An economist by training, Axel Plaza (Barcelona, 1991) is a partner in the Coleo textile group, where he began working nine years ago on new models of industrial innovation and textile recycling. He currently heads Wastex Technologies, the group’s start-up, a technology division responsible for providing the physical and digital infrastructure necessary for the sorting of textiles, as well as for the recovery and traceability of waste.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

AP: To transform the textile industry. In particular, the way we manage and recover textile waste through the development of artificial vision and traceability technologies.

TB: What stage is it at and where do you see it in two years’ time?

AP: In 2025, we have started to close important contracts. In two years, we want to have our traceability systems implemented in several regions around the world.

TB: A good idea you’ve had.

AP: Calling my grandmother every morning. From a totally different perspective, on all levels, she is one of the wisest people I know.

TB: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced?

AP: Coleo’s rapid growth, because ideas were moving much faster than our ability to consolidate teams.

TB: The best advice you’ve ever been given.

AP: ‘Don’t avoid conflict and give honest feedback’. David Puyuelo, CEO of Coleo, told me that. Given my personality, it took me a long time to learn this, but it has helped me enormously.

TB: A role model.

AP: Enric Figareda taught me almost everything I know about the textile industry. If there were an antonym for ‘brown-noser’, it would be him. His feedback is radically honest, and he always thinks about the problems that will arise: essential for things to work.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

AP: I’d like to say something more original, but Artificial Intelligence…

TB: A start-up or company.

AP: Reju, a company that I think is well focused on the challenge of chemical textile recycling.

TB: What do you do to disconnect?

AP: Read biographies or historical novels.

TB: A book to recommend.

AP: ‘No Rules Rules’ by Reed Hastings (founder of Netflix) and Erin Meyer.

TB: A series, film or song that defines your current stage in life.

AP: Series, “The Office”. And song, “No Surrender” by Bruce Springsteen.

TB: A recipe, a restaurant.

AP: Artichokes with ham, Bar But restaurant, in Gràcia.

TB: A place in the world.

AP: Yellowstone Park in the United States.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

AP: In Coleo, which is the key to scaling up textile recycling in Europe, with all the regulatory changes that are coming.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

AP: I’d be a farmer in Menorca.

TB: What does Tech Barcelona mean to you?

AP: A way to connect with other entrepreneurs and connect with new innovative ideas.

Stroke is the third leading cause of disability worldwide. In fact, millions of survivors are never able to walk again.

Iván Martínez (Bergara, 1972), an industrial engineer with more than twenty years of experience in supply chain and operations, had a personal experience that led him to focus all his efforts on robotics applied to people with disabilities and the development of medical devices.

As CEO and founder of Robopedics, he now leads a project that seeks to restore these individuals’ ability to stand, walk and regain their independence thanks to the Awake bionic system.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

IM: To create the technology and conditions that will enable millions of people with stroke-related disabilities to walk again, thereby improving their quality of life and health.

TB: What stage is it at and where do you see it in two years’ time?

IM: Robopedics is very close to reaching the market. In two years, it will be present in the main markets of the European Union and planning its entry into the United States. It will also be the global model in robotic mobility for disabled people.

TB: A good idea you’ve had.

IM: Creating Robopedics.

TB: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced?

IM: Developing unilateral robotic technology when the state of the art was bilateral.

TB: The best advice you’ve ever been given.

IM: Surround yourself with the best.

TB: A role model.

IM: Marcos Martín, from Decelera. He combines talent, humility and purpose. He’s also a great person. A very, very difficult combination to find.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

IM: Bionics.

TB: A start-up or company.

IM: Heuristik.

TB: What do you do to switch off?

IM: Cooking in the company of good music and good wine.

TB: A book to recommend.

IM: In this context, ‘Barcelona startup: Historia e historias del mayor ecosistema tecnológico y digital del sur de Europa’, by Mar Galtés. Essential for understanding how we got here.

