One of the fastest growing and widely acclaimed European Accelerators is coming to Barcelona on May 8th to meet local startups and test the waters for a possible permanent installation in Spain. Startupbootcamp is a mentorship-driven, 3-month acceleration program for global oriented startups. They have programs running in Berlin, Amsterdam, Dublin, Copenhagen, Haifa, London, … [Read more...]
Spanish Startups Left Money On The Table In 2012
Last Friday, Webcapitalriesgo.com released their annual report highlighting the details of venture capital activity in Spain. In total, all of Spain’s 2012 venture capital investment amounted to €230.6 million dispersed over 1,063 transactions. These figures represent a decrease of 18% in total investment and an 8% fall from the number of deals recorded in 2011. It’s … [Read more...]
Land Ho! Unreasonable at Sea Docks In Barcelona
20 Mentors. 100 days. 1 ship. 13 countries. 11 ventures. 1 belief that entrepreneurship will change the world. This week, a ship containing 11 groundbreaking startups, 20 world-class mentors, and an alliance of multinational organizations will disembark in Barcelona to celebrate the conclusion of the world’s first oceanic experiment in radical social entrepreneurship. Please … [Read more...]
5 Tips To Avoid The Series A Crunch In Europe
For the last few months, a reappearing storyline has been flashing on the front pages of our beloved tech blogs. All the usual suspects, TechCrunch, The Next Web, Forbes, Inc, and others have published articles about the possibility of a startup bubble about to burst. Some groups, CrunchBase I’m looking at you, are even seeking to capitalize on the Series A gap by selling … [Read more...]
Bihoop Announces Its First Success Story With Cuentis
Cuentis, an online publisher specializing in customizing illustrated books for both children and adults, has closed a €70.000 seed round using Bihoop’s equity crowdfunding platform. This is a major milestone for all parties involved as it marks the first successful exit on Bihoop and comes during a peak investment period for crowdfunding platforms worldwide. Bihoop was … [Read more...]
Never Alone Is Building Barcelona ‘Happy Startups Factory’
Something is rumbling on Vilamarí and Gran Via. It’s 11:30am and as I approach the frosted glass doors, I hear shouting, laughter and the Soca Boys ‘Follow the Leader blasting from within. My first visit to Never Alone, a new spin on a startup accelerator, is not going to be my typical morning meeting. Now before you roll your eyes and sigh, “Seriously, please don’t tell … [Read more...]
IE Venture Network Enters The Barcelona Ecosystem
The IE Venture Network is a forum for early stage entrepreneurs to engage with the local startup ecosystem, test their projects, and introduce themselves to local investors and advisors. At Venture Lab’s headquarters, in the basement of the IE Business School in Madrid, this translates into a weekly pitch slam held every Thursday night. They have created a welcoming and … [Read more...]
Want To Work For A Barcelona Startup?
This afternoon, Jobfluent will host the 2013 Barcelona Startup Fair featuring 30 Spanish startups seeking the best talent they can get their hands on. It’s a call to action for developers, designers, SEO experts, and social media gurus seeking a new opportunity with a high-growth Barcelona startup. Barcelona Activa and Jobfluent are teaming up to host the event at the … [Read more...]
Language Startup Busuu Is Exploding & Why Spain Missed Out
Busuu, the London-based startup, is making a run to become the largest online language learning software in the world. With the community approaching 30 million users in over 200 countries and adding nearly 45.000 new members per day, Busuu is reaching dizzying heights. But from where I stand, I can't help thinking that this is a missed opportunity for a much-needed Spanish … [Read more...]
TEDxChange 2013 Comes To Barcelona Armed With Positive Disruption
For those of you living in a cave the last 30 years or so, the TED event series is a global set of conferences formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading.” TED has rapidly expanded in both scope and geography over the last decade and now includes 6 events in Barcelona alone that are meant to disrupt the status quo and provoke innovation. Tonight’s event, TEDxChange, … [Read more...]