The fourth and last edition of Tech Up Nights in 2022 was a blast! Engineers, data scientists, software product managers and many other tech profiles gathered at Pier01’s Rooftop to talk about metrics and AI with Ocado Technology and IBM, and to connect with the ecosystem.
Here you have a recap of the speeches:
Predicting and improving team performance: metrics and Monte Carlo forecasting
Jordi Montornés, engineering Team Lead at Ocado Technology, shared how to find the right metrics and highlighted the importance of applying them to perform a more accurate forecasting. In this way, teams can improve their performance and get the result that they expected.
Naval route optimization with AI.
Erim Yurci (Site Reliability Engineer at CE) and Wayne Cabanto (Technology Engineer), both at IBM, showed a real use case of maritime routes optimization in which Machine Learning and several APIs were used. Plus, the design of a Human Machine Interface was crucial for its consumption.
Positive response to the approval in Congreso of the Startup Law
4 November 2022News
Entrepreneurship and innovation organisations launch joint statement to celebrate approval
From Tech Barcelona, together with AES (Spanish Startups Association), Adigital (Spanish Digital Economy Association), Spaincap (Capital for a Sustainable Future), Endeavor, Cotec Foundation, Startup Valencia, South Summit and AseBio (Spanish Association of Biocompanies), we celebrate this important step for the Spanish entrepreneurial ecosystem and our economy as a whole. In this regard, we congratulate the Government and the parliamentary groups for the work that has been done to improve the draft law and send to the Senate a text that is more adapted to the reality of the ecosystem. It is also noteworthy that this is a pioneering initiative at European level that has enjoyed the collaboration and consensus of the entrepreneurship ecosystem in the proposal of the measures promoted by this Law. We share the joint statement on the adoption of the Startups Act, issued today
On the new Law, the founder of Encomenda and Nuclio and member of the Board of Directors of Tech Barcelona, Carlos Blanco, has written this article in El Periódico (edition 4-11-2022).
Also in El Periódico, Ignasi Costas, Partner in charge of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Area at DWF-RCD and Secretary General of Tech Barcelona, believes that “the Startups Law is a very important step forward, good news for the sector. It is a recognition of innovation and entrepreneurship as generators of talent and drivers of growth in our economy. It is a very good first step, now we must continue to look for more attractive formulas that improve our positioning as a benchmark”.
Financing alternatives: Enisa’s role with entrepreneurship
27 October 2022News
José Bayón, CEO of Enisa and Chema Pina, Managing director of the consulting firm Aptki, talk about financing alternatives, the state of entrepreneurship in Spain and the most strategic and future sectors. To date, Enisa has financed nearly 7,000 companies: startups and SMEs, many of them part of the Tech Barcelona community.
The agreement illustrates the commitment of the venture builder with the creation of tech-based startups
Barcelona, October 26th 2022. – Farside Ventures, a venture builder specialised in creating ‘deep tech’ startups, joins Tech Barcelona as a Corporate Partner. The alliance will clearly illustrate the commitment Farside Ventures has to the creation of projects based on tech transfer, as well as reinforcing its connection with the rest of tech agents of the entrepreneurial and innovative tech ecosystem.
Farside Ventures brings together the verticals 101 Ventures, 5G Ventures, The Data Venture, Fintech Ventures and Sustainability Ventures, specialised in markets such as smartphone, 5G, blockchain, metaverse and financial technology, which already have 18 startups in their portfolio and €20.5M in funding. The venture builder, founded by the entrepreneurs Rafael García-Escarré, Marc Borrell, Jordi Priu, Oriol Relats and Guillemro Briones in Barcelona in 2020, aims to promote a hundred startups in the next four years, with a value raging between €75M and €100M.
Tech Barcelona, a non-profit association that promotes Barcelona’s technological and digital ecosystem, represents more than 1,200 innovative companies from all sectors who share a common commitment to technology.
Rafael García Escarré, co-founder and CEO of Farside Ventures, stated that “joining Tech Barcelona means working hand in hand with an entity that shares our spirit of creating an advanced entrepreneurial ecosystem. Without a doubt, this collaboration will allow us to continue working to contribute to barcelona’s leadership and thus position the city as a benchmark on the international technology scene”.
