Norrsken Barcelona: Building Europe’s Largest Hub for Impact Startups

Barcelona has firmly established itself as a European leader in innovation, and now it's making a name as the capital of impact entrepreneurship. One of the main examples of this is Norrsken Barcelona, launched in 2023 as part of the global nonprofit Norrsken Foundation. With a mission to support startups solving the world’s biggest challenges, Norrsken is transforming the city into a magnet for purpose-driven innovation.

"Norrsken is a non-profit foundation with a single purpose: to help entrepreneurs solve some of the world's biggest challenges," explains Amanda Kai, Marketing & Communication Manager at Norrsken House Barcelona.

“Barcelona attracts brilliant people and has a strong sense of ambition. It’s such a powerful combination for startups from Barcelona to truly go global”

Amanda Kai, Marketing & Comms Manager at Norrsken House Barcelona

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A global network with local roots

Norrsken Foundation operates hubs in Barcelona, Stockholm, Kigali, and Brussels, forming a global community of over 40,000 members. At the heart of its support system is a strong financial backbone: five investment funds with $800 million in assets under management, all aimed at scaling impact startups. "We bring crucial impact investment capital to startups with world-changing potential," Kai says.

Barcelona’s Norrsken House, located in the Barceloneta neighborhood, spans 10,000 square meters over five floors, making it the largest impact and technology hub in Europe. The space is home to over 1,500 members and 240 companies, offering daily access to resources, workshops, accelerators, and connections with 21 investment funds, both local and international. “We provide startups with access to capital, access to knowledge, and access to networks that help them go from zero to one,” says Kai.

Why Barcelona? A city made for impact

Barcelona’s existing startup success stories played a pivotal role in Norrsken’s decision to establish its hub here. “There are already six unicorn companies born here in Barcelona—Glovo, Travelperk, Factorial—brilliant examples and role models for the next generation of entrepreneurs,” notes Kai.

In addition to a strong track record, Barcelona offers high talent density thanks to leading universities and institutions like the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. This makes it a fertile environment for spin-offs and groundbreaking innovations. “The city attracts brilliant people and has a strong sense of ambition. It’s such a powerful combination for startups from Barcelona to truly go global,” she adds.

Investing in the future from Barcelona to the world

Norrsken is not only a facilitator but also an investor. The foundation has already invested in three Barcelona-based startups, including Submer, a cleantech company tackling data center energy inefficiency. “Their solution is sometimes called a ‘bathtub for data centers’—it’s a cooling technology that helps reduce the environmental impact of computing as AI and digitalization scale globally,” explains Kai.

Ready to join Barcelona’s business ecosystem?

Catalonia Trade & Investment supports international companies in setting up and growing their operations in Barcelona-Catalonia. If you’re looking to thrive in Europe’s next big innovation hub, we can help you succeed. Get in touch with us today and find your home in Catalonia’s vibrant business scene.