Hello and happy Monday,

Today's main headlines:

• Healthtech startup Impress raise €124M 🩺

• Ukrainian-BCN edtech startup Preply get €49.8M 📘

• Multi-blockchain firm Vottun recognized by Bank of Spain ✅

BCN FinTech Afterwork #002 was a blast! 🚀

We're blown away by all the positive feedback and want to thank everyone again for coming and making such a great event happen. And as co-organizer Elliott so aptly articulated, the networking afterward was indeed 🔥.

We've already lined up #003 and are busy planning the next few. If you want to share feedback, ideas, or ways to support us (speaking, sponsoring, etc), please click here. Otherwise, see you on September 28th!

Have a great week and stay cool 🌬

Startup & Investment News

Barcelona investment news

• Orthodontic healthtech firm Impress raise a €124M Series B

• Ukrainian-founded, now mostly BCN-based edtech startup Preply get €49.8M

• Sustainable construction startup 011h secure €25M

• Medtech group Pangaea Oncology receive €12M

• Martech startup Zinklar raise a €5.5M Series A 

• Home care startup for the elderly Cuideo pick up €5M

• Traveltech company Caravelo get €3M to grow its travel subscription solutions

• Cloud-based SaaS startup Stockagile close €2.5M

• Kindergarten contact app for parents Dinantia acquired by Polish competitor Livekid

Barcelona startup news

• US-BCN startup Vottun become the first multi-blockchain solution platform in the world recognized by the Bank of Spain

• Crowdcube locks out hundreds of partners in furniture startup Hannun's IPO

• Apiumhub launch new customer user management and access management solution VYou, ideal for startups

• Industrial tech startups are on the rise in Catalonia & will soon have its own ecosystem

• Wallbox partners with Svea Solar to integrate solar and EV charging throughout Europe

• Deporvillage founders to keep 20% stake after British firm JD Sports pay extra €22M for its acquisition

Spanish investment news

• Almería-based edtech ​Twenix pick up €3.5M

• Madrid corporate card & expenses SaaS Fuell close €1.5M

• Malagan last-mile delivery solution Logístiko get €750K 

• Valencian fintech Flexoh acquired by Chilean unicorn Betterfly to kickstart its operations in Europe

VC, investment & crowdfunding news

• Cathay Innovation launch a 3rd fund of €1B to back companies working on the sustainable transformation of industries

• French VC firm Elaia roll out €77M fund to back deeptech startups across Europe

• Copenhagen-based Unconventional Ventures (UV) raise new €30M fund to invest in underrepresented founders in Europe

• Repsol and Suma Capital launch SC Net Zero Tech Ventures, a €150M fund for companies with solutions in decarbonization, circular economy, renewable energy etc

Open calls, accelerator news & incubator stories

• Cellnex Bridge accelerator last call for projects reducing digital, social, or territorial gaps through connectivity or environmental sustainability; apply until July 18

• Europastry is looking for innovative startups to explore new paths & revolutionize the bakery industry; apply now

• Pitch Competition applications for BCN’s FutureTravel Summit are now open; early-stage travel startups can apply now

• Startup Executive Academy, a market program for executives and founders of early-stage tech startups, is open for applications (only 2 slots left)

• Ship2B Foundation is looking for mentors for their Impact First acceleration programs

Barcelona startup & entrepreneur profiles & interviews:

• Build Lovers: Startup revolutionizing self-built housing

• Buo: online supermarket fighting inflation with prices cheaper than Mercadona

• Mar Alarcón: Tech Barcelona VP says the BCN ecosystem is “in its adolescence, but reaching its maturity”

• SolarMente: Using blockchain to improve Spain’s solar energy consumption

Tech News

Tech news in Barcelona:

• New rules in Catalonia for ride-hailing vehicles like Cabify & Uber effectively restrict them to limos and passenger vans; taxi drivers celebrate but 3000 VTC workers could lose jobs 

• Barcelona receives European Entrepreneurial Region award recognizing the city’s innovative strategy in fostering entrepreneurship

• Fira de Barcelona joins The Thinx 5G Barcelona as a partner to become a blockchain & IoT leader

• Swedish cloud-based global logistics platform Centiro launch in BCN

Tech & big company news in Spain:

• Spanish crypto platform 2gether shuts down unexpectedly affecting 100K users

• Gorillas’ shutdown across Spain and Europe is said to have started a reckoning

• Fast fashion giant Inditex (Zara, Pull&Bear, etc) invests in US recycled textile startup Circ

• Portuguese Demium-born career platform Networkme to expand into Spain

• Enel Green Power build over 1,13K MW of new renewable projects in Spain creating 4.2K jobs

Politics, legal & economics

• Ministry of Industry to publish details for testing out the 4-day week on 150 Spanish companies by the end of the summer

• Spain to fully subsidize Renfe train tickets from Sept-Dec for commuters & shorter journeys

• Bank of Spain includes Binance in its crypto registry

Good Reads

• How to crack corporate sales channels for your scaleup by K Fund’s Miguel Arias

• A review of what happened at the first Ethereum conference, ETHBarcelona

• 4 reasons why leaders should be content creators

• The minimum salaries requested by developers in Spain according to HR startup Circula

• Pitchbook: Mapping Southern Europe's VC ecosystem

Good Videos & Podcasts

• Talks from EBC22: The Metaverse: A $1 Trillion Revenue Opportunity (EN)

• The first-ever Fintech-themed office sitcom by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and NVIDIA (EN)

• The iPhone is 15 -- what is its legacy and its future? (EN)

• Interview with Joaquim Mach, Co-founder of BCN’s Incapto Coffee (ES)

• Foc a Terra podcast: the PC football generation & Black Mirror becoming reality (CT)

Great Events

This week:

• Tue, 19 Jul @19:00: New Angels' Guide to the Startup investment ecosystem

• Tue, 19 Jul @18:00 & Wed, 20 Jul @20:00: Free Masterclass: 3 secrets to growing a successful Instagram

• Wed, 20 Jul @10:00: The energy transition in Spain: Round table with speakers from Cooltra, Solarmente & Atlante 

• Wed, 20 Jul @18:30: Startup Grind BCN with Oriol Juncosa (Co-founder @ Encomenda)

• Wed, 20 Jul @18:30: Dream Tech Stack for E-commerce with top tech startups of BCN

• Thu, 21 Jul @20:00: Tech Barcelona Summer Party

Upcoming:

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

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

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

Jobs

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

• OneCoWork is looking for a Junior Accountant

• Unnax is hiring a Marketing Intern

• Netcentric is looking to fill several IT positions

• Novicap is recruiting a:

• - Finance Manager 

• - Associate Legal Counsel

• Prestalo is hiring a: Fullstack Developer

• EU-Startups is looking for a EU Funding Expert for Startups

• Nuclio Digital School need a Sales Advisor

• Riverbed Technology is hiring a Digital Sales Representative - UK&I

• Qonto is recruiting a German Content & Copywriter - remote-friendly