For his part, Miquel Martí, CEO de Tech Barcelona, assures that “the commitment of a group of investors to promote technology transfer through the creation of startups is a good example of the evolution and maturity of the ecosystem. From Tech Barcelona, we want to support all initiatives that contribute to add value and encourage more and more technology-based startups”.
La tecnológica alemana GFT se une a Tech Barcelona como Corporate Partner
20 October 2022NewsPartners
El acuerdo conecta la innovación y las soluciones de transformación digital de GFT con las startups y corporaciones de Barcelona
La compañía alemana, especializada en soluciones tecnológicas para el sector financiero, asegurador e industrial, cuenta con un laboratorio de innovación digital ubicado en Sant Cugat
Barcelona, 20 de octubre de 2022. – Tech Barcelona, la asociación sin ánimo de lucro que vertebra el ecosistema digital y tecnológico de Barcelona, incorpora a la tecnológica alemana GFT como nuevo Corporate Partner. La compañía alemana, que cuenta con una larga experiencia en el mercado español, hace una apuesta decidida para implicarse más con el talento e innovación de startups y corporaciones de Barcelona.
GFT, fundada en 1987 y ubicada en 16 países, desarrolla soluciones tecnológicas y ofrece asesoramiento especializado a empresas del sector financiero y asegurador, así como de la industria manufacturera. Además, dispone desde el 2014 de un laboratorio de innovación digital ubicado en Sant Cugat, un espacio seguro que ofrece la posibilidad de simular escenarios reales a través de demos y prototipos tecnológicos. Adoptando las últimas tendencias tecnológicas e investigando sobre los nuevos hábitos y comportamientos sociales que derivan de ellas, este LAB desarrolla nuevos modelos actuando como puente entre las startups, las pymes y las grandes corporaciones.
Manuel Lavín, CEO de GFT en España, valora muy positivamente esta alianza. “Tech Barcelona es a día de hoy uno de los principales pilares del ecosistema de startups europeo y no ha parado de sumar partners en todos estos años. GFT quiere formar parte de esta gran familia de la innovación tecnológica y el emprendimiento para seguir apostando por la cocreación”.
Por su parte, Miquel Martí, CEO de Tech Barcelona, destaca que “grandes empresas internacionales y con experiencia como GFT hagan una apuesta decidida por Barcelona y su talento, hecho que sin duda beneficia al ecosistema de startups y corporaciones de la ciudad. Desde Tech Barcelona compartimos además su espíritu colaborativo, que permite trabajar de forma conjunta para alcanzar soluciones innovadoras e impactar positivamente en la sociedad”.
La multinacional GFT lleva dos décadas operando en España, periodo en el que ha realizado más de 2.500 proyectos para más de 100 clientes de todo el mundo, con un equipo de 2.000 personas repartidas entre sus sedes de Alicante, Lleida, Madrid, Sant Cugat, Valencia y Zaragoza.
Avançsa and Tech Barcelona establish synergies to promote entrepreneurial activity in the technology and digital sector
14 October 2022NewsPartners
Both entities sign a collaboration agreement that connects them as “Strategic Partners” for the next four years
Barcelona, 14 October 2022. – Avançsa and Tech Barcelona signed a collaboration agreement on Tuesday for the next four years with the aim of promoting initiatives to encourage and promote the activity of the business ecosystem of the technology and digital sector in Catalonia, with Barcelona as a city of reference.
ech Barcelona is the independent non-profit private association that works together with entrepreneurs, startups, large corporations and other entities and agents of the ecosystem to position the city of Barcelona as one of the main technological and digital hubs at an international level.
In this sense, Avançsa will be able to count on the support of Tech Barcelona in its general initiatives to promote economic activity in Barcelona, attract talent and generate social impact, including identifying needs and proposing general proposals and measures.
For its part, Avançsa will support Tech Barcelona in the association’s promotion and representation activities in the field of entrepreneurship and the technology and digital sector, which aims to position Barcelona as a global hub of reference, as well as to attract investment, companies and talent in these areas.
In this way, Avançsa and Tech Barcelona become Strategic Partners to collaborate on strategic projects and organise activities together.
In the photograph, from left to right: Josep M. Vilarrubia, General Manager of Avançsa; and Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona.