TB: A series, film or song that defines your life at this moment.

IM: ‘Un buen día’, by Los Planetas.

TB: A recipe, a restaurant.

IM: My mother’s vegetable stew. Restaurant: “La Estrella” in Barcelona.

TB: A place in the world.

IM: The summit of Mount Amboto in the Basque Country on a day when the south wind is blowing.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

IM: In Robopedics, of course.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

IM: I would share 25 years of professional experience so that others don’t make the same mistakes.

TB: What does Tech Barcelona mean to you?

IM: One of the key pieces without which it is impossible to understand Barcelona’s current innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Marina Teixidor (Sabadell, 1994) is a restless and creative soul. A serial entrepreneur with a background in communication and specialising in technology and innovation, she has founded both start-ups and traditional businesses, accumulating experiences of success and failure.

She is currently the co-founder of the energy group Voltexa and the driving force behind the collaborative digital media outlet Techie Trends, as well as a mentor, investor and promoter of the ecosystem.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

MT: At Techie Trends, we give a voice to leading women in innovation and technology, and we show that there are many of them, and they are very good. In AI, cybersecurity, blockchain, biotech…

TB: What stage is it at and where do you see it in two years’ time?

MT: We started this year, so we are growing and learning. In two years’ time, the project will be international and I hope it will have much more visibility and community.

TB: A good idea you’ve had.

MT: Giving up everything to start my own business a few years ago. I felt that I finally fit in.

TB: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced?

MT: Losing everything from one day to the next and having to start from scratch. It made me resilient.

TB: The best advice you’ve ever been given.

MT: An entrepreneur has to know how to sting like a bee and fly like a butterfly. They have to know how to do both. You can’t always sting; there are times when you just have to let yourself go, trust what you’ve sown, and be patient.

TB: A role model.

MT: The founder of my other current project. He’s been an entrepreneur all his life and has a mind and passion that make you want to follow him.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

MT: Quantum computing. I’m fascinated by the fact that I don’t fully understand it and what it will mean.

TB: A startup or company.

MT: Reshape, they have an exceptional team, both professionally and personally. And they are achieving everything they set out to do.

TB: What do you do to disconnect?

MT: Go for a walk in nature, swim or cook. In general, anything that doesn’t involve screens.

TB: A book to recommend.

MT: ‘Circe’ by Madeline Miller, or anything by Ottessa Moshfegh. Reading good fiction oxygenates me.

TB: A series, film or song that defines your current stage in life.

MT: I think I live in a perpetual “Inside Out”, with emotions as the protagonists. The roller coaster of entrepreneurship and risk-taking. Plus, right now I’m creating more essential memories than I could have ever imagined.

TB: A recipe, a restaurant.

MT: As for recipes, any of my grandmother’s: she was a professional cook and taught me everything I know. As for restaurants, I have very fond memories of Voltereta Kioto, the one from the trip to the past.

TB: A place in the world.

MT: My home. Honestly, I’ve travelled a lot and I love it, but as far as home with the family (including work) goes, there’s nowhere else.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

MT: It depends on whether I expect to get it back or whether I can afford to gamble it. If it were the latter, I would make small investments in 10 or 15 start-ups to boost innovation.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

MT: I wouldn’t be me. Everything that comes to mind has to do with entrepreneurship or creation. It’s in my DNA. Although, if I had to be something else, I would bet on being an investor. It’s the closest thing to a natural evolution.

TB: What does Tech Barcelona mean to you?

MT: A community where we can share and discover, and where we speak the same language.

20% of Spain’s population is over 64 years old. Many of these people live alone or in rural areas, and their homes become accident-prone environments. Ángel Puertas (Barcelona, 1983) brings technology to those who are less digitally savvy to make ageing at home easier.

