Barcelona's Weekly Tech Update

Hello & happy Monday ⚽,

This week’s main headlines:

Local startups raise over €45M 🔥
BCN ranked #6 in world’s best cities & #3 in smart cities 🦾
BCN winners: 2 biotechs & 3 at Women Startup Awards 🏆

Barcelona: the smartest city in Europe 🤓🏙️

Barcelona is the #1 smart city in Europe and #3 worldwide, and it’s hardly a surprise. In fact, the Catalan capital has long enjoyed a strong brand in the field of smart cities. So what are the main reasons?

For one, it boasts a signature recurring event in that space. Just last week, the annual Smart City Expo Congress took place in Barcelona and was once again a huge success. In fact, the event returned to its pre-pandemic magnitude, bringing together 20.000 visitors (+50% 📈), including representatives from 700 cities in 134 countries.

But while the annual event is a powerful PR stunt that puts the city on the map, it’s the actual hard work by the city, and the results, that truly make Barcelona Europe’s smart city leader. And a lot of groundwork has been laid in the past. From smart parking and lightning to intelligent waste disposal systems and even noise sensors, the city has pioneered various technologies. Not to mention the Barcelona Superblock city model, which has not just increased the quality of life in the city for everyone but has put the Catalan capital at the forefront of urban transformation.

On the 👩‍💼💼 business side, the smart city sector in Catalonia is also imposing. Currently, it consists of 471 firms employing a total of more than 46K people creating annual sales of €10.5B. The industry is further supported by relevant international companies that set up HQs and offices in the region, such as Engie, Cisco, IBM, HP, and Ricoh. Since smart city solutions largely rely on new technologies like 5G, blockchain, and AI, Barcelona’s smart city leadership will also continue to create great opportunities for the growth of those fields in the region.

Would you like us to cover the best smart city companies in Barcelona next time? Upvote here (15+ likes and we will do it).

Have a great week & be smart 🤓!

BCN FinTech is back - bigger & better. With a already guaranteed record turnout & out-of-the-world expert speaker lineup, you definitely don't want to miss this one out. Our panelists will 🥊 fight it out (hopefully just verbally) on DeFi vs FinTech - given the recent FTX meltdown, it's gonna be 🌶️. There's also gonna networking afterwards, facilitated by free snacks & drinks. With less than 10% of tickets left, don't hesitate. Sign up for free here now!

Startup & Investment News

Barcelona investment news

Mobility startup Cooltra close new €25M round
Online fraud startup Red Points raise €20M to focus on ‘profitable growth’
Amusement industry tech startup Vacway score €1.5M
CBD brand Hippy Collective raise €400K & see 3000% growth after 7 months of operation

Barcelona startup news

Spanish investment news

Madrid workplace well-being startup ifeel get €10M
Madrid-based reverse logistics platform iF Lastmile raise €3M
Alicante plastic-free ocean initiative The Gravity Wave reel in €240K

VC, investment & crowdfunding news

Open calls, accelerator news & incubator stories

Barcelona startup & entrepreneur profiles & interviews:

Beyond: A blueprint for success in Europe from a US startup
Gerard García, Founder & CEO of Deale: The unstoppable digital transformation of traditional M&A
Upraising: Adaptogen mushroom coffee for concentration, productivity & immunity