Barcelona's Weekly Tech Update

Hello and happy Monday,

As we wrap up August, there’s plenty of BCN startup inspiration 🤩 for getting back into the swing of things post-summer – from Filmin’s impressive profits to new ventures in mental health and a local AI acquisition.

Let’s get straight into it, and as always, have a great week! ⛵️ 

Startup & Investment News

Barcelona investment news

• Insikt AI acquired by UK-based Logically to help combat harmful online content 

• Emergency medical device developer Dipneo opens €300K crowdfunding

Barcelona startup news

• Streaming platform Filmin multiplies its profit fourfold and invoices €22.6M

• Cooltra boosts cash management across 9 countries with over 50K automated accounting entries

• Koa Health launches Koa Care 360, an employee mental health platform with preventative care, online therapy & personalized solutions 

• Marnuthem, lauded as world's best vermut, to up production by 50%

Spanish investment news

• Madrid-based Silk, which offers cashback & rewards when you pay rent, raises €770K

VC, investment & crowdfunding news

• Danish VC Nine Realms lands €50M from EIF to decarbonize the supply chain sector

• TON crypto ecosystem gets its own venture fund to invest $40M in consumer apps

Open calls, accelerator news & incubator stories

• EDP ​​launches the Hope Fund incubator to support social energy transition projects (clean energy access, industry upskilling, environmental preservation, etc); deadline 8 Sep

• Call for EU space entrepreneurs: Applications for the 6-month CASSINI Business Accelerator are open; deadline 30 Sep

Barcelona startup & entrepreneur profiles & interviews

• MPOWAH: Women-only gym focusing on empowerment 

• TalentYou.ai: The Catalan platform that enhances work skills with AI

Tech & Business News

Tech news in Barcelona

• The Tech Tourism Cluster develops a project using blockchain to reward Barcelona visitors’ sustainability 

• US firm Carlyle buys Seidor (the largest employer in the digital sector in Catalonia) from Osona

• Catalan pool & wellness leader Fluidra expands in the Pacific by acquiring Australian firm Chadson Engineering

• Swiss startup Twiliner chooses Barcelona for its first sustainable, business-class bus route

Tech & big company news in Spain

• Apple users in Europe free to delete the App Store & other native apps to comply with EU law

• MetaMask, Mastercard, and Baanx launch "world's first" crypto payment card, piloting only in the EU & UK so far

• BBVA doubles AI workforce with new AI factories in Mexico and Turkey

• Amazon's subsidiaries in Spain report €36M losses despite accounting for 40% of its national revenue

Good Reads

• MarsBased shared Mastering SaaS Spending: How to stay lean and maximize ROI

• Viaempresa wrote a piece on the transition of Catalonia's entrepreneurial ecosystem, from a speculative digital model to a more advanced technological one

• Meet the 20 Revolut alumni who've become entrepreneurs since last year

Good Videos & Podcasts

• The economics of Duolingo & how it keeps you hooked (EN)

• Everything We Teach at YCombinator in 10 Minutes, by its CEO Michael Seibel (EN)

• Turning over €20M in 4 years with padel equipment: Dionisio Ugalde, Padel Pro Shop (Product Hackers, ES)

Great Events

This week:

• Tue, 27 Aug @18:30: SIA: Should I be Investing Globally or Locally?

• Thu, 29 Aug @18:30: Summer Party - Fuckup Nights BCN & Startup Grind BCN  → 30% discount code: SGBCN30

Upcoming:

• Tue, 3 Sep @13:00: Women Investors' Lunch

• Wed, 4 Sep @18:30: SIA & Nuclio: How to manage your portfolio

• Tue, 10 Sep @18:30: Startup Exit Strategies: How to plan your cash out

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

Startup Jobs:

• PayFit needs a Product Builder

• Rever is hiring a Software Engineer (Backend)

• Mitiga Solutions is looking for a Climate Engagement Specialist (among other roles)

• +721 Barcelona-based roles in the fintech sector