A business-oriented engineer, he co-founded and runs SeniorDomo. The start-up has developed an advanced smartwatch that detects situations of risk of falls, unusual inactivity and heart problems, and includes an SOS button, hands-free system and GPS tracking, so that older people can maintain their independence and their families can have peace of mind.

TB: What is the aim of your project?

AP: To enable older people to age at home thanks to our technology, which is the most advanced and affordable on the market.

TB: What stage is the project at and where do you see it in two years’ time?

AP: We have served 10,000 families and, after reaching breakeven, our goal is now to scale up more quickly.

TB: A good idea you’ve had.

AP: Setting up a company with my partners so that our team can be happy helping older people.

TB: What has been your biggest challenge?

AP: Making an aggressive and successful pivot with very few weeks of cash flow.

TB: The best advice you’ve ever received.

AP: Not to become obsessed with the project. It has allowed me to balance my professional life with my family and friends. It’s not trivial; entrepreneurship is demanding, but it’s not everything in life, and you have to know how to balance it. It can be done.

TB: A role model.

AP: My former boss, Paco Vargas, a “10” guy. I always carry him in my heart. I’ve learned a lot from him.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

AP: I believe that one day the digital will merge with the real. It will be crazy to walk down the street and see superimposed elements that our brain, connected to a global network, will interpret. We won’t need to carry laptops; we’ll have them in our brains, and just by thinking about it, an interface will appear for us to interact with. I don’t know if I’ll see it, but that’s how I imagine the future.

TB: What helps you disconnect?

AP: Padel tennis, friends, family and mini side projects.

TB: A book to recommend.

AP: ‘The Hard Thing About Hard Things’ by Ben Horowitz. You have to be prepared for the worst.

TB: A series, film or song that defines your life right now.

AP: I think Coldplay’s ‘Fix You has accompanied me throughout my entrepreneurial journey and even before that. There will always be tough times, but we have to see the glass as half full in all of them.

TB: A recipe, a restaurant.

AP: Arroz a la cubana (Cuban rice) has been my favourite dish since I was a child. As for restaurants, La Flauta is good, nice and cheap. I love it.

TB: A place in the world.

AP: My home.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

AP: In SeniorDomo 🙂

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

AP: I’d blow a fuse. It’s a lifestyle.

TB: What does Tech Barcelona mean to you?

AP: An emblem of the ecosystem.

Nina Alastruey (Barcelona, “before the iPhone”) is one of those people who have experienced the evolution of the city’s technological ecosystem first-hand. In 2006, split between San Francisco and Barcelona, she founded TheChanner, the first social live TV platform for mobile phones. This was followed by Eelp! to help busy people save time, and Motovoy, an app for managing motorcycle maintenance from your phone. With all this experience, she made the leap into the world of investment with Demium, a vehicle with a portfolio of more than 150 European start-ups. She is a mentor to the European Union’s EIC Scaling Club, where she continues to accompany high-impact scale-ups.

Now, she is raising a fund to invest in deep tech. And although she cannot reveal much yet, she tells us that it will focus on sustainable development in agrifood and nutrition startups.

TB: What is the goal of your project?

NA: To help local talent set up globally successful companies in sustainable agri-food technologies.

TB: What stage is the project at and where do you see it in two years’ time?

NA: The investment fund is being set up to start operating in 2026. By 2027, we will have invested in several start-ups.

TB: A good idea you’ve had.

NA: Those of my three start-ups.

TB: What has been your biggest challenge?

NA: Paying the payroll during difficult times of financing.

TB: The best advice you’ve ever received.

NA: Don’t let getting off track keep you awake at night.

TB: A role model.

NA: My partner Clara: powerful, smart, tireless and always smiling.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

NA: The one we will implant in living beings.

TB: A startup or company.

NA: Many… All those that have a purpose to improve people’s lives without abusing them.

TB: What helps you disconnect?

NA: A glass of red wine with friends.

TB: A book to recommend.

NA: A novel set in Barcelona, such as “The Shadow of the Wind”. Impressive.

