price – EcoLaunchAs the Convenor of EcoLaunch, Cameron Price brings over a decade of experience supporting start-ups and social enterprises with sustainability-focused strategies. His career spans roles in corporate training, environmental consulting, and public policy, where he has consistently championed initiatives for ecosystem regeneration, biodiversity conservation, and a just, regenerative economy. Cameron has curated EcoLaunch as a dynamic accelerator, combining recorded expert sessions with live masterclasses to offer entrepreneurs practical knowledge and insights. With a background in environmental science and a deep personal connection to Nature, Cameron’s facilitation style draws out each expert’s unique perspective while encouraging an open, collaborative learning environment. His commitment to Nature-based Solutions and his expertise in systems thinking and sustainable operations provide a strong foundation for the EcoLaunch community. |
Accommodation & travel
We recommend these two hotels, within walking distance of the event venue: Hotel Julia, Hotel Villa de Aranda. For other options check here.
For international travelers, Madrid Airport is just 1h36 minutes (147 km) drive from Aranda de Duero (see on Google Maps). There is a direct bus:
- From Madrid Airport – Terminal 4 (T4) to Aranda de Duero at 07:15, 18:15 and 21:45
- From Aranda de Duero to Madrid Airport – Terminal 4 at 6:00 and 18:00.
For other options, please contact us.