PLD Space founders named Entrepreneurs of the Year at Endeavor España awards

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Endeavor España held its annual Endeavor Experience at Madrid's Teatro Real, with about 800 founders, investors and executives attending, and used the evening to hand out its 2026 awards. PLD Space's three founders, Ezequiel Sánchez, Raúl Torres and Raúl Verdú, were named Entrepreneurs of the Year. The prize was presented by Jordi Romero of Factorial, who won it in 2025 with Bernat Farrero, so the trophy at least stays inside the network.

The timing suits PLD Space. Its Series C now stands at €288 million, taking total funding since its founding close to €488 million, and it has signed a €158.9 million contract with the European Space Agency under the European Launcher Challenge. Torres, its CEO, recalled starting with "an idea that many considered impossible."

Elena Betés, founder of Rastreator, was Mentor of the Year; Valencia Digital Summit took Ecosystem Builder; BBVA Spark was recognised for corporate commitment; and Itnig Podcast became the Voice of Entrepreneurship. Francisco J. Riberas, Gestamp's executive chairman and an Endeavor España trustee, received the Honoree award. Endeavor also listed recent raises among its companies: €300 million for Open Cosmos since June, about €130 million for HappyRobot at a $1.2 billion valuation, €165 million for Twinco via a Series B and a securitisation fund, and roughly €129 million for Factorial. Its Spanish community counts 119 entrepreneurs and 77 companies, which together billed around €6.3 billion in 2025.