TB: A series, film or song that defines your life right now.

NA: ‘Clint Eastwood’, by Gorillaz.

TB: A recipe, a restaurant.

NA: Fried piparres. As for a restaurant or bar, Entrepanes Díaz.

TB: A place in the world.

NA: London.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

NA: In technology that would enable cultivation in desert areas with few resources. But I would invest more money.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur or investor…

NA: I would teach people how to set up businesses to get ahead in the simplest way possible.

TB: What does Tech Barcelona mean to you?

NA: The first powerful association that existed. A place to provide services, consult and network within our technology industry.

Dr. Daniel Esteban-Ferrer (Barcelona, 1980) holds a degree in telecommunications engineering from the UPC, a degree in materials science from the University of Berkeley, a PhD in nanobiotechnology from the University of Barcelona and a postdoctorate in virtual reality applied to super-resolution microscopy from the University of Cambridge.

Daniel was able to integrate all his academic and scientific knowledge to found VRAIn, a start-up that combines augmented reality and artificial intelligence to offer a new perspective on the representation of biomedical images. Through advanced visualisation techniques, 3D modelling and volumetric rendering, the platform allows users to interact with MRIs or CT scans to extract more information and analyse data faster.

TB: What is the goal of your project?

DE: The ultimate goal is to save and improve lives worldwide.

TB: What stage is the project at and where do you see it in two years’ time?

DE: We are at an intermediate stage, where we can drive the project forward thanks to the demand for improving the prediction of injuries to soft tissues such as tendons, cartilage and ligaments.

TB: A good idea you’ve had.

DE: Creating VRAIn.

TB: What has been your biggest challenge?

DE: Facing the market head-on. It’s like a war where we’ve lost battles, but we’re also close to victory.

TB: The best advice you’ve ever received.

DE: Be humble.

TB: A role model.

DE: Steve Wozniak (I gave him a VRAIn card). But I would have liked to have spoken to Steve Jobs too, I think he was a marketing genius.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

DE: Extended reality. A mixture of Spatial Computing and Artificial Intelligence. Mobile phones will soon disappear.

TB: A start-up or company.

DE: Apple.

TB: What helps you disconnect?

DE: Reading, walking around Barcelona and playing sports.

TB: A book to recommend.

DE: ‘1984’, by George Orwell.

TB: A series, film or song that defines your life right now.

DE: ‘Silicon Valley’, the HBO series.

TB: A recipe, a restaurant.

DE: Vegan Bolognese. And the vegetarian restaurant La Riera in Barcelona is delicious.

TB: A place in the world.

DE: Barcelona.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

DE: Without a doubt, in VRAIn. In fact, I’ve already invested. What’s more, we’re in the middle of a funding round, so don’t miss this opportunity. I would never invest in cryptocurrency.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

DE: I would have made a mistake.

TB: What does Tech Barcelona mean to you?

DE: A great place for networking. The afterwork on the Pier01 terrace are unbeatable.

‘If I weren’t an entrepreneur, I’d be thinking about how to become one.’ This statement of principles has led Xavier Ruiz (Barcelona, 1987), a computer engineer from the FIB-UPC, to follow a path closely linked to the entrepreneurial ecosystem: first from a technical perspective, as a tech lead in incubators and collaborator in the early stages of projects such as Signaturit, and later as the founder of his own start-up.

More than a decade ago, he founded Routal, the company he has been running ever since, which applies artificial intelligence to plan and optimise logistics routes. Its algorithms help companies such as Alfil Logistics and improve the efficiency of the home care service at the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital.

TB: What is the goal of your project?

XR: To simplify last-mile operations to achieve maximum efficiency for our customers.

TB: What stage is the project at and where do you see it in two years’ time?

XR: We are in a phase of growth and internationalisation. The last mile problem is global and affects all cities around the world. Fortunately, the level of digitisation among logistics companies is still quite low, which creates a great opportunity. In two years’ time, we hope to continue growing and helping thousands of companies.

