Madrid, Spain
A true polymath, Martin has built 15 businesses, grown five into unicorns, revolutionised telecoms and fertility, all while raising seven children and learning to fly a jet.
15
Companies founded
$8.05bn
Combined exit value
5
Companies founded became Unicorns
$280m
Prelude Fertility Revenue
8
Sectors operated in
8
Sectors operated in
$280m
Prelude Fertility Revenue
5
Companies founded became Unicorns
6
Companies exited
38
Early stage investments
Early Years in Buenos Aires
Born on 26th April in Buenos Aires to Carlos Manuel, a Harvard-educated astrophysicist, and Silvia Waisman-Diamond. Martin spent his early years in an apartment on Avenida Las Heras before his parents separated during his teenage years.
Early Years in Buenos Aires
Born on 26th April in Buenos Aires to Carlos Manuel, a Harvard-educated astrophysicist, and Silvia Waisman-Diamond. Martin spent his early years in an apartment on Avenida Las Heras before his parents separated during his teenage years.
How did the fallout from the dotcom bubble affect you?
"All of us on the Internet were licking our wounds. We had been taken for a crazy ride . We went from whatever we touched being "champagne" to whatever we did was shit. looking back...
Are you concerned about the impact of AI on humanity?
"AI, at its core, is a tool, a mirror. It possesses no personal agenda, no inherent morality, and no autonomous motivation to cause harm or good. It merely reflects the intentions of...
What has inspired your philanthropic work?
"I founded Educ.ar in Argentina and Chile because I was convinced that if the internet had existed, the military in those countries would not have been able to control the media and...
How do you balance capitalism with your socialist beliefs?
"I believe that the most effective capitalism in the world is one combined with a welfare state. If the welfare state becomes too large, productive capacity is endangered. But if the...
What is it like running a business through a recession?
"It’s not impossible, but it’s much more difficult. But whoever manages to grow when there is such little water available will become king of the desert."
How did you get into the world of biotech?
"At the end of 1985 I travelled to Oxford to visit my uncle Carlos Blanco and my aunt Ruth Waisman. I went to a Christmas party, and met Nobel Prize winner Cesar Milstein and Dr Clau...
Tell me about your greatest business failure
"Einsteinet was a complete disaster. My black eye in business - my €30m black eye. I was one of the first people who came up with the concept of the ASP (Application Service Provider...
Do they value entrepreneurship in Spain?
"The average Spaniard doesn’t understand the role of entrepreneurs and businessmen. They don’t see them as what they are - job creators - but as rich thieves. As a result, [the found...
Does Argentina have a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem?
"Some leave, others stay, but in all cases, it's clear that they thrive in such a hostile environment because they are forced to grow rapidly. So many things go wrong that if you man...
How does it feel to be a national hero in Argentina?
"I'd been thrown out but I came back with a big gift [Educar] and it was very positive.They hang my picture in schools. It moved people in Argentina. I might meet an Argentine who do...
Have you ever worried about money?
"Yes, it was terrible. I should have sold Viatel, taken the money and focused on Jazztel, but I was too ambitious. I wanted to hold on to both companies, so I put my house up as coll...
How did you build firms, raise 7 kids, and take holidays?
"I never watch TV. The average person spends 14 years watching television in their lives. I watch a bit of Netflix but not a lot. I don't watch sports. If you don't watch sports as a...
How do you take such extraordinary risks?
"This is nothing compared to growing up in Buenos Aires and seeing a building being bombed across my house, in the middle of the night, which I saw. It's all relative."
What was life like when you were a young man?
"My life had a rocky start: I had to flee Argentina as a refugee when I was 17. Senator Moynihan gave us refugee visas into the States. But before that, even in high school, the mili...
Why are you, a man, so into women's health?
"I'm the only man at a women's health conference, I'm a misfit in gender and also in age but I do have frustration about how women have been treated by the medical profession. I beli...
What are the unexpected challenges for startup founders?
"There’s a lot of talk about failure in entrepreneurship and that makes sense as most start-ups fail. But what I have seen is that while we focus a lot on entrepreneurs not being pre...
El Periódico de la Energía
9th May 2025
El Mundo
24th March 2025
Infobae
4th January 2025
Longevity.Technology
24th October 2024
Longevity.Technology
18th October 2024
Fundz
29th May 2024
PR News Wire
31st January 2023
Carrefour
7th December 2022
Forbesargentina
24th February 2022
PR News Wire
10th January 2022
Fon was a global Wi-Fi network that allowed users to share their home internet in exchange for access to other Fon hotspots, creating a crowd-sourced wireless infrastructure.
2021 – Present
MVB Fund is a late-stage venture capital fund, created in partnership with Bankinter and Kanoar Ventures, giving Spanish investors access to top Silicon Valley tech funds and future unicorns.
2019 – Present
Goggo Network pioneers autonomous mobility solutions in Europe, revolutionizing urban transport and logistics with innovative technologies.
2018 – Present
Overture Life develops automation technology for IVF, aiming to make advanced fertility care more accessible worldwide.
2017 – Present
Prelude Fertility is a US network of clinics and labs advancing reproductive medicine and fertility preservation at scale.
2016 – Present
Biosciences pioneer, creating pioneering therapies for AIDS and cancer.
1986 – Present
Axel Springer is a leading European digital publisher, shaping media with brands like Bild, Die Welt, and Business Insider.
2014 – 2025
Columbia Business School blends academic rigor with real-world experience, preparing students for leadership in business and entrepreneurship.
2012 – 2018
Fon created a global WiFi community, connecting millions through shared access points in homes and public spaces.
2015 – 2016
Fon created a global WiFi community, connecting millions through shared access points in homes and public spaces.
2006 – 2015
Eolia started as Spain’s first renewable energy investment fund, scaling rapidly by acquiring 22 wind and solar companies to become a major force in clean energy.
2004 – 2009
A Spanish telecommunications company offering broadband internet, mobile and fixed-line telephone, and television services.
1998 – 2002
A German cloud-based software service.
1998 – 2001
A Spanish Internet brand, originally owned by Jazztel, created with the aim of competing in the business of Internet services, content and access portals.
1999 – 2000
A specialist telecoms provider that laid the groundwork for affordable, high-speed connectivity across Europe.
1991 – 1999
A real estate holding business focused on purchasing and renovating properties in New York City.
1984 – 1986
Axel Springer
2014 – 2025
Germany
Axel Springer
Axel Springer drives digital transformation across flagship brands like Bild and Politico, shaping news consumption for millions.
2014 – 2025
Germany
Busuu
2011 – 2021
United Kingdom
Busuu
Busuu blends AI-driven lessons with a global community, redefining language learning through personalized, interactive experiences.
2011 – 2021
United Kingdom
B-Yond
B-Yond
US-based company specialising in AI-driven network automation solutions for the telecoms sector.
RecargaPay
2018 – Present
RecargaPay
Brazilian fintech platform that provides mobile payment solutions, including bill payments and prepaid mobile top-ups
2018 – Present
Decelera
Decelera
A start-up acclerator that takes a contrarian approach, hosting retreats that help foundners slow down and reflect, in o
IE University
2022 – Present
Spain
IE University
IE University cultivates leaders in a dynamic setting, fostering collaboration and fresh thinking that fuels tomorrow’s breakthroughs.
2022 – Present
Spain
itravel
2017 – Present
itravel
itravel is a Cologne-based travel company offering personalised holidays through a digital platform
2017 – Present
Clinton Foundation
Clinton Foundation
Martin has served on the board of trustees at the Clinton Foundation
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