Recognize is my favorite word. Recognize is a word that is spelled the same forwards and backwards; it is a mirror word.

It is a powerful word because it invites us to look at ourselves squarely, to RE-cognize mistakes and successes, victories and defeats, virtues and flaws, and above all, to recognize vulnerability.

The more you get to know yourself, the more you grow as a person and as a professional.

My favorite number is 9, the number that represents my purpose: to create, inspire, and help others grow. There is something special about 9. When inverted, it becomes 6, and together they can generate a perfect infinity. For me, it is a reminder that everything can be a beginning, a challenge, or an opportunity. That is also the story of Siroko.

Everything that happens can be viewed in two ways: as a punishment that repeats itself, or as an opportunity to raise our level of consciousness and face what lies ahead.

Siroko has grown exponentially since it was founded, coincidentally, nine years ago, in 2016. Its turnover has risen steadily every year, starting from scratch, going through several stages, and closing 2024 with €42 million.

We started out selling lifestyle sunglasses, but as fate would have it, Saul Craviotto came along and asked us for some sports sunglasses, which led us to focus on selling sports eyewear. From that moment on, our mission was to inspire people to get moving, play sports, and improve their mental health.

The best medicine in the world costs nothing. With a simple pair of sneakers, you can go to the mountains, run, soak up the sun, and enjoy one of the best therapies in the world: movement. That’s what we sell: health and movement.

Exponential growth is rarely healthy for a company. It forces it to reinvent itself almost every year, and teams are not always prepared to sustain that pace.

So this year, I had to decide to seek help. Because when you can’t do something on your own, the healthiest thing you can do is ask for help. You have to recognize, as I said at the beginning, where you are at and raise your hand to move on to the next level.

And the next level has arrived: Siroko has closed its first round of investment ever. €27 million in two phases, the first already closed and the second to be completed if we meet certain objectives, which will also help us to focus on the new path we are going to follow as a company.

With the best possible investor, someone who has wanted to accompany us for a long time and who is looking for the same thing as us: to grow sensibly and calmly.

This investment represents the culmination and result of many years of hard work and dedication from many people who put their hearts into what they do, as well as the beginning of a new era.

The launch of a new sports technology platform developed entirely by Siroko will be announced shortly. This platform will accompany this investment and, once again, we want it to inspire and serve as an example for millions of people around the world.