• The agreement promotes and brings new forms of financing to startups and companies in Barcelona’s technological and digital ecosystem.

Barcelona, 27 September 2022. – Crowdcube, the European community funding platform for startups and private companies, joins Tech Barcelona as a Corporate Partner to promote and bring new forms of funding to startups and companies in Barcelona’s technological and digital ecosystem, as well as to contribute to their growth through the participation of small investors.

Crowdcube, with its European headquarters in Barcelona, is a company that enables entrepreneurs to raise funds with the added benefit of having the support of its community. Since it began operations in 2011, more than €1.5 billion has been invested in over 1,300 deals across Europe. In Spain, where it has been operating since 2014, it has channelled more than €65 million in 138 capital increases, with clients such as Heura Foods, Wuolah, Velca, ID Finance and TropicFeel.

Tech Barcelona, the private non-profit association that supports and promotes the city’s technological and digital ecosystem, represents more than 1,000 members – entrepreneurs, founders, executives and investors – from more than 1,200 companies, and has more than 70 partner organisations, national and international leaders in their sector.

Pepe Borrell, VP International of Crowdcube and CEO of Crowdcube Europe SL, celebrates the partnership: “It is an honour for us to be part of Tech Barcelona and contribute to the projection of a democratised, more varied and diverse investment ecosystem. Barcelona has remained the spearhead of our growth strategy in Europe and with the partnership we will continue to work to strengthen Barcelona’s position as an international benchmark in investment and innovation”.

For Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona, “the incorporation of Crowdcube as a partner brings new funding and growth opportunities for entrepreneurs in Barcelona’s technological and digital ecosystem. From Tech Barcelona we want to raise awareness of these alternative forms of capital, which involve large communities with a special interest in technology and which increase Barcelona’s capacity for development as an international hub”.

• The collaboration agreement promotes the co-creation of innovative projects focused on the infant and maternity field

Barcelona, 14 September 2022 – i4KIDS, the pediatric innovation network coordinated by the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu in Barcelona, and Tech Barcelona, the private non-profit association that supports Barcelona’s digital and technological ecosystem, have reached a collaboration agreement to promote the development of innovative technological solutions in healthcare and integrated care, with a special focus on the infant and maternity field.

For Tech Barcelona, this collaboration is part of its commitment to the health and life sciences sector as one of the strategic axes of the digital and technological ecosystem. In the upcoming months, Pier07, a hub of reference in business innovation that will host corporations, institutions and startups in the sector, will start operating. The building, located at Via Laietana 26, will be available to i4KIDS professionals with the aim of offering a space for co-creation and collaboration between leading clinical environments and the business sector.

For Jaume Pérez, Director of Innovation and Knowledge at Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona, “the agreement will allow us to build a framework of collaboration to encourage innovation in the maternity and infant field, a strategic pillar of the hospital that we promote through our i4KIDS pediatric innovation HUB. Through this networking with Tech Barcelona we want to identify and support those projects that stand out for their ability to generate a change in the health and well-being of children and mothers”.

Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona, assures that “in Tech Barcelona’s firm commitment to the health sector, the collaboration between the technological and digital ecosystem of Barcelona and i4KIDS, a benchmark in healthcare and scientific innovation, is a great opportunity to give meaning to technology through solutions that generate a positive impact on children and their families”.

Servihabitat, a multi-product and multi-client real estate and financial asset management servicer, joins Tech Barcelona as a Corporate Partner, as part of its commitment to innovation and digital and technological talent. The incorporation of Servihabitat to Tech Barcelona accelerates access to new models of management and use of technology in the proptech sector, an essential sector in the social and urban transformation in which Barcelona and its digital and technological ecosystem stands as a reference.

The agreement also allows Servihabitat to reinforce its culture based on the transformation of business processes, the expansion of its portfolio of services, the digitisation of its channels, and the improvement in data-driven decision-making, pillars that contribute to the success of the company’s results. The servicer closed the first half of the year with revenues of €1.2 billion, 20% more than in the same period of 2021, and with more than 170,000 assets under management.

