The startup has created an open ecosystem that uses the talent of independent experts and innovative companies to seek for solutions to the business challenges of small and medium-sized enterprises. Connecting Visions is one of the winners of the global entrepreneurship challenge "Santander X Tomorrow Challenge". 

The bank has shown its commitment to Connecting Visions' business model, making a €2 million contribution to the capital increase of the startup, with the option to increase such amount in the future.

This is a new path of professional entrepreneurship for expert professionals who seek to adapt to the new labour environments, in which they can use their extensive experience.

Madrid, 19 January 2021.
Banco Santander will make a €2 million contribution to the capital increase of the Spanish startup, Connecting Visions, one of the winners of the Santander X Tomorrow global entrepreneurship challenge, launched by the bank last year. In this challenge, entrepreneurs from 14 countries were asked to provide innovative solutions to help mitigate the socioeconomic repercussions of the pandemic. Connecting Visions received the award in the re-work category, with a project that focuses on helping expert professionals adapt to the new labour models. 

At a time of huge challenges for SMEs, Connecting Visions' main goal is to help them gain access to consulting services, which were clearly out of the league of companies with low turnover until now. Experts listen to the challenges of each SME and prepare a proposal in a very agile way, offering two or three options to the SME that will help tackle their challenge within a period of 10 days after receiving the SME's information about the challenge. The experts take into account the company's budget and the SME finally chooses the solution they find most appropriate and which best suits their situation. Solutions are searched with the help of an ecosystem of more than 172 service and technology companies, with over 350 experts and advisers with extensive experience in key fields, who will seek for the best solution, according to the needs of these SMEs. 

Connecting Visions is committed to an open and flexible work approach and it helps SMEs contact qualified professionals who are out of the traditional labour market, fostering entrepreneurship among these professionals and allowing them to use their experience and knowledge.

Connecting Visions is developing an open ecosystem of experts and technology to help SMEs face their challenges. These challenges are mainly associated with helping companies grow and increasing customer loyalty, their digitalisation, becoming more efficient, attracting and retaining talent and providing them with the support they need to manage their financial challenges.

The company, established in 2018 by Sofia Medem and Gonzaga Avello, has already invoiced over €1.6 million, developing more than 50 projects for over 30 customers. Banco Santander's investment in Connecting Visions will provide solid backing to its business plan, helping the company in its growth and international expansion strategies.

Co-founders Sofía Medem and Gonzaga Avello highlighted: "We have always been obsessed with reinventing the world of consulting services, industrialising it and making it accessible to any company. One of our goals is to identify expert talent, helping these professionals connect with the world of small and medium-sized enterprises, which need agile solutions, so they can benefit from the knowledge of these professionals and become more competitive".

Alexandra Brandao, global head of Human Resoruces at Banco Santander, said: "We are delighted to announce this agreement. Our investment in Connecting Visions is proof of three of Santander's unshakeable commitments: the search for solutions for SMEs, support for entrepreneurs and helping professionals find new career paths in the event of changes in the labour market and in the face of the challenges of the future".

Santander is the benchmark for SMEs, with a 25% market share and with the purpose of helping families and companies prosper, with measures and initiatives that cater to their financial and non-financial needs.