Innovation and entrepreneurship: the inspiring career of Fran Conejos, an Akademia alumnus

At the Bankinter Innovation Foundation, we are very proud of the alumni who have been part of our Akademia programme.

The uniqueness of the program lies in its design and execution: it ranges from a meticulous student selection process to a practical and avant-garde approach to the content of the classes, complemented by the excellence of the teachers. This results in students who are enthusiastic about innovation, ready to bring new ideas and creative solutions in their respective fields.

On this occasion we interviewed Fran Conejos, a former student of Akademia, industrial engineer, serial entrepreneur -UrbanSherpas, Yexir, Helloumi, Landbot, the latter participated through our Venture Capital program, arising from the collaboration between the Bankinter Innovation Foundation and the Bankinter Capital Riesgo team- and passionate about no-code applications (they are applications or programming platforms that use a visual development interface to allow students to non-technical users create applications by dragging and dropping software applications to create a complete application) and artificial intelligence (AI).

Fran also invests in startups in Pre-Seed phases. One of them is Zinkee, where he also serves as CMO (Chief Marketing Officer).

Below, we summarize the interview we had with Fran:

What motivated you to join the Akademia program and how did you discover this opportunity?

More than a decade ago, on the university campus, a simple sign caught my attention: “For restless minds, a training program, an education program.” Those words resonated with me, who had always felt restless and curious. I had studied industrial engineering, I had immersed myself in university life, but I was still looking for something more, something that would really ignite my passion. I felt that Akademia poster was made for me. The idea of a program designed for restless minds fascinated me. I considered myself someone who never settled, always looking for new challenges and learning. So, driven by that instant connection, I decided to investigate further.

The selection process for Akademia was rigorous, but that only increased my interest. It was not a common program; It represented a challenge, something that motivated me even more. I immersed myself in the process, motivated by the promise of a program that seemed designed for someone like me.

What did you like most about Akademia?

Akademia is not just an educational program, but a transformative experience. It changed the way I think, expanded my horizons, and connected me to extraordinary ideas and people.

The highlight of my experience at Akademia, without a doubt, was the immersion in an environment of constant innovation and the opportunity to collaborate with exceptional professionals and entrepreneurs. From the outset, the influence of figures such as Fernando Alfaro and Jaime Guillot was fundamental. Jaime, with his experience at Demium and his multiple projects, brought a unique and enriching perspective. Each session with them was an eye-opener, opening our minds to new approaches and ways of thinking.

The diversity of points of view presented by the different entrepreneurs who visited us was fascinating. The way we worked, although sometimes uncomfortable, such as the heavy use of LinkedIn, represented an interesting challenge. It was a new and stimulating experience; innovate not only in theory, but in practice. This was something I hadn’t experienced before, despite coming from a research institute where there was a lot of talk about innovation, but where “true innovation” seemed more like an abstract idea than an actual practice.

The Akademia program was a turning point, a “click” in my career. It was another step in my development, but a significantly important one. Working with such varied and different profiles, and collaborating with other colleagues on a project, was a transformative experience. It was not your typical classwork; They approached things differently, with deeper involvement and motivations, and with a group of people whose diversity was itself an enriching ingredient.

Tell us about your journey so far, Fran

My journey has been a journey of learning and adaptation. I started by following a fairly conventional path: I chose to study engineering, a decision influenced by family expectations. During my studies, I always worked, gaining experience in various jobs. However, when I finished my degree, I realized that the traditional world of work was not what I wanted. Inspired by the growing world of entrepreneurship, especially in the United States, and the new accelerators in Valencia, I decided to explore this terrain. Shortly after my experience at Akademia, together with four friends, we launched UrbanSherpas, a delivery service that was the precursor of companies like Glovo. Despite being an inexperienced team, we were determined to replicate successful models seen in the U.S. Although UrbanSherpas didn’t thrive as we had hoped, it was a valuable lesson in entrepreneurship.

Subsequently, I found myself in Madrid, alone and managing a significant debt. UrbanSherpas had transformed into a fast-delivery online store, but we eventually had to shut down. This experience taught me the importance of timing in business. At that time, I decided to work as a freelancer to clean up my finances.