According to Josep Manel Ventosa, Corporate Executive Director of Servihabitat, “at Servihabitat we face the challenges of the future by contemplating continuous technological innovation and a policy of attracting and retaining talent as part of our strategy. For this reason, as a leading servicer, we share Tech Barcelona’s spirit when it comes to promoting initiatives that help to promote these values, at a time when they are key to economic and business development”.

For his part, Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona, considers that “continuing to add leading companies like Servihabitat, with extensive market knowledge and the challenge of transforming the industry through innovation in technology, seeking collaboration with new partners –entrepreneurs, startups and other corporations– confirms the role of Tech Barcelona as a platform for connection and knowledge for the transformation of traditional industries”.

The technology consulting firm Devoteam joins Tech Barcelona as a Corporate Partner with the aim of becoming actively involved in the growth of Barcelona as a technology hub of reference in Europe. The agreement strengthens the links of the ecosystem with major international technology operators and brings startups closer to the expertise of the company, which is a reference in cloud services technologies.

The deal is part of Devoteam’s new strategic plan, whereby it expects to reach revenues of €1 billion by 2022, through organic growth and partnerships with key local and national strategic players. Devoteam will also continue its acquisition policy after acquiring Alfun, Clouden, Integrity, Necsia and Nubalia.

For Tomás López, CEO of Devoteam Spain, “joining an association like Tech Barcelona is a big step for us, as we are strongly committed to positioning the city as a benchmark in technology. Barcelona has all the characteristics to achieve this, as it has the infrastructure, institutional and business support and, above all, the talent, which is why, with our experience as a technology consultancy and the drive of Tech Barcelona, we are convinced that we will succeed”.

For his part, Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona, says that “more and more international companies are betting on Barcelona and the incorporation of Devoteam expands the possibilities of access to cloud technologies to all players in the ecosystem”.

The French company, a specialist in digital strategy, technology platforms and cybersecurity, has 25 years of experience and 8,500 employees in Europe and the Middle East. In Spain, Devoteam has five offices, where more than 850 employees work.

• The association that represents Barcelona’s digital and technological ecosystem expands its base of companies representing all technological sectors

Barcelona, 28 July 2022. – The technological assistance company Sosmatic joins Tech Barcelona as a Corporate Partner to transfer its expertise in IT problems to the ecosystem of startups and corporations represented by the association. With this alliance, Tech Barcelona expands its base of companies from all technology sectors that join the project to strengthen Barcelona as a digital and technological hub of international reference.

Sosmatic, founded in Barcelona in 1998, offers technological and computer assistance services, either in person or online, 24 hours a day, to resolve doubts and problems that customers may have with the use of their electronic devices. It currently has a team of 400 people who attend to professional and private customers from its operational centre in 22@. The Barcelona-based company, which is committed to developing new solutions to improve its customer service, is involved in an international growth project that will culminate in the second quarter of 2023 with the opening of its new branch in Miami.

“Tech Barcelona is the backbone and driving force behind Barcelona’s digital and technological ecosystem, and Sosmatic has been part of this reality for 24 years now, so it is a logical union of two of the city’s technological benchmarks that will allow us to continue growing and strengthening the ecosystem,” says David Casas, director and founding partner of Sosmatic.

For his part, Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona, believes that “it is important to expand our partner base also with companies that provide solutions, which give confidence to startups and corporations when facing their growth”.

[In the image, from left to right: Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona; Ferran Marsal, Business Development at Sosmatic; and David Casas, director and founding partner of Sosmatic. Author: Daniel Aznar]

• The Silicon Valley-based innovation consultancy firm brings its global vision of innovation ecosystems to Barcelona

Barcelona, 20 July 2022. – Tech Barcelona, the private non-profit association that supports Barcelona’s digital and technological ecosystem, has partnered with Mind the Bridge, an innovation consultancy based in Silicon Valley, to access its global network of innovation connections and boost the city’s technological and digital ecosystem at a global level. With the incorporation of Tech Barcelona as a Corporate Partner, Mind The Bridge will reinforce its knowledge of what is already one of the leading ecosystems in Europe, and will be able to give it more visibility within its international network.

