Alfons Carnicero Carmona (Barcelona, 1992)

CEO and co-founder of ABLE Human Motion, a startup that develops robotic exoskeletons to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities. After starting his career at the Institut Guttmann – Hospital de Neuroregeneration and at the German joint prosthesis manufacturer Implantcast, Alfons has participated in several acceleration programmes and courses at business schools such as Cambridge Judge and EADA.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

AC: Making mobility easier for everyone. We create the world’s lightest and most accessible robotic exoskeleton technology to help people with disabilities regain lost mobility and independence.

TB: A good idea you have had.

AC: Using technological advances to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities.

TB: A bad professional experience.

AC: Working alongside a person who does not share the values and culture of the team.

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

AC: I could say several: get out of the office, and test your solution with customers and users as soon as possible; ask the right questions; learn fast, improve your product and test again; or, the market is always right, don’t be afraid to pivot!

TB: An inspiration.

AC: A young girl who, after suffering a spinal cord injury caused by an accident, always comes to try out the exoskeleton with a smile on her face. She is an example of overcoming adversity, of how to move forward despite adversity and enjoy life with optimism.

TB: What are you worried about?

AC: The war in Ukraine.

TB: A startup (other than your own).

AC: Aortix, a start-up company developing medical devices for vascular repair.

TB: A book to recommend.

AC: “The Great CEO Within”, by Matt Mochary.

TB: A series or film or song that defines your moment in life.

AC: The Last Dance” documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. After five years of not playing basketball, my lifelong friends and I have put together a team of ‘retirees’, to get back on the ball and do ‘one last dance’, despite being very out of shape. Maybe an exoskeleton could help?

TB: A recipe, a meal, a restaurant.

AC: The restaurant “Cal Magí”, in the little village of Cabó, in the province of Lleida.

TB: A city, a journey.

AC: Round Iceland in a caravan.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

AC: In start-ups that generate a positive impact on the environment and society.

TB: And a million euros?

AC: In start-ups that help groups at risk of social exclusion, such as the elderly, the disabled or those with economic difficulties.

TB: If you were not an entrepreneur…

AC: I would have too much time on my hands!

TB: What is Tech Barcelona for you?

AC: An ecosystem of innovation and technology that projects Barcelona to the world.

Check out other Members Calling here.

Guillermo Preckler (Barcelona, 1995) 

Co-founder and CEO of Brickbro, a Barcelona-based proptech that connects sellers of commercial assets with buyers through technology, specialising in the reconversion of unused spaces.

“I am passionate about the real estate sector. In fact, at the age of 16 I founded a company that bought and sold parking spaces in Barcelona”. Later, he graduated in Business Administration and Industrial Engineering, worked as a consultant at PwC, and set up SmartContact, a software that facilitates customer relations and increases team productivity. A life dedicated to entrepreneurship.

 TB: What is the purpose of your project?

GP: Brickbro is more than just a startup. It transforms cities into meeting points for the community, connecting people with the businesses, services and experiences that bring neighbourhoods to life.

TB: A good idea you have had.

GP: The parking space business. This led me to become an entrepreneur at the age of 16 and to realise how passionate I was about the real estate sector.

TB: A bad professional experience.

GP: The difficulty in building trust at the beginning of the project. We were young and just starting out, and in a sector like real estate it was difficult to gain the user’s trust.

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

GP: You have to be true to yourself and what you think. It’s fine to listen to others, but it’s pure intuition that really makes you less risk averse.

TB: An inspiration.

GP: My father.

TB: A start-up (other than your own).

GP: Loft, a Brazilian real estate startup.

TB: A book to recommend.

GP: “Numbers Don’t Lie: 71 Things You Need to Know About the World”. It is a book that covers all kinds of topics: cultural, scientific, geographical… It makes you reflect and understand how the world used to work, and why it works that way now.

TB: A series or film or song that defines your moment in life.

GP: The film ‘Intouchables’ by Olivier Nakache. I like it a lot!

TB: A recipe, a meal, a restaurant.

GP: When it comes to food, I always say “yes” to sweets. Regarding the restaurant, I recommend ‘Informal’, located in Barcelona.

TB: A city, a journey.

GP: London as a city to live in. And Rwanda as a trip that surprised me.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

GP: In a project that is starting up and where that money can have an impact.

TB: And a million euros?

GP: In Brickbro, no doubt.

TB: If you were not an entrepreneur…

GP: The truth is that I don’t see myself doing anything else. If I couldn’t be an entrepreneur, I would still try to be involved.

TB: What is Tech Barcelona for you?

GP: A community where to create synergies with all the players in the ecosystem, with a strong commitment to innovation and entrepreneurial talent in the city of Barcelona.

See other Members Calling here.

Diana Ballart Cerdán (1990, Barcelona)

CEO and co-founder of The Smart Lollipop, the smart candy-based medical device that collects saliva samples and analyzes them ‘in situ’ through an optical reader.

“I love creativity in all its forms and I am interested in any creative expression that conveys a message with impact. As a PhD student, I focus my research on digital communication for pre-seed technology-based startups. And, in my spare time, I ride horses; from up there, the world is even better.”

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

DB: The Smart Lollipop was born to make easy what in pediatric health is difficult, creating a paradigm shift in non-invasive medical testing. Our mission is to facilitate early diagnosis and monitoring of chronic pathologies in a non-invasive way and 100% adapted to the pediatric patient experience.

TB: A good idea you’ve had.

DB: Detecting diseases with a smart candy.

TB: A bad professional experience.

DB: Giving 100% of myself while only valuing a quarter. The problem is not in the people who didn’t value me, but in the time I lost by not leaving sooner. Time is money!

TB: Best advice you’ve ever been given.

DB: Take advantage of the outbursts of courage, they pass.

TB: An inspiration.

DB: The stories of people who fight to achieve their dreams or to overcome difficulties; those people who push themselves, even if the challenges are difficult. I want to thank you for doing that. Thank you!

TB: What do you worry about?

DB: The patterns. I worry that we fall into them without realizing it, while society applauds actions that are repeated only because “they are fashionable”, leaving no room for authenticity, for critical thinking, for trying something different.

TB: A startup (that’s not yours).

DB: Julia G Escribà, sustainable fashion startup that designs thermo-regulated clothing following a technology patented by NASA. 

TB: A book to recommend.

DB: “Start with why” by Simon Sinek. If you read it, don’t pick up a bookmark because you’ll end up underlining the whole book.

TB: A series or movie or song that defines your life moment.

DB: “Ain’t no mountain high enough!” has been my favorite song throughout my life.

TB: A recipe, a meal, a restaurant.

DB: Cheese and wine.

TB: A city, a trip.

DB: Northern Morocco with my mother, and in particular I would highlight the city of Chefchaouen. It’s fairytale! I would also say the trip to California, walking around Palo Alto with a friend who is now part of The Smart Lollipop. At that time, we still didn’t know all that was to come.

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

DB: In some healthcare startup with a ‘Point of Care’ solution. The rapid diagnostic device market is booming worldwide and fits perfectly with the pillars of future medicine. I would solve a problem – if the diagnosis is right – and invest in innovation, which is what drives me.

TB: And a million euros?

DB: In a startup, led by women, that empowers women living in developing countries.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

DB: I would have tried to be a TV reporter, the kind that goes out on the street and tells what’s happening live.

TB: What does Tech Barcelona mean to you?

DB: It’s the ecosystem of startups and corporates that want to build an entrepreneurial, innovative and truly collaborative Barcelona.

Check out other Members Calling here.