Rafael Selma · Executive · Serial entrepreneur · AI expertI found, lead and scale technology, energy and consulting companies.

Computer Engineer from the University of Seville, with an MBA and the AD-1 Senior Management Programme at San Telmo Business School. I have spent more than 30 years leading, founding and scaling companies: I founded SDOS and ran it for almost 13 years, I am a partner at Hiberus Tecnología and a founding partner of Luzía Energía and Reluzca Energía. Today I help companies define their artificial intelligence strategy.

+30
years leading, founding and scaling companies
13
years as founder and CEO of SDOS
100
Smobile points of sale for Vodafone
Top 100
Innovative Leaders Ranking 2026
Black and white portrait of Rafael Selma
Top 10 Executive LeadersInnovative Leaders Ranking 2026
Career at IBM TB-Solutions Ayesa SDOS ALTEN hiberus AGQ SMOBILE LUZÍA RELUZCA INDALO TERASEL U. Fernando de Magallanes San Telmo

01 · Main focus

Four areas of work

Building companies, investing, leading and applying artificial intelligence in business.

A

Entrepreneurship and management

  • Founder and CEO of SDOS for almost 13 years, building it into an established technology consultancy and selling it to Alten in 2019.
  • Founding partner of Luzía Energía, Reluzca Energía and Indalo Energía, energy retailers.
  • Founding partner of Smobile (2015–2025), a Vodafone consumer distribution channel with 100 points of sale in Andalusia, Extremadura, Ceuta and Melilla, among the top three distributors in the channel and the leading Lowi wholesaler in Spain.
B

Technology investment and strategy

  • Partner at Hiberus Tecnología.
  • Managing partner of AMZDESIGN and partner at ONETORO TV.
  • Investor partner in VESS, a Seville-based venture studio.
  • Active investor in innovative projects.
C

Executive leadership

  • Head of Technical Direction at Alten Spain, responsible for the IT and Engineering divisions.
  • Director of Organisation and Systems at AGQ.
  • CEO of Terasel Desarrollo Empresarial.
D

Applied artificial intelligence

  • I help companies define their AI strategy and get up to speed with these technologies.
  • Integrating solutions to optimise processes and uncover new business models.
  • Artificial Intelligence lecturer.
Rafael Selma, wearing an investor badge, speaking on stage
Investor

I am looking to connect with innovative projects where I can contribute strategy and business vision.

Propose a project

02 · AI expert

Artificial intelligence for business leadership

I help companies define their artificial intelligence strategy and keep up with these technologies, integrating solutions that optimise processes and open up new business models. I bring the technical grounding of a computer engineer and the experience of having founded, run and sold a technology consultancy.

Discuss an AI project
Rafael Selma giving a talk on stage

AI training

Courses and sessions for executives and teams on what generative AI can do today and how to use it in day-to-day work.

Strategy and adoption

Identifying use cases, setting priorities and drawing up a roadmap to bring AI into sales, operations and management processes.

Investing in AI projects

Technical and business analysis of AI-based startups and projects to invest in or join as a partner.

Talks and keynotes
AI speaker

Keynotes and talks on artificial intelligence applied to business, for executives, entrepreneurs and investors. Speaker at the 2026 International Startup Congress in Seville.

Book a talk

03 · Book

El Manifiesto del Centauro

My book on sovereignty or servitude in the age of AI: habits to stop being a robot and start directing one.

Rafael Selma · 2026 · In Spanish · Available on Amazon

AI has raised the quality floor: what used to be a good first draft is now produced by a machine for €20 a month. The book starts from that idea and sets out two paths: simply operating algorithms, or working as a "centaur" who combines judgement, context and strategy with AI to take a piece of work from 7/10 to 9.5/10.

It is a handbook of habits for using AI without losing control of your own decisions. One of them is the "iron thesis": never open the chat before writing your thesis in one sentence.

"AI does not take your job; it takes your sovereignty if you get lazy."
Buy on Amazon

04 · Energy

Founding partner of three energy retailers

I have been involved from the start in companies that supply electricity on the Spanish free market.

Energy retailer · Since 2019

Luzía Energía

Supply of solar-generated energy.

Founding partner
Energy retailer · Since 2021

Reluzca Energía

Electricity supply.

Founding partner
Energy retailer · Since 2025

Indalo Energía

Electricity supply.

Founding partner

05 · Venture capital

Investing in startups through VESS

I am an investor partner in VESS, a Seville-based venture studio that builds and accelerates startups.