Founded in 2007 by Marco Marinucci while working at Google, Mind the Bridge was born with the aim of developing the Italian startup ecosystem and building bridges with Silicon Valley. Today, it has offices in San Francisco, London, Milan, Los Angeles, Seoul and Barcelona, and holds scaleup summits in many countries.

Mind the Bridge has published the Tech Scaleup Spain report, together with Acciona and Crunchbase, whose latest edition highlights Spain as a unique case in Europe due to the coexistence of two major startup ecosystems -Madrid and Barcelona-. The report highlights that Barcelona stands out as the main focus of growth and investment, with a total of 306 scaleups and an accumulated $6.7 billion raised since its creation.

For Alberto Onetti, Chairman of Mind the Bridge, “over the past few years Barcelona has become an international hub able to attract the Digital and Innovation Outposts of companies from all over the world. Reasons? A vibrant and growing startup scene, the abundance of international talent, a network mindset. That’s why we decided a few years ago to open an office in Barcelona that today hosts an 10+ international team. For Mind the Bridge joining Tech Barcelona is the natural step for being even more integrated in the local ecosystem and helping make it even more international. That’s why at the top of our to-do list is a joint study on the international companies that have a digital outpost in Barcelona”.

Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona, believes that “the ecosystem of startups and corporates in Barcelona must grow together with the global and innovative vision of major international players such as Mind the Bridge, and the experience it can bring from large projects. The presence of the consultancy firm in the American, European and Asian markets allows Barcelona to connect with an extensive network of knowledge and global experience”.

[In the photograph: Francesca Cavanna, Team Lead Innovation at Mind The Bridge, and Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona. Author: Marc Guillén]

• The technology consultancy specialising in digital transformation solutions has offices in Barcelona, Madrid, Kerala and Silicon Valley

• The company brings its experience in technology projects in strategic sectors for the ecosystem such as education, retail, mobility and fintech

Barcelona, 31 May 2022 – Opentrends, the technology consultancy specialised in digital transformation solutions and smart cities, joins Tech Barcelona as a Corporate Partner. With this alliance, the non-profit association strengthens its commitment to bring together and connect the main trends and technological solutions that underpin strategic sectors of the ecosystem such as education, retail, mobility and fintech.

Opentrends, which focuses on supporting companies in need of digital transformation, was founded in Barcelona in 2004 and currently has a team of more than 400 professionals located in its four offices – Barcelona, Madrid, Kerala and Silicon Valley. The consultancy firm has experienced growth of more than 20% since the start of the pandemic, thanks to the development of projects such as the management platform for the Barcelona Low Emission Zone (ZBE) and the identity validation system for the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC).

In the statement of Juanjo Giménez, CEO and founding partner of Opentrends, “Tech Barcelona is an independent association that works to position the city as a benchmark on the international technology scene”. “Its strategy, focused on driving the transformation of economic models and generating an innovation ecosystem, fully coincides with ours, aimed at providing companies and public bodies with the efficiency and competitiveness they need through digitisation”.

For his part, Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona, assures that “the technological transformation of cities involves putting the citizen at the centre, understanding their needs and using the right technology to achieve this. The alliance with Opentrends is key to achieving this and anticipating the changes of the future”.

From left to right: Paula Serra, Project Manager & BI at Tech Barcelona; Xavi Buscallà, founding partner and CEO of Opentrends US; Juanjo Giménez, CEO and founding partner of Opentrends; and Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona.

● The US multinational strengthens its presence in Barcelona with an agreement that will boost innovation in the digital and technological ecosystem

Barcelona, 17 May 2022 – HP joins Tech Barcelona as a Global Partner to actively participate in driving the digital and technology ecosystem.

HP is one of the major global technology players and has been a pioneer in supporting the Barcelona ecosystem for three decades. The multinational currently has one of the company’s most emblematic international centres in Sant Cugat del Vallès, where more than 2,500 professionals from all over the world develop innovation in cutting-edge fields such as digital printing in 2 and 3D.

