Antonio Cantalapiedra Asensio

Co-Founder & CEO @ Optynamics

Antonio Cantalapiedra Asensio is a notable figure in the technology and startup scene, particularly for his role as the co-founder and CEO of mytaxi app (now known as Free Now). His educational background is extensive, with degrees in Communication & Public Relations, International Relations, Law & Political Science, an MBA from ICADE Business School, and additional studies at Georgetown and ESADE Business Schools. Actually working on his PhD on mobility and Virtual Digital Twins within the framework of MIT (Boston, USA) and ICAI (Spain).

Cantalapiedra’s journey with mytaxi began as part of the founding team and he played a pivotal role in its growth and success. Under his leadership, mytaxi became the first free Taxi App allowing users to order and pay via smartphone majorly in Southern Europe. His approach to business, focusing on local market understanding and respect for city regulations, set mytaxi apart from competitors like Uber. Cantalapiedra’s strategic city-by-city approach and commitment to improving urban mobility and sustainability were key factors in mytaxi’s growth, especially in Spain, where he turned an underfunded experiment into the company’s largest and most successful market. Moreover, he was co-founder and CEO of Woonivers, a revolutionary fintech/tax tech company acquired by a Fintech spanish company, Sipay.

In addition to mytaxi, Cantalapiedra has been involved in various startups and educational initiatives. He is a shareholder and board member of startups like Balandra Software and Binfluencer. His expertise spans across blockchain, IoT, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. He’s also a mentor, international speaker, and professor, teaching Marketing & Economics at universities like ESADE, UAX, UCLM, Sergio Arboleda and IE Business School.