Venture studio · Seville · Since 2026

VESS

It builds and accelerates startups from idea validation through to international expansion, in sectors such as digital technologies, energy, health, sustainable mobility and Industry 5.0.

Investor partner
What I bring

Alongside capital, I bring the experience of having founded, scaled and sold companies: SDOS grew from 8 to more than 300 professionals before its sale to Alten.

Pitch a startup

06 · Track record

Career

Over 30 years as an entrepreneur and executive: fourteen years in management roles at technology companies such as IBM, TB-Solutions and Ayesa, founding and scaling SDOS through to its sale to Alten, leading within a multinational and, today, investing and partnering in technology, energy and education companies.

Rafael Selma, executive and investor
Senior management Head of the Technical Direction ALTEN Spain · IT and Engineering
  1. 1994
    Executive at technology companiesFrom 1994 to 2008, management roles at companies such as IBM, TB-Solutions and Ayesa.
  2. 2008
    Founds SDOSSeville-based technology consultancy set up with Tomás García-Figueras, which he runs as CEO for almost 13 years. It grows from 8 people to more than 300 professionals.
  3. 2015
    Founding partner of SmobileSeptember 2015 to March 2025. Vodafone consumer distribution channel with 100 points of sale in Andalusia, Extremadura, Ceuta and Melilla, among the top three distributors in the channel and the leading Lowi wholesaler in Spain.
  4. 2019
    Sale of SDOS to AltenThe multinational acquires 100% of the company. Within the group he takes on the technical direction of Alten Spain's IT and Engineering divisions.
  5. 2019
    Founding partner of Luzía, Reluzca and Indalo EnergíaThree energy retailers: Luzía Energía (solar energy, since May 2019), Reluzca Energía (since January 2021) and Indalo Energía (since October 2025).
  6. 2020
    Partner at Hiberus TecnologíaSpanish technology consulting group.
  7. 2025
    Founding partner of Fernando de Magallanes UniversityFernando de Magallanes University & Business School.
  8. 2026
    Publishes El Manifiesto del CentauroA book on habits for directing AI without losing your own judgement, available on Amazon.
  9. 2026
    Top 10 Executive LeadersInnovative Leaders Ranking 2026, awarded in Seville at the International Startup Congress.
  10. 2026
    Investor partner in VESSSeville-based venture studio that builds and accelerates startups.
  11. Today
    Entrepreneur and investorCEO of Terasel, partner at Hiberus Tecnología, founding partner of Luzía Energía, Reluzca Energía and Indalo Energía, investor partner in VESS, managing partner of AMZDESIGN and partner at ONETORO TV.

07 · Academia

University and executive education

I combine business with teaching. I lecture in Artificial Intelligence, have taught on master's programmes at the universities of Jaén and Cádiz, and am a founding partner of a private university and business school.

Since October 2025 Founding partner of Fernando de Magallanes Private University Fernando de Magallanes University & Business School

Teaching

  • Artificial Intelligence lecturerPresent
  • Lecturer, Master's in Accessibility for Smart CitiesUniversity of Jaén · 2014–2019
  • Contributing lecturer, Master's in Business CreationUniversity of Cádiz · 2016–2018

Education

  • Computer Engineering degreeUniversity of Seville · 1989–1994
  • MBAInstituto de Directivos de Empresa IDE-CESEM · 1998–2000
  • AD-1 Senior Management ProgrammeSan Telmo International Institute · 2016–2017
Innovative Leaders Ranking 2026 poster featuring Rafael Selma in the Top 10 of the Executive Leaders category
Official poster · Innovative Leaders Ranking 2026

08 · Recognition 2026

Top 10

Executive Leaders

Recognised in the RankingTop100 of Innovative Leaders, with honourees from 40 countries, in the Top 10 of the Executive Leaders category of the 2026 edition, organised by Red Business Market with the Universidad Autónoma de Chile as main partner. The award ceremony took place in Seville at the International Startup Congress, and the ranking's LATAM 2026 edition, held in Ecuador, also included me among its featured leaders.

09 · Press

In the media

Coverage in the Spanish press. Articles are in Spanish.

10 · LinkedIn

Recent posts

Posts are in Spanish.

See all on LinkedIn

On LinkedIn I share what I learn about artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and investment.

See my posts
Rafael SelmaExecutive · Entrepreneur · AI expert

11 · Contact

Let's talk.

I am looking to connect with innovative projects where I can contribute strategy and business vision. If you are looking for a partner, an investor or executive support, write to me. I reply personally.

I am writing as

Your message goes straight to Rafael Selma. I usually reply within 48 working hours.