TB: That’s a great idea you’ve had.

XR: Involving the recipient of the goods as a key player in the success of a delivery, especially in e-commerce. When you share accurate information with customers, they will do “whatever it takes” to be at home (or suggest alternatives) and receive the package. This significantly reduces failed deliveries, which improves efficiency, margins and the perception of service levels. Ultimately, it makes customers happier and more loyal.

Logistics can be a differentiating factor and a source of value for companies with a simple WhatsApp message saying ‘we will arrive between 10:00 and 10:30’.

TB: What has been your biggest challenge?

XR: Knowing how to navigate a digital product with low-quality customer data. Specifically, helping companies in Costa Rica, where there are no street names, but rather references such as ‘next to the tree’.

Digitalising a country where something as basic as a street name and number does not exist creates an additional task for technology. First, you have to know where to deliver in order to then improve the efficiency of your delivery business.

TB: The best advice you have received.

XR: Knowing how to say no. As entrepreneurs, we see opportunities everywhere, but knowing which battles to fight is one of the qualities that makes for great businesses.

TB: A role model.

XR: Javier Recuenco. I don’t know him personally, but what he says, how he says it and, above all, the thinking behind everything he says is incredible.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

XR: Not to mention artificial intelligence (again), I think one of the technologies that will shape the future will be humanoid robotics. In the coming years, we will see a boom in humanoid robots responsible for doing heavy, low-value-added tasks. I predict that they will have a very significant impact on logistics.

TB: A start-up or company.

XR: Navladis, owned by a good friend of mine. They make foldable containers that tackle a very important problem: the transport of empty containers. Something easy to understand, but very difficult to execute. An incredible product.

TB: What helps you disconnect?

XR: With three children, my time is divided almost equally between business and family.

TB: A book to recommend.

XR: ‘Thinking in systems’ by Donella H. Meadows. A basic book that changes the way you think.

TB: A series, film or song that defines your life right now.

XR: Huntr/x K-Pop Demon Hunters. I’m fighting my own demons, but I’m sure everything will turn out fine. I suppose this recommendation is my eldest daughter’s fault.

TB: A recipe, a restaurant.

XR: Grilled Palamós prawns. Few things beat this dish. As for a restaurant, Dos Palillos.

TB: A place in the world.

XR: Barcelona. I haven’t found a better city to live in yet.

TB: Where would you invest 100,000k?

XR: In setting up a start-up. It’s the best learning investment you can make in your life.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

XR: I’d be thinking about how to become one. Entrepreneurs are special and we like to create things.

TB: What does Tech Barcelona mean to you?

XR: A place to connect with Barcelona’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Maja Završnik (Ljubljana, 1991) is an anthropologist at heart (and according to her Bachelor’s degree) who has spent the last decade helping SaaS startups stand out using online marketing strategies.

In 2024, she saw that only 35% of women were using AI professionally, compared to 54% of men. This had to change. Together with Kris Talova and Stephany Oliveros, she co-founded SheAI, an educational platform that aims to empower women and businesses to use AI through courses, workshops and a supportive community.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

MZ: At SheAI we’re on a mission to bridge the gender gap with accessible AI education. We provide a variety of AI courses and eBooks, empower women through speaking events and workshops, and through a strong community of women who want to see each other succeed. We also work with companies by providing AI workshops, consultancy and implementation.

TB: What stage is the project at and where do you see it in two years?

MZ: We are in the pre-seed stage, completely bootstrapping. Currently offering ten courses, a strong community, and lots of expert events. We also offer fantastic and engaging B2B workshops, which are 100% subsidised in Spain (through FUNDAE). In two years, we hope to have our proprietary platform and app with a personalized learning path, an AI tutor, and a multimedia approach to learning. Simultaneously, we plan to develop a small language model (SLM) that will specifically address women in order to bridge the gender gap in various industries.