My path took an unexpected turn when I met a young Chinese entrepreneur. Together, we imported a business model based on a virtual butler service through WhatsApp to Spain. This initiative evolved and became Yexir, and later, Landbot, a benchmark in the chatbot market. Landbot was a success, growing to become today a company with a team of 60 people and a turnover of millions of euros. Despite the success, the road was not easy. During Landbot’s escalation to a Series A funding, I had significant personal challenges and decided to exit Landbot by selling my stake, which provided me with financial respite.

After a period of recovery, I started investing in startups and became the chief marketing officer of Zinkee, after investing in it. I’ve continued to explore the field of artificial intelligence and no-code tools, areas that align with my experience at Landbot and Zinkee. In addition, I participate in the world of training, conducting workshops and workshops, taking advantage of my experience to inspire and educate others.

Today, I remain involved in the startup ecosystem, both as an investor and in operational roles. My journey from Akademia to now has been full of learnings, challenges, and constant evolution. I’ve learned that success in entrepreneurship isn’t just about having a good idea, it’s about adapting, learning from failures, and finding the right time for each initiative.

What lessons would you highlight from your career as an entrepreneur?

My career as an entrepreneur has been an adventure full of learning and constant challenges. If I had to highlight some key learnings, I would start with the importance of knowing and taking care of yourself. In the fast-paced world of entrepreneurship, where companies evolve at a breakneck pace, maintaining a work-life balance is critical. It’s easy to get lost in the day-to-day, putting out fires, however, it’s crucial not to forget the people around you, family, and friends.

Another vital learning has been the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people. Entrepreneurship is not a solitary journey; it is a path that is best traveled in good company. Choosing a team with which you share values, vision and empathy is essential. I have been fortunate to work with co-founders and teams that have been key in the process. Friction is inevitable, but good team management is crucial to overcome them.

Adaptability and resilience are also essential. I have pivoted business models about 50 times, facing constant challenges and learning to handle drastic changes. Each change of model has been an opportunity to learn and adapt.

One aspect that should not be underestimated is risk management. Entrepreneurship involves innovation, which entails taking risks in a market full of competitors and rapid changes. I also think it’s important to know how to work with investors and understand the investment game.

Finally, learning from failures is perhaps the most important learning. In entrepreneurship, it is more likely to take wrong paths than to get it right the first time. The crucial thing is to understand what didn’t work and look for alternatives that do. After 12 or 13 years in this world, I can say that every stumble is an opportunity to learn and grow.

One of the startups you have invested in is Zinkee, what does it do and what is its competitive advantage?

Zinkee is dedicated to delivering innovative solutions to SMBs using a no-code SaaS model. The idea behind Zinkee is to provide project management software that focuses specifically on profitability for SMBs. This concept was born from the need of SMEs to have efficient and accessible tools for the management of their projects and internal processes. Solutions such as Airtable or Monday already exist on the market, but Zinkee takes this to another level by fully adapting to the specific needs of SMEs. The interesting thing about Zinkee is its flexibility, something that is very valuable for companies that handle multiple projects, such as construction or installation companies. These projects often involve multiple teams and require effective coordination, and our platform is perfectly suited to these needs. Compared to large, robust ERPs, which need complex implementation, Zinkee is much simpler to implement and is 100% geared towards meeting the specific needs of SMBs.

Our goal is for each customer to become autonomous in the use and development of the product, adapting it to their new needs. The great difference of Zinkee with respect to any existing alternative on the market is its ability to adapt and customize, its focus on profitability for SMEs, and the autonomy it provides to users in the management and development of the software according to their changing needs.

What is no-code, what examples are there and what is the path it has?

The concept of no-code is truly fascinating and its trajectory, from my perspective, is a clear reflection of how technology can democratize the creation and development of ideas. I discovered this concept while working at Landbot. That’s when I realized that what we were doing at Landbot was, in fact, no-code. This term, although it seemed new, had actually been present in my career since my early days with WordPress, Drupal or Prestashop. I didn’t know it was called that, but that’s exactly what it was.

What is no-code, then? Imagine that only about 0.3% of the world’s population has programming skills. These people are the ones who have traditionally been able to transform ideas into businesses into digital products and services. No-code is a game-changer, allowing the remaining 99.7% of the population to create digital products and services without needing to know how to code. This opens up a world of possibilities: from creating a website, an online store, to developing a mobile application. In my experience, always from the marketing side, I have worked with small teams but surrounded by automated tools and processes that work autonomously, all configured and ‘programmed’ without a single line of code.

