Something feels different at 4YFN this year. Barcelona’s startup ‘party’ is no longer orbiting around MWC. With a dedicated entrance and a more specialised audience, the event feels more intentional: fewer curious wanderers crossing over from other halls, more attendees coming specifically to discover startups and engage with them. During this first day, crowds may have appeared smaller than previous years –final numbers will tell, shaped in part by global uncertainty– but the conversations are noticeably more focused and meaningful.

At Tech Barcelona, we continue to be present, this time alongside more than 90 of our members and partners, including 11 startups at our stand (B23, Hall 8.1): Imaginae.ai, Tophealthtech, Baluwo, Pro Live Tech, Rosepetal, Omnios, Laia, Build38, Artefacto 41 and Wastex. From software and hardware to health, AI, computer vision and sensing technologies, the lineup reflects the diversity of our ecosystem.

That diversity was also showcased in the opening session at our Agora, featuring Yes We Sail, the project led by blind sailor Dani Anglada and focused on inclusive navigation technology. Developed in collaboration with Eurecat and White Jacket, the initiative is building a haptic system that enables orientation through vibrations, helping users navigate without relying on sight.

Health, one of Barcelona’s strongest sectors, has been especially visible across 4YFN today. Startups, research centres and healthcare organisations are presenting solutions that combine AI, advanced data analytics and high-performance computing to improve prevention, diagnosis and clinical management. At the Agora Stage, the session “Hyper-Scale Health: Unleashing the Power of AI and HPC” explored how these technologies are accelerating clinical research and supporting better medical decision-making. Speakers Cristian Martí (Methinks), Chris Morton (Elem Biotech) and Roc Fages (CSAPG) emphasised the need to scale technology to handle growing volumes of clinical data and turn them into useful insights.

And while Tech Barcelona members were pitching at our stand, the conversation continued at the Talent Arena (MWC and 4YFN’s talent-focused cousin) where we brought together OLX and IFCO to discuss the role their hubs play in empowering Barcelona’s tech talent.

More to come tomorrow.