Iñaki Arrola

Cofounder and Managing Partner en K FUND

Iñaki Arrola is a prominent Spanish entrepreneur and venture capitalist with a diverse background in business and investing. Here's a comprehensive overview of his career and achievements:

Professional Experience

Entrepreneurship: Iñaki Arrola is best known for founding coches.com, an online automotive marketplace, in 2003. He led the company for 16 years until its acquisition by Santander Consumer Finance in December 2019.1 2 This successful venture established his reputation as a skilled entrepreneur in the Spanish tech ecosystem.

Venture Capital: Following his success with coches.com, Arrola transitioned into venture capital:

He co-founded and currently serves as Managing Partner at K Fund, a venture capital firm he established in July 2016.2
Prior to K Fund, he founded Vitamina K in June 2011, another venture capital initiative.2
Arrola has been actively investing in startups since 2009, first as a business angel and later through his venture capital funds.1

Mentorship and Education: Arrola is committed to nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs:

He has been a mentor at Seedrocket since April 2010.2
Since March 2009, he has been a professor at IE Business School, where he also completed his Executive MBA.1 2

Notable Investments

As an investor, Arrola has backed numerous startups, including:

Webphone
Chicisimo
Deporvillage
Carto
8fit
Mailtrack
Coverfy
Graphext1

Education and Early Career

Arrola holds a degree in Business Administration from Universidad San Pablo CEU.1 2
He completed an Executive MBA at IE Business School in 2005.2
Before his entrepreneurial journey, he worked in the financial and insurance sectors, including positions at Renta 4 and Mapfre.1 2

Current Role and Philosophy

At K Fund, Arrola's LinkedIn profile states his position as "They call me founder and GP but roles are useless".2 This unconventional title reflects his belief that traditional roles are less important than the actual work and impact. His philosophy emphasizes that "Entrepreneurs hold the keys, we just help them open the door"2, highlighting his commitment to supporting and empowering founders.

Iñaki Arrola's journey from successful entrepreneur to influential venture capitalist has made him a key figure in the Spanish startup ecosystem, known for his expertise in identifying and nurturing promising ventures.