Barcelona's Weekly Tech Update

Hello & happy Monday,

This week’s main headlines:

• Catalan startups raise over €15M 🚀

• Worldcoin ban & Google fines in Spain 💸

• Barcelona beats tech hub record 🏢

Fintech Vermut & Networking X Barna Brew Born launch party 🍸

Got the post-MWC/4YFN blues? Not to worry—we're celebrating the opening of Barna Brew's latest venue with our next BCN FinTech casual networking event.

📅 Coming up next week on Thurs 21, this event is perfect for anyone in the fintech industry looking to network, share insights, or simply enjoy a laid-back evening with peers. Whether you're a founder, investor, enthusiast, or professional in the fintech sector, this is the place for you.

👉 More event info here (and the chance to share with your network).

Hope to see you there, and have a great week!

Startup & Investment News

Barcelona investment news

• Clean cosmetics brand Cocunat raises €6M to boost international expansion 

• BiteRight closes €2.8M round for its dental implantology solution

• LuxQuanta wins EIC Accelerator program & secures €2.5M 

• Artificial plant store Blaine closes €2.3M Series A

• Cognitive health solution Braingaze raises €1.5M

• Union Avatars gets €250K from ACCIÓ’s deeptech fund & plans to open US branch

• Cooltra merges with Amsterdam-based moped-sharing operator felyx

Barcelona startup news

• Wallbox reduces losses but fails to meet its positive EBITDA goal in Q4 2023; also closes its Sant Andreu de la Barca factory 

• Worldcoo, an impact startup that provides economic resources to third-sector entities, reaches 15M donations in 2023 

• Housfy & StageInHome sign an alliance to revolutionize interior decoration with AI

Spanish investment news

• San Sebastian quantum startup Multiverse Computing raises €25M

• Spanish-Swedish cleantech Plexigrid secures €6.5M

• Alicante-based Mediterranean Algae closes €500K crowdfunding

VC, investment & crowdfunding news

• BCN-based Fluidra launches €20M fund, the first to specialize in pool and wellness startups

• Nauta Capital leads €3.2M round in UK cybersecurity startup ESPROFILER 

Open calls, accelerator news & incubator stories

• BeRepublic is providing support & personalized advice to Spanish industrial SMEs within the Activa Industria 4.0 program; apply now

• Open call for the Tiina impact investment program in collaboration with Ship2B, for young projects promoting social transformation through sustainable food or citizen art; apply until Apr 28

Barcelona startup & entrepreneur profiles & interviews

• The Catalan Women’s foil team: Paving the way for new athletes & boosted by the Copa América

Tech News

Tech news in Barcelona

• MWC breaks attendance record with 101K+ visitors

• New tech hub report: Barcelona beats its own record for international tech hubs

• British fintech Stenn is opening its first tech & innovation center in Barcelona, creating 25 jobs

• Barcelona Activa served 55,728 people and 8,579 companies or entrepreneurial projects in 2023

Tech & big company news in Spain

• Worldcoin hit with temporary ban in Spain over privacy concerns

• Google hit with €2.1B lawsuit by EU media groups; shares fell by 2%+

• Madrid welcomes the launch of the largest alliance in the global fintech ecosystem

• Capchase & BBVA Spark close a partnership agreement allowing their clients to connect to BBVA through API integrations

• Proptech Clikalia launches new 3D business line merging hyperrealism and interactivity

Good Reads

• Our weekly internal digest: Martian Chronicles

• The Trough of Feedback: The Insecurities of VCs Who Desperately Want To Be Liked

• Women angels for STEAM session insights from the Congreso de los Diputados: Only 20% of Spanish entrepreneurs are women

• 16+ Catalan women who have changed Catalonia

Good Videos & Podcasts

• The Inclusive Startup Playbook: How to hire inclusively (Sifted, EN)

• Reinventing meat with funghi, with Libre Foods Founder & CEO Alan Ramos (EN)

• How Duolingo hooks 56M users, with Regional Marketing Director Rebeca Ricoy (Product Hackers, ES)

Great Events

This week:

• Tue, 12 Mar @17:00: 10 years of Startup Grind BCN and MarsBased → Link includes an exclusive 60% Barcinno community discount 

• Tue, 12 Mar @19:00: Advanced startup Investing: Deal terms, Cap table, Valuation, Due Diligence

• Wed, 13 Mar: Cloudworks free open day with networking

• Wed, 13 Mar @11:30: Driving success from finance: How Deleito did it

• Wed, 13 Mar @18:30: Startup Talks: Build and Manage a Sales Team of the Future

• Wed, 13 Mar @18:30: eWorks Founders Meetup: Fireside chat with Juanjo Rodriguez (The Hotels Network)

Upcoming:

• Thu, 21 Mar @18:30: SheCodes!: Inspiring Tech Stories

• Thu, 21 Mar @19:00: BCN FinTech Vermut & Networking X Barna Brew Born launch party

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

Startup Jobs:

• Aldara is hiring a Marketing Director

• Bourbon Creative is looking for a French Writer (100% remote)

• Qilimanjaro is hiring a Junior Financial Analyst

• Clarity AI is recruiting a Thought Leadership Lead