Closing a private round allows a startup to accelerate: hire a team, develop products, validate technology, enter new markets, or scale operations. But when the money hits the bank, a key decision arises: how to use it as efficiently as possible.

In many tech startups, a significant portion of the funds raised is allocated to innovation: software development, prototypes, proof of concepts, artificial intelligence, technical validations, industrialization, certifications, or pilot projects with clients.

These expenses are necessary, but it’s worth analyzing them from a tax and financial perspective as well.

Many innovation activities can generate tax deductions for R&D&i. The problem is that many startups still don’t have enough profits to take advantage of these deductions in their Corporate Income Tax. In practice, the startup may be generating future tax savings but unable to benefit from them now—precisely when cash management is most critical.

This is where Tax Lease can be a useful tool.

It’s not a grant. It’s not a new funding round. It doesn’t involve dilution. It’s a financing tool linked to R&D&i projects.

It makes particular sense after closing a round, because the startup usually enters a phase of strong execution: more team, more product, more technology, and more market validation.

The logic is clear: if you’re already going to invest in innovation, it’s worth structuring that spending properly to reduce its net cost and extend your available runway.

To do this, it’s important to review which innovation activities are planned, which expenses can be included, the execution timeline, and how to document everything in a structured and compliant way.

After closing a round, the additional question should be: “how can we make innovation cost us less?”

To assess whether R&D&i Tax Lease could fit your case, you can contact Dolors Fenollosa at dolors.fenollosa@mbc.cat.