According to a study by Barcelona & Catalonia Startup Hub, Barcelona has become one of the most important ecosystems in Spain and Europe in terms of startups. Thus, Barcelona hosts a total of 1700 startups and the forecasts for the future is that this ecosystem will continue to grow. The city occupies key positions in European rankings: is in the top three of favorite cities in which to install a startup and in the top five cities with the most startups in the entire continent.
One of the reasons that explains the success of the city when it comes to hosting startups of a different nature, as explained by the TBS business school in Barcelona, is “its ability to attract foreign talent”. According to the aforementioned study, 26% of startup workers and 20% of their founders are from outside of Spain. These data are possible thanks to, among other causes, the city’s prestigious university environment.
The situation of startups in Barcelona is, in general, very striking. Today, there are quite a few whose economic situation has transcended to the point of having a very high value on the stock market. In fact, there is a group of Catalan companies that opt to receive the Unicorn, an indicator given to those companies that manage to reach a value of one billion dollars in less than a decade and without the need to go public. But, what are the startups that are emerging?
Unicorn level startups in Barcelona
In the context of the consolidation of Barcelona as a technological and business hub at an international level, TBS in Barcelona exposes some of the startups that were born in Barcelona and that are growing exponentially:
- Wallbox Chargers: It is expected to grow even more this 2022. It is a company dedicated to the manufacture of chargers for electric vehicles. It was founded in 2015 in Barcelona and since then it has not stopped growing. Its innovation principles are “simple”, “intelligent” and “user-centric”. They have offices in 9 countries and clients in more than 80 countries. Last year it made its debut on the US stock market.
- Novicap: Founded in 2015. It is a fintech that accompanies companies in their growth process with financial technology. It became a Unicorn in 2019, when it reached 100 million euros financed.
- Amenitz: Of European parents, they chose the Catalan capital for the great international tourist attraction that Barcelona represents for world travelers. Its job is to help hoteliers to manage and increase reservations in their establishment through a digital tool.
- netrivals: Its mission is clear: to conduct market research to set the price of the products sold by different national and international companies.
- Kantox: It started as a startup in 2011 and has now established itself as a company with offices in London and Barcelona. Its mission is to make it easier for companies that trade internationally to change the type of currency.