Barcelona’s ecosystem is hot: las 10 startups del 2022 según Wired
10 October 2022News
Barcelona’s tech ecosystem is hot!
The US magazine Wired has just announced the ‘100 hottest startups’ in Europa in 2022 selected in ten cities: London, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona, Lisbon, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Helsinki and Dublin. For Wired, Barcelona “is a global hub for investors, startups and companies looking for sunny climes and a business-friendly environment”. With more than 1,900 startups in Catalonia, Barcelona “attracts international talent because of its lifestyle, the strength of the ecosystem and the presence of international companies,” explains Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona, interviewed for the article.
These are the 10 hottest startups in Barcelona in 2022, according to Wired:
011h. Builds prefabricated homes in its factory using wood from managed forests to remain carbon neutral.
acceXible. Uses AI to analyze their speech patterns and detect the early signs of dementia, Parkinson’s, and even coronary disease from tone, pauses, repetition, and sentiment analysis via so-called vocal biomarkers.
Doctomatic. Remote patient-monitoring app which, using any medical device from heart-rate monitors to scales, allows doctors to check in on patients with chronic disease.
VOTTUN. “The WordPress of the Web3” offers blockchain templates that allow companies to track data, certify identity, manage crypto payments and launch NFTs.
Nuclia. AI-powered search engine that can index data from any document type and transcribe videos in any language
Lupa. Combines audio coaching, wearables, GPS maps, and sightseeing to take runners on new routes, explaining local landmarks as well as offering running tips and feedback on their physiology.
HUBUC. Platform enables any company to embed financial services in its product: services like issuing payment cards, controlling FX rates, and organizing customer payments.
Last.app. A B2B on-demand courier service for the restaurant industry to serve hospitality businesses, restaurants, and ghost kitchens.
Vitaance. Gamifies financial, social, mental, and physical improvements for a company’s employees by offering rewards for individuals and teams that hit healthy physical, emotional, and financial goals.
Payflow. Sells a salary-advance service to employers, charging companies a commission if staff withdraw a portion of their salary early, rather than charging staff, as rival services do.
We are very proud that all these companies are part of the Tech Barcelona community. We are happy to continue accompanying you in all your projects and the many more to come. #WeAreTechBarcelona
TB Content Session #4 | Omnicanalidad y personalización: el futuro del retail es la tecnología. Una visión con Adevinta, Mango y Sequra
6 October 2022Content SessionNews
El futuro del retail es la omnicanalidad: el consumidor elige qué, dónde y cuándo comprar. Y los retailers necesitan la tecnologia para la gestión de los datos para anticiparse. Tech Barcelona ha reunido a tres grandes players del sector -Adevinta, Sequra y Mango- para conocer como utilizan la tecnología para dar una respuesta personalizada a las nuevas necesidades de cada consumidor.
Elena Carasso, Client&Online / Comité de dirección de Mango.
Enric Jové, CEO McCann Barcelona y miembro de la Junta Directiva de Tech Barcelona, moderador de la mesa.
Una realidad phygital y omnicanal
El público ha vuelto a las tiendas físicas, pero con otros hábitos de consumo. Ahora, “el cliente omnicanal, aquel que accede a mnuestros productos cuando quiere y donde quiere, es el que nos proporciona más valor, el más fidelizado”, destaca Elena Carasso. La capacidad de pedir online y recoger en físico, o probar en físico y comprar online, abre el abanico de posibilidades para impactar en el consumidor de forma única y personalizada.
Mobile first
El móvil és el canal principal. De hecho, aunque tiene menos conversión que otros canales, representa el 80% del tráfico online y supone una herramienta primordial, incluso en los momentos de compra física. Tal y como apunta David Bäckström, “el móvil ya es tu cartera, y el uso de códigos QR en el proceso de compra será muy importante en los próximos tres-cuatro años”.
La personalización de compra
El usuario ya no espera buscar, espera que le enseñes aquello que quiere comprar: éste es consciente de la información que tienes de él y espera que no le hagas perder el tiempo”, destaca Roman Campa. Para Elena Carasso, la ingente cantidad de datos que generan los canales online permiten tener información segmentada de los consumidores, sus gustos y frecuencia de compra, capaz de “dibujar experiencias personalizadas completas e impactarte con aquello que quieres y cuando lo quieres”.