TB: A good idea you’ve had.

MZ: To go and live in China when I was 23. It allowed me to have an open mind and really savour new experiences, cultures, and beliefs. It ensured that I stayed a very curious individual who loves learning and is quick to adapt to new things and to consider many different perspectives.

TB: What has been your biggest challenge?

MZ: Living abroad is yet the most amazing, yet challenging, and heartbreaking thing to do. I have a lot of respect for people who choose to do the same, as it’s hard to leave your home, your friends and family. I think it’s indicative of an ambitious mind and a strong will to live your life on your own terms.

TB: The best advice you’ve ever received.

MZ: The braver you are, the luckier you get.

TB: A role model.

MZ: Marie Forleo. Like me, she is a multi-passionate individual who is not afraid to mix business with sports, dance, spirituality, and personal growth.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

MZ: AI. I don’t think we even realise how much is going to change in the next two decades.

TB: A start-up or company.

MZ: Female Invest, a huge inspiration for our business.

TB: What helps you disconnect?

MZ: A hike, a swim and a read.

TB: A book to recommend.

MZ: ‘Untamed’ by Glennon Doyle for the girlies and ‘A New Earth’ by Eckhart Tolle for all. An idea that connects both books is that to have the life we want, we have to start living from our imagination instead of our indoctrination.

TB: A series, film or song that defines your life at the moment.

MZ: So hard to pick one. ‘Bloom’ by Maribou State reminds me to disconnect and enjoy the present moment. ‘Cherry Lips’ by Garbage always lights a fire in me. ‘Survivor’ by Destiny’s Child marked my childhood, and, funny enough, Eminem was the one who defined my teenage years (please don’t ask me to rap cause I will, and it will be embarrassing for us all).

TB: A recipe, a restaurant.

MZ: All I need is Greek salad in the summer and ramen in the winter.

TB: A place in the world.

MZ: My favourite place in the world is a lake that I don’t want to name because I want it to stay secluded. I’d also love to visit Japan!

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

MZ: Into building out a business that I’ve been dreaming of for a really long time, but haven’t had the funds to do yet.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

MZ: I would be an anthropologist visiting remote islands and writing about cultures that live very differently from us. I would try to integrate traditional knowledge with our modern discoveries, introducing people to alternative lifestyles and thought patterns.

TB: What does Tech Barcelona mean to you?

MZ: It’s a fantastic place to connect and grow with fellow startups in Barcelona.

Only one out of eight cancer patients benefit from the treatments they receive. After more than twenty years researching cancer, Patricia Villagrasa (Barcelona, 1978) decided to join forces with Dr Aleix Prat to market a potential solution and have a direct impact on society.

With a PhD in Biology and Biochemistry from the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, postdoctoral research at Columbia University’s Irving Cancer Research Centre, and membership in the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology, Patricia co-founded Reveal Genomics. Her biotechnology start-up seeks to redefine how biomarkers are used in oncology to improve understanding of each tumour and personalise treatments for each patient.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

PV: To cure cancer better. This means that we want to provide diagnostic tools to doctors so that they can treat each patient individually.

TB: What stage is the project at and where do you see it in two years?

PV: We are currently in the pre-commercialisation stage of the company. This is the stage before launching the first product in major markets such as the United States and Europe. In two years, we expect to have our first product established, the pipeline finalised, and be ready to launch the second product, with the company in full growth mode.

TB: That was a good idea you had.

PV: As a company, landing in the United States. It’s a much more straightforward and easier process than entering Europe.

TB: What has been your biggest challenge?

PV: I don’t usually rate challenges as big or small. I face them all in the same way.

TB: The best advice you’ve ever received.

PV: The lessons I’ve learned from the challenges I’ve faced. I’ve taken advice and life lessons from all those experiences.

TB: A role model.

