Hello innovation & startup folks,

Today's main headlines:

• BitBase install 1st airport crypto ATMs in El Prat & Madrid 🏧

• Petcare startup Food for Joe get €1.5M 🦴

• Glovo hack sees private data of thousands for sale online 👩‍💻

What to do about that damn inflation? BCN firms can help! 💸💪

The inflation monster has been going around the globe for a while now. And while there are some signs that it's reached its peak and recovery is on the way (see: the latest US data or the EU’s 2023 forecast), there's no denying that some prices are through the roof. 

In fact, data shows that Spain’s consumer price index for July was 10.8% above last year's rate – the country’s highest annual inflation rate since 1984. Meanwhile, salaries were upped by just 2.56%. It doesn’t take a math whiz to figure out that, economically speaking, most people are having a harder time right now.

So we thought of sharing a few local startups that can help you get by.

For saving money on your expenses:

• 🛍️ Buo: save on your grocery shopping by buying in groups to unlock discounts

• ⚡ Holaluz: find better (and cleaner) electricity deals

• 🚴‍♀️ Bike Ocasión: buy refurbed second-hand bikes that save you up to 60%

• 🛒 Wallapop: find great deals on second-hand products and/or sell some old stuff you don’t need (like those ice skates from when you were 8 years old)

If you need a bit extra money to get by:

• 💶 Prestalo: find a loan with the best conditions online

If you’re worried about your money losing purchasing power due to inflation:

• 📈 inbestMe: invest in indexed funds via a Roboadvisor (disclaimer: this is not investment advice!)

Have we missed anyone? Then please reply to this email ☺️

Finally, remember there is an end in sight. The recent interest rate hikes by the ECB will take some time to have an effect, but the latest forecasts do predict Spain’s inflation will revert back to “normal” levels, meaning a 3.4% inflation, next year.

Have a great week! 🌞

Startup & Investment News

Barcelona investment news

• Healthy pet food startup Food for Joe raise €1.5M & appoint new CEO 

Barcelona startup news

• Fintech startup BitBase to install the first cryptocurrency ATMs in Spanish airports

• New Glovo hack sees private data of thousands of customers & drivers for sale online

• BCN Court puts an end to 2-year dispute regarding Heura’s “misleading” ad slogan, ‘A meat burger pollutes more than your car’

• G4AL partners with Filipino firm Yield Guild Games to further empower the Web3 gaming community 

Spanish investment news

• Spain’s answer to Microsoft Teams Eternity open €1.5M round

• Valencian startup Jeff to open 10 more laundry hubs in the Philippines this year

VC, investment & crowdfunding news

• Santiago Gil leaves post at Enagás to lead new Santander Innoenergy Climate VC II fund

• Enion Venture Partners, a fund for renewable energy & efficiency startups, closes 4 investments for a total of €3M

Open calls, accelerator news & incubator stories

• Santander X Global Challenge: Countdown to Zero for startups & scaleups creating sustainable mobility, logistics & transport, and carbon offsetting alternatives; apply until Sept 8 

• MKTG Spain, RPM Sports & Impact Hub Madrid launch incubation & acceleration program for startups in the creativity and experiential sectors; apply until Sept 19

• Soltec's Aurora accelerator is looking for cleantech startups committed to transforming society and the environment; apply now 

Barcelona startup & entrepreneur profiles & interviews:

• Alkila Trasteros: Personalized self-storage space in Catalonia

• BizAway: Commission-free business travel platform 25% cheaper than competitors

• GuideDoc: The bootstrapped Netflix of documentaries 

• Victoria Gago: “We are going to continue growing and, in the future, we will value an interesting buyer or partner”

Tech News

Tech news in Barcelona:

• Traveltech trade bodies in Scotland and Catalonia embark on partnership journey

• CaixaBank and Aigües de Barcelona test decentralized digital identity

• Tarragona’s PortAventura World & Endesa X Way develop one of the largest EV charging hubs at a European resort

• Madrid tourist housing management startup Alterhome Stays expands franchise in Barcelona & Tarragona

Tech & big company news in Spain:

• Gopuff become the latest quick-commerce company closing operations in Spain & lay off 188 workers

• Amazon fined again for breaching labor laws in Spain

• Barca & Real Madrid file joint crypto trademark application to cover VR gaming, virtual clothing, crypto software & more 

Politics, legal & economics

• Latest report says Catalan monthly gross salary is 14.9% below EU average but higher than Spain’s

Good Reads

• Europe’s best tech conferences 2022/23 — the events you need to attend

• Dual scaleups: blessing or necessary evil? Pros and cons of having dual HQs

• Personalism vs. professionalism – Àlex Rodríguez Bacardit (MarsBased)

• 2022 Open Banking/Open Finance Trends: new report by BCN firm Platformable

Good Videos & Podcasts

• Sifted podcast: Klarna in crisis & where Elon Musk wants to invest $80M (EN)

• What is an NFT and why should you care? with Alex Granados (ES)

Great Events

Upcoming:

• Tue, 23 Aug @19:00: Open Coffee Startup Networking. Open conversations about startup life & fun

• Thu, 25 Aug @14-18:00: L​​e Wagon coding school open day

• Wed, 31 Aug@ 18:30: Startup Grind BCN Summer Party 2022

• Wed, 21 Sept: CoinPoint Catalonian Metaverse & Web3 Gaming Event

• Fri, 16 Sep & Sat, 17 Sep: Service Design Days Conference: product and service innovation & digital transformation

• Wed, 28 Sep @18:30: BCN FinTech Afterwork #003 

• Thu, 29 Sep @18:00: SaaStock Barcelona: Fundraising in a Downturn - What You Need to Know

See the full event calendar here & add your event here.

Jobs

• Lexidy is looking for a Head Of Marketing

• Prestalo is hiring a Financial Advisor 

• Creditiz is recruiting a Social Media & Content specialist

• European Blockchain Convention is looking for a 

• - Crypto Journalist 

• - Event Manager

• MarsBased wants a Node.js & Ruby on Rails Developers

• Freeverse.io is hire Growth Marketer

• Cognizant Netcentric is recruiting several IT positions

• Bourbon Creative is hiring Freelance Content Writers (Native English, 100% remote)