Arnold Kapinova & Javier Toral Conde - Erasmus entrepreneurs

Success stories

Recent testimonies of successful business networking - Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme

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New entrepreneur:
Arnold Kapinova (Albania)
Age: 30
Company name: N/A (Start-up)
Sector of activity: Hotel, restaurant, tourism, travel services and wellness


My exchange with Javier was the best possible match: professionally aligned, personally supportive and driven by his vision and approachable communication style. It provided exactly the environment I needed to grow my entrepreneurial project


Host entrepreneur:
Javier Toral Conde (Spain)
Age: 31
Company name: Artgonuts (9 years of experience)
Sector of activity: Hotel, restaurant, tourism, travel services and wellness

The exchange was an enriching experience for both sides, not only because of the opportunity to share knowledge and support the development of a new project, but also because Arnold contributed a valuable perspective to the startup and its cultural approach both professionally and on a human level.


Period of exchange: 09/2025 until 11/2025
Duration of exchange: 2 months

 

Results and benefits

 

1 new country reached
1 new country reached
15 new contacts
Tourism, Culture

 

The exchange between new entrepreneur Arnold Kapinova and host entreprenuer Javier Toral Condé founder of Artgonuts in Madrid brought together two complementary visions in digital cultural tourism. Arnold, an archaeologist and heritage educator from Albania, sought to develop a gamified tourism app, which despite minor differences had much to learn and draw inspiration by Artgonuts’ model. Javier, an experienced culture-tourism entrepreneur, offered an ideal setting within Madrid’s vibrant startup ecosystem for mentoring co-creation and entrepreneurial learning. Through daily collaboration, hands-on content development and strategic mentoring, the exchange fostered innovation cultural exchange and the foundation for a new digital tourism initiative in the Western Balkans.

During the exchange Arnold worked closely with Javier and the Artgonuts team across several key areas:

Co-developing a full prototype cultural route for the Artgonuts mobile app namely the walking routes of Vilanueva de la Cañada;
Conducting market segmentation and value-proposition analysis to develop Arnold's business plan; Engaging in stakeholder meetings and understanding partnership strategies; Drafting the concept and initial business plan for a gamified tourism app adapted to Albanian heritage; Attending meetings workshops and startup events at Google for Startup Campus Madrid, expanding understanding of the culture-tech landscape. The exchange blended practical content creation with entrepreneurial mentorship. 


The exchange significantly strengthened Arnold’s entrepreneurial digital and creative competences. He learned how to design, test, and refine interactive cultural routes, and gained exposure to real startup workflows, monetization strategies, and community engagement practices. Javier benefited from fresh perspectives on heritage, storytelling and content creation and gained insights into new markets for future collaborations. Both new and host entrepreneurs expanded their networks and agreed on creating opportunities for long-term cooperation in their respective countries. Furthermore, Javier and Arnold agreed that Arnold can make use of Artgonuts app infrastructure for his future pursuits in Albania or elsewhere. The exchange laid the foundation for Arnold’s future startup in Albania, while enriching Artgonuts’ international outreach and content development vision.



For more information, please contact the local contact points involved in the exchange:

New entrepreneur's contact point:
Noa Sh.A (Tiranë, Albania)

Host entrepreneur's contact point:
INNOGATE TO EUROPE SL (Madrid, Spain)

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