HP is a benchmark in talent and in the development of global solutions, and for Tech Barcelona, its participation reinforces its commitment to connect local innovation with the global technology ecosystem.

The multinational has been committed to Catalonia since 1985, when it began manufacturing plotters in a small factory in Terrassa. In 1993 the plant became the world headquarters for large-format printing, creating an R&D laboratory that is unique in the world, generating major innovations including 3D. In 2019 they inaugurated, on the same campus, the largest centre dedicated to research, development and innovation in 3D printing of plastics and metal in the world.

For Joan Pérez Pericot, Global Head of Strategy & Innovation, HP Industrial Print Business, “The world is changing in front of us at great speed. It is essential that we are connected to innovation ecosystems so that we can anticipate trends, adapt quickly to change and deliver the technology that will truly inspire ambitious and meaningful progress for our society.

For his part, Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona, considers that “due to its importance, impact and technological leadership, HP is a priority reference for Tech Barcelona. With this agreement we have managed to bring together great specialists in technologies that are going to have a lot of weight in some of the industries that we are committed to at the Association, such as 3D printing and the world of health”.

F: Joan Pérez Pericot, Global Head of Strategy & Innovation, HP Industrial Print Business; Mar Galtés, Corporate Development Director de Tech Barcelona; y Miquel Martí, CEO de Tech Barcelona. Marc Guillén.

• The agreement reinforces the health sector ecosystem’s commitment to digital and technological transformation

Barcelona, 12 May 2022 – The scientific communication consultancy Grupo Mayo joins Tech Barcelona as a Media Partner, with the aim of accelerating the digital transformation of the health and life sciences sector and bringing its expertise in specialised communication to all players in the technology ecosystem.

According to José María Torres, CEO of Grupo Mayo, “by joining Tech Barcelona we want to be an active part of the technological transformation process that is taking place in the world of healthcare, making it easier for all the innovations to reach healthcare professionals and future patients”.

For his part, Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona, considers that “with the alliance we reinforce our strategic commitment to the Healthcare & Life Sciences sector. Having a top-level partner like Grupo Mayo will allow us to bring knowledge of state-of-the-art solutions and technologies to professionals in the sector”.

The Healthcare & Life Sciences sector is one of the strategic pillars of the country and the application of technology will accelerate its impact at all levels: citizens, healthcare system, professionals in the sector.

• The global shopping centre operator, owner of Westfield Glòries, Westfield La Maquinista and Splau, joins the association to participate in the digital transformation of the retail sector.

Barcelona, 25 April 2022. – Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW), a global shopping centre developer and operator, joins Tech Barcelona as a Corporate Partner, to actively participate in the development and application of technological solutions that drive retail transformation.

Retail is one of the key economic sectors in the functioning and development of cities, and one of the most impacted by digital transformation. In this sense, the future of retail involves rethinking the physical space and the relationship with consumers, the adoption of new payment systems and new distribution formulas and the management of the last mile. For Tech Barcelona it is strategic to bring together the companies that are providing technological solutions and the large operators that can apply them.

URW currently has a significant presence in Barcelona, where it operates two of the largest shopping centres, Westfield Glòries and Westfield La Maquinista, as well as the Splau shopping centre. In total, the developer owns 85 shopping centres in 12 countries and employs more than 2,800 professionals.

According to Marilyne Mesiano, Country Manager of URW in Spain, “being an active part of the development of the technological and digital fabric of Barcelona through the incorporation of Tech Barcelona is a great opportunity to contribute our global knowledge of the retail world to the local development of the sector”. “We are convinced that, in turn, the talent in the association will be a very valuable input for us, and will allow us to continue working on the constant improvement of the customer experience through innovative initiatives,” says Mesiano.

For Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona, “retail is a sector in which many transformations converge: mobility, payment systems and logistics. At Tech Barcelona, we want the city’s technology ecosystem to actively participate in this retail transformation and become a reference model for the adaptation of large operators and small businesses to new solutions and new consumer habits”.

The agreement is also part of URW’s Better Places 2030 programme, through which it seeks to make a positive contribution to the communities in which it operates and to achieve the highest environmental standards to create better cities.