Barcelona's Weekly Tech Update

Hello and happy Monday,

This week’s main headlines:

• Catalan music industry brings €850M & 4K jobs 🎵

• AI energy startup Delfos gets €6.3M ⚡️

• 8 startups for your radar, by investors 👀

Have a great week!

Startup & Investment News

Barcelona investment news

• AI energy software startup Delfos raises €6.3M

• Remuner secures €2M for sales commission optimization 3 months after launching

• Digital coaching startup MyBeatCoach closes €180K pre-seed plus €172K credit from ENISA

Barcelona startup news

• Kave Home grows 30% in 2023 with €200M+ turnover and will open stores in Milan, Rome & Paris in 2024

• Telecom Vera (launched just a year ago from a merger of three operators in Catalonia) expands coverage and expects to bill €40M

• Corporate fintech Neo says it can grow European business without external funding after hitting profit

• Roka Furadada collaborates with Hospital de Mar to humanize ICUs with its sun cream

Spanish investment news

• Madrid SaaS for fitness specialists Harbiz raises €5M

• Valencian cloud storage provider Internxt gets over €3M & achieves its best year to date

• Web3 fintech Depasify closes €2.2M 

• Madrid-based edtech Leemons closes €1.5M round

• Hospitality loyalty system Foodcoin opens its third round in search of €1M

• Basque biotech Inmedical Therapeutics raises first €800K

• Zaragoza-based adtech Oniad receives €600K

VC, investment & crowdfunding news

• BCN-based Criteria Venture Tech leads new €3.2M round in Portuguese startup Enline Energy Solutions

• Early-stage VC Delin Ventures closes new €53M fund for startups focusing on the future of work and learning in Europe

Open calls, accelerator news & incubator stories

• mSchools Lab’s open innovation program seeks innovative digital solutions that transform and enhance learning experiences, to be piloted in Catalan schools; apply until 6 Feb 

• Design Health Barcelona is an 8-month program for graduates, researchers & professionals interested in healthcare innovation and entrepreneurship; apply now

Barcelona startup & entrepreneur profiles & interviews

• Interview with Belén Rallo, Director of Mango StartUp Studio: “Startups have a lot to contribute to the sustainable and ethical area”

• Sensorial Coffee Roasters: Uniting the coffee process from plantation to cup

• Tramit Smart App: Woman-founded app to submit city council requests through your phone

Tech News

Tech news in Barcelona

• New ACCIÓ report finds that the music industry in Catalonia generates €850M annually & 4000 jobs

• EAE Business School creates new Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hub at Tech Barcelona 

• Tarragona launches a blue economy district to boost its innovation ecosystem

• Catalan government launches China Desk to promote Chinese investment and strengthen economic ties

• Multinational tech consulting firm Seidor acquires Madrid-based Gesein

Tech & big company news in Spain

• Tesla may be putting its Spanish gigafactory on the back burner and focusing on Berlin instead

• Intel also rules out building a chip factory in Spain but admits it’s had "conversations" with the Government over the PERTE Chip

• N26 begins rollout of new stock and ETF trading product–but only in Austria so far

• Tech consulting firm Babel invoices €180M after growing 30% in 2023 & increases its workforce by 15% 

• Neobank Bnext multiplies customer deposits 20x and plans to reach profitability

Politics, legal & economics

• Spaniards buy the most online, but spend the least, according to Aliexpress

Good Reads

• From Factorial to TravelPerk: 8 startups you should send your CV to – and listen if they call you with an offer, according to investors

• A glimpse at the future of streaming in 4 mind-blowing stats

• We’ve all looked lousy in photos. These tips can help

Good Videos & Podcasts

• Here’s how I sold Privalia for €500M: Lucas Carné, founder & CEO of BCN construtech 011h (Itnig, ES)

Great Events

This week:

• Tue, 23 Jan @09:30: LUMENS'24: annual networking event for UPF Alumni

• Tue, 23 Jan @10:30: Startup Investor Accelerator Open Coffee

• Wed, 24 Jan @18:30: ProductTank Barcelona: Product & Fintech Edition 

• Thu, 25 Jan @08:45: 22@ Networking Breakfast: Health

• Thu, 25 Jan @ 19:00: Wine & Wealth BCN - Starting the year SMART by abroaden

• Fri, 26 Jan @17:00: Game Jam Barcelona @ UPC 2024

Upcoming:

• Tue, 30 Jan @12:00: How is AI revolutionizing work in finance? Regate & M47 Labs Webinar

• Tue, 30 Jan @19:00: Who can become a Business Angel? Requirements, Risks & Responsibilities

• Wed, 31 Jan @18:30: Startup Grind BCN hosts Mercè Tell (Co-Founder & GP @ Encomenda Capital Partners) → 40% community discount applied :) 

• Thu, 1 Feb @18:30: 22@Afterwork: 2024 BCN Llum Festival

• Sun, 25 Feb @ 17:00: Venture Leaders Mobile Investor Pitching 2024 Sailing Trophy (register by 19 Feb)

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

Startup Jobs:

• GoodNews is looking for a Trainee Accountant

• Tennium need a Communications Manager

• haddock is looking for Sales Interns

• Unnax is hiring a Lead Product Manager - BaaS

• QMENTA is recruiting Software Engineers in MedTech