Barcelona, 17 April 2024. – GCO Ventures, the corporate venturing vehicle of Grupo Catalana Occidente (GCO), has joined Tech Barcelona as a Global Partner with the aim of boosting the growth of new startups and expanding its presence in Barcelona’s technological and digital ecosystem. Through the signed agreement, the startups promoted by GCO Ventures will have their own space at Tech Barcelona’s Pier01 and will be connected to the more than 1,300 members and 90 partners that the association represents.

GCO Ventures selects internal and external projects aligned with priority areas for its business, such as home, health and integrated insurance. The corporate venturing vehicle creates and scales its own startups and invests directly or through venture capital funds in businesses that are aligned with its strategy.

“GCO Ventures is very excited to become Tech Barcelona’s Global Partner, as we share the same values to foster entrepreneurship and promote the creation of new startups,” says María José Álvarez, General Director of GCO Ventures. She adds: “Joining forces with Tech Barcelona is a new step in our goal to promote talent and expand our presence in the innovation sector. With this collaboration, we offer our support to the entrepreneurial community and, in addition, it will allow us to connect the projects we already have underway with other initiatives promoted by the association”.

Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona, points out that “the involvement of large companies like GCO in the innovation ecosystem is fundamental for its development”. He also stresses that “this step reaffirms Pier01’s position as a meeting and connection point for all technological and digital agents, as well as the epicentre where ideas from corporations, research centres, entrepreneurs, investors and public entities are built and turned into reality”.