PV: Aleix Prat, co-founder of Reveal Genomics, for his commitment, integrity and work ethic, as well as his continuous pursuit of improvement for and on behalf of patients.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

PV: Any technology that seeks to increase longevity.

TB: A start-up or company.

PV: Genentech, a company that researches, discovers and develops drugs to treat serious diseases.

TB: What helps you disconnect?

PV: Going to the mountains, being in contact with nature.

TB: A book to recommend.

PV: ‘Lean In’, by Sheryl Sandberg.

TB: A series, film or song that defines your life at the moment.

PV: ‘Fireworks’ by Katy Perry.

TB: A recipe, a restaurant.

PV: The Murivecchi restaurant.

TB: A place in the world.

PV: Galicia.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

PV: In a fund to help companies without thinking about the multiple, investing for impact rather than return.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

PV: I’d be a pilot.

TB: What does Tech Barcelona mean to you?

PV: It means many things at once. It means opportunity, innovation, encouragement, support, inspiration. It’s the space where Barcelona’s start-ups project themselves to the world.

Every year, we generate around 1 billion tonnes of organic waste worldwide, much of which ends up in landfills, wasted. But in nature itself – and in Barcelona’s innovative ecosystem – we have allies capable of helping us change this situation.

Àngela Mancho is passionate about challenges like this. With a degree in Law from ESADE and a career that has led her to projects combining the legal world with business management, she currently heads Phoenix Foods, a start-up that uses Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae to transform organic waste into animal feed and crop fertiliser.

“Outside of my professional life, I am interested in anything that involves learning and creativity. I like to read, I train in Brazilian jujitsu, I love coffee and art, and I enjoy surrounding myself with new challenges.”

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

AM: To accelerate the transition towards a more sustainable and circular food system, using the Black Soldier Fly to recover organic waste and transform it into high-value protein for animal feed and the production of natural fertilisers. We want to turn what is currently waste into a resource.

TB: What stage is the project at and where do you see it in two years?

AM: Right now we are in the growth phase: we already have our first industrial pilot plant up and running and collaborations with several companies in the agri-food sector. In two years’ time, I hope to be operating on an industrial scale in at least two more locations and scaling up our technology.

TB: What’s a good idea you’ve had.

AM: Taking the step of bringing in scientific profiles from day one, not as external consultants, but as partners. It has made a difference in the strength of the project.

TB: What has been your biggest challenge?

AM: Facing uncertainty and accepting it as a natural and permanent part of life.

TB: The best advice you’ve ever received.

AM: ‘The only constant is change.’ I see this every week. Both what seems like a huge problem today and what works perfectly can change in a matter of hours.

TB: A role model.

AM: Kees Aarts from Protix, for how he has managed to bring innovation in insects to an industrial scale with rigour and strategic vision.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

AM: Biotechnology applied to circular systems. I believe that the future will be bio-manufactured: from alternative proteins to materials that decompose naturally.

TB: A start-up or company.

AM: Venvirotech. They convert organic waste into biodegradable bioplastics using bacteria. Real innovation with environmental impact.

TB: What helps you disconnect?

AM: Reading, having a good coffee with friends and training in Brazilian jujitsu.

TB: A book to recommend.

AM: ‘Seda’ by Alessandro Baricco. A short novel full of beauty.

TB: A series, film or song that defines your life at the moment.

AM: The song “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen.

TB: A recipe, a restaurant.

AM: As a recipe, vegetable ramen with shiitake mushrooms and ginger. As a restaurant, Ramen-Ya Hiro. There’s always a queue, but it’s well worth it.

TB: A place in the world.

AM: Japan. For its combination of nature, technology and tradition.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

AM: In Phoenix! The founding team has put money, time and energy into it from day one. And also in circular technologies; I think that’s where an important part of the future lies.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

AM: I’d like to write chronicles or portraits of people.

TB: What does Tech Barcelona mean to you?

AM: A space for connection and a community of entrepreneurs from Barcelona with an international outlook.