WordPress is a great example of a no-code platform. With WordPress, I was able to not only create websites, but also transform them into online stores, integrate booking calendars, and add functionality through plugins, all without writing code. This is, in essence, what no-code represents: a trend that empowers and gives us the ability to create, without the need to know how to code.

This trend has grown exponentially. Initially adopted by startups, entrepreneurs and freelancers, now even large corporations and IBEX35 companies in Spain are adopting no-code and are training in it.

As for no-code tools, there is an impressive variety. For website creation, I personally use Framer or Webflow. For chatbots, of course, Landbot is my go-to tool. For process automation, I use Zapier and Make, and internal tools such as ClickUp, Airtable, and Monday. When it comes to mobile apps and online stores, tools like Flutterflow and Shopify are indispensable. Also for project management in SMEs, tools such as Zinkee are very valuable.

What started as a trend in the world of software has become a very naturalized reality in our digital society. No-code now goes further, integrating artificial intelligence to make processes even easier and more accessible. This is not just a trend, but a reality that empowers us. For me, the combination of no-code and AI represents one of the most significant and transformative capabilities in the digital realm.

Speaking of artificial intelligence, how do you see the landscape of generative artificial intelligence, like ChatGPT?

I believe that we are facing a technological revolution that promises to transform not only the software sector, but all industries and levels of society. This transformation, although it may seem unimaginable now, will take place in a surprisingly short time. Even other technologies, in certain cases, can act as catalysts for AI. For example, quantum computing represents a promising area: when AI is integrated with this technology, we will experience a significant breakthrough. In addition, technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality and robotics will be enhanced thanks to AI, creating important synergies between them. These interactions between different technologies will amplify their impacts and possibilities.

My experience with ChatGPT has been a real journey of discovery. When I started experimenting with it, I realized the enormous potential it had. I spent whole nights exploring its capabilities, trying to find its limits. The arrival of version 4 was a pivotal moment. Its integration and functionality improved exponentially, and now we’re waiting for GPT-5!

This advancement is not only limited to ChatGPT. The generative AI ecosystem has grown tremendously, and we now have access to free software and large language models (LLMs) that we can run on our own computers privately. This opens up a range of possibilities to automate workflows, create chatbots and assistants, significantly increasing our productivity.

Currently, I am focusing on training and education in this field. There is a growing gap between where society is and the rapid advancement of technology, and my goal is to help bridge that gap. I am giving GPT training and exploring tools such as LangChain, a framework that allows programmers to create applications powered by artificial intelligence. For those who are not programmers, there are more accessible options such as FlowiseAI or Lang Flow, which offer a ‘no-code’ approach to working with these complex frameworks. Personally, I prefer to work with blocks and connect with arrows to build solutions, although this requires understanding complex concepts.

Finally, what advice would you give to people who want to start a business?

In my experience, and as I have observed in others, the path of entrepreneurship is not always clear from the beginning. I’ve seen many people jump into entrepreneurship only to realize that they need more stability or that perhaps it wasn’t the right time. However, for those who are clear about their goal, starting a project of their own can be a valuable option. While carrying out an idea from scratch can be risky and often leads to more failures than successes, it is a way to learn in a practical and direct way.

One alternative I would recommend, especially to minimize risks, is to get involved in a startup. Startups are constantly on the lookout for fresh, motivated talent, willing to invest in people who want to make a difference. My experience working in different startups has shown me how people with little experience, but a lot of determination, can grow quickly, taking on responsibilities and becoming key figures within the organization. Working in a startup not only gives you a platform to gain valuable knowledge and experiences, but it also allows you to be at the heart of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Another crucial aspect is to take action. Often, we get stuck in the learning phase, consuming online content, whether it’s blogs, podcasts, or videos on YouTube. While this training is important, real progress comes with taking the plunge and taking action. I advise entrepreneurs to launch projects, to create, to move, to establish networks and, in short, to be non-conformists and actively look for opportunities. There’s a compound effect the moment we start gaining traction and doing things, and it’s crucial to take advantage of it.

As a bonus tip, I suggest that entrepreneurs familiarize themselves with areas such as no-code and artificial intelligence. These skills are incredibly accessible and can be learned in a self-taught way. They are valuable tools, regardless of the field of study or work, and can provide a significant advantage in today’s business landscape.

Thank you very much, Fran!