Barcelona's Weekly Tech Update

Hello and happy Monday,

Startup funding Q1 2025 📈

🔥 Forget OpenAI raising $40B last week – Barcelona is on fire in 2025, with over €500M raised in Q1 alone across 30+ rounds. Here’s the lowdown:

• Catalan startups raised €504M, ~37% of Spain’s total

• However, Clikalia (Madrid) raised €400M in refinancing in January, which alone accounts for 46% of non-BCN funding.

Most active sectors in BCN:

• 🧠 AI: From Genesy to Zynap and Sensia, AI continues to fuel funding rounds.

• 🏥 Healthtech & biotech: Sycai Medical, Tirecat Health, KOA Biotech, and Zymvol reflect investor confidence in deep science and healthcare.

• ✈️ Traveltech: With Exoticca and TravelPerk securing massive rounds, the sector continues to shine.

• ⚡️ Cleantech & sustainability: Wattwin, VEGA Chargers, and Wallbox highlight green tech’s continued rise.

• 🛰️ Spacetech: Sateliot and Pangea Aerospace put BCN on the orbital map.

  • Silvertech is popping up, with startups like Bleta addressing the needs of seniors. Web3 is still relevant, with Brickken raising €2.4M, while SaaS continues to dominate early- and growth-stage rounds.

Early vs. late-stage: A healthy mix, with early-stage rounds like RepScan (A) and Zymvol (Seed) showing a strong pipeline while the big top 3 demonstrate BCN's late-stage maturity and international appeal.

Comparison to Q1 2024:

• Funding total down ~25% YoY

  • 2024: €668M, 2025: €504M

• This drop is mainly due to two mega-rounds in Q1 2024:

  • 👉 Nebeus (€250M) and ID Finance (€140M), both fintech. If we exclude these two, Q1 2025 actually outperformed in terms of diversified funding.

Feel free to share your thoughts!

Startup & Investment News

Barcelona investment news

• AI CRM solution Harmonix closes €3M

• Deporwell, maker of customized sports insoles, raises €300K from Eoniq.fund, Encomeda & renowned angels 

• Energy marketplace Solfy acquires fellow Catalan firm Ecolium

Barcelona startup news

• Bioo, a pioneering startup generating energy from nature (and a Barcinno MWC favorite), expects a 5x turnover increase this year to reach €20M

• Familia Torres and BCN startup BitMetrics begin a joint project using sensors & AI to verify wine quality 

• Catalan industry 4.0 companies are seeing high growth

Spanish investment news

• Madrid payments fintech Wannme raises €7M

• AI insurtech Foliume raises €900K+ seed funding

• Valencian sales SaaS MasLeads closes €400K from Draper B1, SeedRocket

VC, investment & crowdfunding news

• Stockholm-based Incore Invest secures €25M new fund to boost high-potential SaaS, embedded finance & fintech companies across Europe

• Mouro Capital (previously Santander InnoVentures) led a £5M round in UK fintech Burbank

• Nauta led a $7M round in UK AI traveltech Unravel

Open calls, accelerator news & incubator stories

• Fourteen new projects join the BCN Zona Franca Logistics 4.0 incubator

• Bcombinator launches new call to accelerate startups with direct investment & a focus on AI

Tech & Business News

Tech news in Barcelona

• Barcelona to transform its skyline’s biggest eyesore into a stunning tech hub'

• IQS (Ramon Llull University) launches "Dream it, STEM it" contest to boost scientific careers for young women

• BlueTechPort begins construction in October while continuing to attract new startups

• Facebook moderator company closes Barcelona office, leaving 2K staff in uncertainty

Tech & business news in Spain

• Spain brings back electric car grants of up to €10K – here’s who qualifies

• IoT firm 1NCE analyzes the top Smart City in Spain: it’s not BCN or Madrid but Bilbao

• Spain launches digital DNIS – no plans for NIEs yet

Good Reads & Watches

• New Hello Operator blog: Copywriter vs AI: Why the Future of Content Needs Both

• Ben Lang's (investor & ex-Notion) top tools every early-stage startup should be using

• Valencia-based Criptan’s key info on filing crypto in your 2024 tax return

• Tim Draper: The billionaire VC on Startups, Bitcoin, Governance & Space Exploration (EN podcast)

Great Events

This week:

• Tue, 8 Apr @09:30: Founders Fundamentals: The Power of Networking 

• Tue, 8 Apr @17:00: Webinar - Automation in Action: Real-life Cases of CFOs Who Have Already Taken the Plunge

• Wed, 8–Thu, 10 Apr: E-Show Next eCommerce & Digital Marketing Fair

Upcoming:

• Thu, 1 May @18:00: THE Product Marketers Meetup Barcelona

• Thu, 8 May: Future Finance Day 2025

• Wed, 14 May @18:30: DeepTech Stories #1: Jonathan Hayes (Founder @Dinube)

• May 21–22: SaaS on the Beach

• Fri, 23 May @16:00: Fuckup Nights Barcelona 7th Anniversary | Failure, Psychological Safety & Growth

• Wed, 28 May @18:00: StartupMat Tech Summit 2025

Got news or an event to share? Fill out this form.

Startup Jobs:

• Socialpoint is looking for a Senior User Acquisition Manager

• Powens Group is hiring a Marketing Intern

• Payhawk needs a Content Manager