La moda de les suscripciones
Aunque el negocio de las suscripciones no es extensivo a todos los mercados ni empresas, sí es un modelo que ha ganado relevancia en los últimos años. Para David Bäckström, “quien compra suscripciones compra tranquilidad: funciona muy bien con productos que utilizas siempre, como el móvil o las gafas, y com públicos jóvenes que no tienen la necesidad de ser dueños de las cosas”.
¿Como afectará la inflación al comercio?
“Nos enfrentamos a una bajada importante de la demanda. Sin embargo, los analistas no ven demasiados problemas a medio plazo”, asegura David Bäckström. Ejemplo de ello son las buenas cifras de ocupación que registra InfoJobs, sobre todo en las pymes, un sector que, en palabras de Roman Campa, “tiene muy buenas expectativas de crecimiento”.
Cámara de Comercio Italiana joins Tech Barcelona to promote Barcelona as an international tech hub
5 October 2022NewsPartners
The agreement promotes the connection of Italian startups and companies with the Barcelona ecosystem to generate activity and attract projects
Barcelona, 5 October 2022– The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Barcelona and Tech Barcelona have signed an agreement to boost the connection of Italian startups and innovative companies within the city’s digital and technological ecosystem. This collaboration reinforces Barcelona as a world reference city in attracting investment, companies and talent.
Tech Barcelona, a non-profit association that promotes the technological and digital ecosystem of Barcelona, currently represents more than 1,000 members and 1,200 companies from all sectors that have technology as a driver of transformation. For its part, the Italian Chamber of Commerce supports more than 200 companies with a strong presence in the Italian-Spanish market, as well as small and medium-sized start-ups and companies with the intention of expanding. The companies represented by the Italian Chamber of Commerce belong to different sectors of the so-called ‘Made in Italy’ in Spain and strategic sectors for the Catalan economy, such as logistics, pharmaceuticals and agri-food.
According to Federica Falzetta, Secretaria General de la Cámara de Comercio Italiana in Barcelona, “in the last decade Barcelona has become a technological and digital hub of great importance. In this new environment, the number of Italian companies aligned with the world of information technology has been growing to the point that the Chamber has decided to undertake different strategic actions, such as MyStart BCN and the partnership with Tech Barcelona, to align its services to this new digital technological environment”.
Alessio Merella, member of Tech Barcelona and Business Development Manager of Abinsula, an Italian software company with presence in Barcelona, assures that “under this alliance, we promote the Italian ecosystem represented by the Chamber: synergies, networking and strategy for the mutual growth of these two important institutions”.
According to Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona, “the close relationship we have with the Italian Chamber of Commerce should serve to attract even more investment and talent, as well as to generate opportunities for the city”. He also adds that “involving relevant actors with international representation in the economic and technological development of the city is an essential step to position Barcelona as a world reference hub”.
In the photograph, from left to right: Alessio Merella, Business Development Manager of Abinsula; Federica Falzetta, General Secretary of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Barcelona; Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona; y Mar Galtés, Corporate Development Director of Tech Barcelona. Author: Marc Guillén.
The third edition of the Tech Up Nights was, once again, a complete success. A top tech community gathered on Tech Barcelona’s Pier01 to discover leading tech projects being developed in the city and to share best practices and challenges in an open dialogue. Tech Up Nights is an initiative originally created together with Ocado Technology. Here you have a recap of the speeches:
Ocado Technology presented in-house built monitoring dashboards that enables them to create an easy-to-use graphical interface and to hand over error alerts to the service desk during working hours. Run in New Relic, this graphical interface takes advantage of the observability platform’s data ingestion system, real time monitoring of the external infrastructure and services, as well as transaction results. The result is a powerful support tool that is highly customisable, reduces costs and is flexible enough to allow the monitoring of different types of services or complex systems. This solution is agnostic, thus it can be applied to other businesses.
SeQura: Jaime Velaz (Staff Software Engineer). Our path to observability: why to invest in it, where does it helps, how it helps us improve and grow.
Sequra shared with us how improving the Observability of their systems is helping them empower product teams to own their services, improving the overall incident management processes. All that using open source solutions like the ELK stack for logs, Prometheus and Grafana for metrics, and OpenTelemetry project together with Jaeger for tracing.
