Catalonia now has 2,403 startups, 5.2% more than the previous year and the highest figure in the historical series. This was announced on Monday by the Regional Minister for Business and Labour, Miquel Sàmper, during the presentation of the study “Analysis of the Startup Ecosystem in Catalonia 2026” prepared by ACCIÓ — the agency for business growth of the Department of Business and Labour. The Secretary for Business and Competitiveness and CEO of ACCIÓ, Jaume Baró i Torres, also took part in the event.
The Regional Minister for Business and Labour stated that “the sustained growth in the number of startups demonstrates an increasingly favorable environment for the development of new technological solutions.” According to Minister Sàmper, “this progress brings us steadily and realistically closer to the 2030 target of reaching 3,000 startups, and reinforces the Government’s commitment to continue providing all the necessary support so that the Catalan entrepreneurial ecosystem keeps growing with quality, impact and a forward-looking vision.”
The report highlights that the number of Catalan startups has grown uninterruptedly in recent years and has more than doubled (+121%) since the ecosystem was first analyzed in 2016. In addition, 44% of Catalan emerging companies have been created in the last five years, demonstrating the dynamic nature of this ecosystem. From an international perspective, the study underscores that Barcelona continues to consolidate its position as the leading startup ecosystem in Southern Europe and the fifth best ecosystem in the European Union to create a startup, behind Paris, Berlin, Stockholm and Amsterdam.
Revenue growth and job creation boost
According to the study’s conclusions, the Catalan startup ecosystem continues to show a growth trend in terms of business volume. Altogether, Catalan emerging companies generate €2.947 billion in revenue, 26% more than the previous year, equivalent to 0.9% of Catalonia’s GDP. The report also emphasizes that startup revenues have nearly tripled over the past ten years, when they collectively generated €1.091 billion.
Regarding employment, the document concludes that Catalan emerging companies employ more than 30,500 people (+34%). For Sàmper, these figures demonstrate “the consolidation of startups as a key economic player, with a strong capacity to contribute structurally to the competitiveness of the Catalan economy and to continue creating quality jobs driven by innovation.”
Another indicator of the ecosystem’s maturity is that nearly 60% of the companies within it have at least one founder with previous experience in creating startups, a figure that has stabilized in recent years. Additionally, the analysis highlights that 28% of Catalan startups have at least one international founder, and nearly 60% of emerging companies employ foreign workers.
At the international level, the report also notes that this is an outward-looking ecosystem, as 61% of Catalan startups export their products and services. The main export destination markets include the United States, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. Furthermore, the analysis identifies that 15% of startups with international clients export more than 90% of their turnover.
Increased funding raised by emerging companies
From an economic standpoint, the report stresses that Catalan startups raised €1.131 billion in investment in 2025, 8% more than the previous year. This represents the third-best figure in the historical series, only behind 2021, with €1.687 billion, and 2022, with €1.592 billion — two years heavily influenced by mega-rounds, defined as those exceeding $100 million (€88.5 million).
In total, 203 investment rounds were closed in Catalan companies during 2025, with an average amount of €5.6 million. This is the highest average investment in the historical series, showing an upward trend. Additionally, in 2025 Catalonia saw the completion of two so-called “mega-rounds.”
The figures also show a positive trend in investment received by Catalan startups in recent years. Over the last five-year period (2021–2025), €6.106 billion was raised, more than double the €2.659 billion secured between 2016 and 2020.
Technology, research and innovation at the core of the ecosystem
In terms of sector focus, 30.8% of startups operate in healthtech and business services. The advertising technology and media sector (6.2%) also stands out, followed by e-commerce and sales platforms (5.4%) and educational technologies (5.1%). In terms of revenue concentration, the health, travel and financial sectors account for 37.3% of total turnover.
The report also highlights the technological drive of Catalan startups. More than half (57.5%) work with Industry 4.0 technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data, sensors, or cloud computing. In addition, a total of 374 deep tech startups were identified (10% more than in 2024), meaning companies rooted in science, technology or engineering that require STEM talent and develop cutting-edge knowledge and technologies to address global challenges. In this regard, according to the Global Location Trends 2025 study prepared by IBM, Barcelona ranks as the top city in the EU and third worldwide in attracting foreign investment projects in AI, behind London and Singapore.
For the Secretary for Business and Competitiveness and CEO of ACCIÓ, Jaume Baró i Torres, “Catalonia is in a privileged position because it has a very dynamic ecosystem, with research and supercomputing centers, specialized clusters, digital hubs and industrial companies acting as engines.” “This is the environment that allows startups to develop cutting-edge technology and project themselves globally without losing their roots and local impact,” he emphasized.
In line with research and talent, the document also notes that 308 startups are spin-offs emerging from universities and research centers. Moreover, nearly 90% of all startups surveyed invest in R&D, and more than half hold at least one patent to protect their knowledge. In this area, Barcelona once again stands out as the second EU city with the highest number of founders from local universities and as the second-best spin-off hub in the EU, after Paris, according to Startup Heatmap Europe.
The directory of Catalan startups
The study is based on data from the Barcelona & Catalonia Startup Hub digital platform, a directory created by ACCIÓ in 2016 that includes emerging companies up to 10 years old (12 in the biotechnology sector), technology-based, with scalable and repeatable business models applicable in global markets and oriented toward rapid growth
Download the full study in English
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