Entrepreneurship is about learning how to navigate: reading the course, adapting to the waves and staying patient when progress is slower than expected. Henry Hooper knows this journey well.

As co-founder and CEO of Metarina, he is working to digitalise marinas and transform the way they interact with boaters. What began in Spain has already expanded across the Mediterranean and reached the Gulf region, Southeast Asia and Australia.

He speaks to us about growing beyond the closest market, building trust in a traditional industry and understanding that real progress also means enjoying the process.

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

HH: Metarina exists to transform how marinas and boaters interact. We help marina teams deliver a better customer experience by digitising operations, automating repetitive processes and creating a more connected boating ecosystem. Ultimately, our goal is to make boating simpler, safer and more enjoyable for everyone involved. 

TB: What stage is your project at, and where do you see it in two years?

HH: We’re at an exciting stage. After starting in Spain and expanding across the Mediterranean, we’re now working with ambitious marinas from Southeast Asia and the Gulf region through to Australia. 

In two years, we want to be recognised as the global leader in the digital transformation of marinas, partnering with the industry’s most forward-thinking operators and setting the benchmark for what’s possible. 

TB: A key decision that has shaped your project.

HH: One of the most important decisions we made was to look beyond Europe earlier than expected. 

It taught us that the closest market isn’t always the only right market. Every region has different dynamics, and understanding where your solution creates the most value is often more important than geographical proximity. 

TB: What has been the biggest challenge you have faced, and what has it taught you?

HH: Building enterprise software for a traditional industry requires patience. Trust, reputation and long-term relationships can’t be accelerated in the same way as user growth in many digital businesses. 

That experience taught me the importance of balancing ambition with persistence, and surrounding yourself with mentors and investors who understand that meaningful transformation takes time. 

TB: The best advice you have ever received.

HH: Theodore Roosevelt’s “Man in the Arena” has stayed with me throughout my entrepreneurial journey. It reminds me that the opinions worth paying attention to are those of people who are willing to step into the arena themselves. It’s a useful compass when building a company: listen carefully, but be selective about whose advice shapes your decisions. 

TB: We all change over time. Have you changed your mind about anything?

HH: Earlier in life, I was always focused on reaching the next milestone as quickly as possible. 

Today, I still value progress, but I’ve learned to appreciate the process itself. Building something meaningful isn’t about rushing to the finish line, and I believe success follows naturally when focusing on the process, which also makes the journey much more worthwhile. 

TB: A professional role model who inspires you.

HH: I’ve been fortunate to work with an outstanding circle of advisors and mentors, each of whom has shaped the way I think in different ways. Rather than trying to emulate one particular person, I prefer to learn from many people and bring those perspectives together in my own way. 

TB: What do you value most in the people you work with?

HH: Integrity, loyalty and ownership. Startups are demanding environments, and they reveal people’s character very quickly. I’m incredibly grateful to work with a team that consistently shows initiative, supports one another and genuinely cares about building something meaningful together. 

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

HH: I’m not the right person to predict which technology will have the biggest impact outside AI. What I do hope is that the next generation of technologies helps us build a more sustainable world by making better use of the resources we already have. 

TB: A startup or company you admire and why.

HH: Ocean Ecostructures. I admire how they’ve combined commercial success with a tangible environmental impact. They’re proving that sustainability can be a genuine business model rather than just a marketing message. 

TB: What do you do to disconnect?

HH: Walking. I walk around 40 minutes to and from the office every day through Ciutadella and along the marina, and it’s become an essential part of my routine. When I need a proper reset, you’ll find me on the Camino de Santiago or hiking in the Dolomites. 

TB: A book to recommend. 

HH: ‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari’, by Robin Sharma. A simple reminder that ambition and fulfilment don’t have to be at odds with one another.

TB: A song that defines your moment in life. 

HH: ‘Olalla’, by Blanco White. Not because of the lyrics, but because of the atmosphere it creates. It has a balance of melancholy and optimism that I keep coming back to. 

TB: A recipe, a meal, a restaurant.

HH: La Fonda de Pirenaicas, in Gracia. Although one of the things I appreciate most about Barcelona is that there isn’t a single “must-go” place. There are great restaurants tucked away in almost every neighbourhood. 

TB: A place in the world.

HH: San Sebastián. It has a unique atmosphere that keeps drawing me back every year. 

TB: Where would you invest €100k?

HH: In exceptional people. The best companies are ultimately built by great teams, so I’d back founders and teams with strong values, curiosity and the determination to solve meaningful problems. 

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur… 

HH: I’d still want to be creating things, just in a different medium. Whether architecture, product design or industrial design, there’s something special about creating something you can actually touch and experience in the physical world. 

TB: What does Tech Barcelona mean to you? 

HH: Tech Barcelona represents the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey in the city. I first came to Barcelona to study, but I came back to build a company and a life here. Being part of the ecosystem from the early days has connected me with people who have challenged, supported and inspired me along the way.