Ana Maiques facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ana Maiques
Maiques in 2021
Born	1972 (age 52–53) Valencia, Spain
Nationality	Spanish
Occupation	Entrepreneur, Business Executive
Spouse(s)	Giulio Ruffini

Ana Maiques, born in 1972 in Valencia, Spain, is a Spanish business leader and entrepreneur. She is the CEO and co-founder of Neuroelectrics, a company in Barcelona that creates special devices. These devices help people with brain conditions in a gentle way, without needing surgery.

Ana Maiques also leads EsTech, a group for fast-growing technology companies in Spain. She is part of the European Innovation Council Advisory Board. Ana is a strong supporter of having more girls and women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) jobs. She wants to see more women in leadership roles in tech and business. She was even named one of the Most Inspiring Fifty Women in Europe!

Learning and Education

Ana Maiques studied economics at the University of Barcelona. She also earned a special business degree, an MBA, from London Metropolitan University. Later, she completed an advanced management program at IESE Business School.

Building Businesses

Starting Her Career

Ana Maiques began her career in Barcelona in 1999, working for a company called Starlab. There, she worked with Giulio Ruffini, who later became her husband. In 2001, when Starlab faced problems, Ana, Giulio, and Manel Adell took over the research part of the company in Barcelona.

Starlab then grew to create amazing new technologies. These included inventions for space travel and for understanding the brain. In 2014, Ana won an award for her great ideas. She was recognized for making Starlab a leading company in science and new ideas.

Neuroelectrics: Brain Health

In 2011, Ana Maiques started Neuroelectrics in Barcelona. It was a new company that grew out of Starlab. In 2014, she also opened offices in Boston, United States. Neuroelectrics focuses on making medical devices for the brain. Ana describes her company as a "digital brain health company."

Their goal is to treat brain problems in a way that is not invasive. This means they don't need to do surgery. They also make treatments special for each person, using new technology.

The devices from Neuroelectrics can record brain activity. They can also gently stimulate the brain with tiny electric currents. Special brain models and algorithms help to make sure treatments are just right for each patient. Their special headgear, which reads and stimulates the brain, has been used to check brain tiredness in NASA pilots. It might also help people with epilepsy. Scientists are also looking into how these devices could help with diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. They are also studying if it can help with anxiety and depression.

Neuroelectrics created a device called Starstim. This device uses two technologies together: transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) and electroencephalography (EEG). It can stimulate the brain and watch its activity at the same time. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Neuroelectrics changed Starstim so people could use it at home. It even got FDA approval to treat serious depression from a distance. In 2021, Ana Maiques raised $17.5 million. This money will help them do more tests for epilepsy and depression. It will also make the device even better and help more people through telemedicine.

Under Ana Maiques's leadership, Neuroelectrics was named one of the Best Entrepreneurial Companies in the United States in 2016. This award came from Entrepreneur magazine.

EsTech: Supporting Tech Companies

Ana Maiques is a co-founder and the President of EsTech. This group started in March 2022. It includes nine top Spanish technology companies that are growing very fast, like Neuroelectrics, Cabify, and Glovo. EsTech wants to make these tech companies more visible and help them grow. They show how these companies help the economy, the environment, and create jobs in Spain.

EsTech focuses on finding and training talented people. They also work on getting money for these companies and teaching the public about the new economy. They also talk to leaders about helpful rules. Ana Maiques believes these companies will make a big difference for Spain's economy in the future.

Other Important Roles

Besides her big role at Neuroelectrics, Ana Maiques is very active in new ideas and inventions. She is a permanent member of the European Innovation Council Advisory Board. In 2018, she became a Termeer Fellow at the Henri Termeer Foundation. Ana's work has been recognized many times. She received the Most Exceptional Entrepreneurs award from Goldman Sachs in 2022. She was also named one of the Most Inspiring Women in Europe on the Inspiring Fifty list for two years in a row, in 2015 and 2016.

Helping Others

Ana Maiques cares a lot about making things fair for girls and women in STEM fields. She often talks about the difficulties women business owners face in the tech world. She is dedicated to creating chances for more women to work in these areas.

Her Life

Ana Maiques is married to Giulio Ruffini, who is a physicist. They have four children. She divides her time between living in Barcelona and Boston.

Awards and Recognition

• 2010: Named one of the most important young business leaders in Spain (under 40) by IESE Business School.
• 2014: Won the EU Prize for Women Innovators.
• 2014: Received the International Women's Entrepreneurial Challenge (IWEC) award.
• 2015: Neuroelectrics won the Best Start-Up Health Award from Wired Health (UK).
• 2015: Recognized as one of Inspiring Fifty's most inspiring female leaders in European technology.
• 2016: Neuroelectrics was named one of the Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America by Entrepreneur Magazine.
• 2016: Again recognized as one of Inspiring Fifty's most inspiring female leaders in European technology.
• 2022: Won the Most Exceptional Entrepreneurs Award from Goldman Sachs.
• 2023: Received the Disruption Award from Women's Startup Awards for women entrepreneurs who are "breaking the mold."

See also

In Spanish: Ana Maiques para niños