Ana Maiques

Ana Maiques (born 1972 in Valencia, Spain) is a Spanish entrepreneur and business executive. She is the CEO and co-founder of Neuroelectrics, a company based in Barcelona that develops non-invasive brain stimulation devices to treat neurological disorders. Maiques is also the President of EsTech, a platform for high-growth technology companies in Spain, and a member of the European Innovation Council Advisory Board.

Education Maiques studied economics at the University of Barcelona and has an MBA from London Metropolitan University. She has also completed IESE Business School's advanced management program.

Business

Early career Maiques began working in Barcelona for Belgian-owned company Starlab in 1999, where she worked with her husband Giulio Ruffini (they had met in Barcelona a couple of years before).

In 2014, Maiques won third prize in the European Woman Innovator of the Year awards, for her entrepreneurial vision in promoting Starlab as an innovative company of scientific excellence.

Neuroelectrics Maiques founded Starlab spin-off Neuroelectrics in Barcelona, Spain, in 2011, and also established offices in Boston, United States in 2014. Focused on developing medical devices for the brain, Maiques describes Neuroelectrics as a "digital brain health company" that aims to treat brain disease in a non-invasive, personalized way through the use of technology. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Neuroelectrics adapted Starstim for home use, receiving FDA approval for treating major depressive disorders remotely. In 2021, Maiques secured $17.5 million in funding to advance clinical trials for epilepsy and depression, further enhancing the device's capabilities and expanding its applications in telemedicine.

Under Maiques' leadership at Neuroelectrics, the company has achieved recognition as one of the Best Entrepreneurial Companies in 2016 in the United States, awarded by Entrepreneur magazine.

EsTech Ana Maiques is a co-founder and the President of EsTech, a platform launched in March 2022 by nine leading Spanish high-growth technology companies, including Neuroelectrics, Cabify, and Glovo. EsTech aims to increase visibility and support for technology-based scale-ups in Spain, emphasizing their contributions to the economy, environment, and job market. The organization focuses on talent acquisition and training, access to financing, public education about the new economy, and public policy advocacy. Maiques believes these companies will significantly impact the Spanish economy in the coming years.

Personal life Ana Maiques is married to physicist Giulio Ruffini. She has four children, and spends her time between Barcelona and Boston.

Awards and recognition 2010: Nominated as one of the most influential entrepreneurs in Spain under 40 by the University of Navarre's IESE Business School 2014: EU Prize for Women Innovators 2015: Best Start-Up Health Award (for Neuroelectrics), Wired Health (UK) 2015: One of Inspiring Fifty's most inspiring European female leaders in the technology sector 2016: One of the Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America (for Neuroelectrics) in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Entrepreneur 360" list 2022: Most Exceptional Entrepreneurs Award by Goldman Sachs 2023: Disruption Award by Women's Startup Awards for women entrepreneurs who are "breaking the mold."