The number of startups in Catalonia hits 2,403 in 2025, 5.2% over the previous year, and the highest figure on record

Catalonia is now home to 2,403 startups, 5.2% more than the previous year and the highest figure on record. This was announced on Monday by the Minister for Business and Labour, Miquel Sàmper, at the presentation of the study Analysis of the Startup Ecosystem in Catalonia 2026, prepared by ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment. The event was also attended by the Secretary for Business and Competitiveness and CEO of ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment, Jaume Baró.

The Minister for Business and Labor stated that “the sustained growth in the number of startups reflects an increasingly favorable environment for the development of new tech solutions”. According to Minister Sàmper, “this progress brings us steadily and realistically closer to the target set for 2030 of reaching 3,000 startups, and reinforces the Government’s commitment to continue providing all the necessary support so that the Catalan entrepreneurial ecosystem continues to grow with quality, impact and a long-term vision”.

“Catalonia enables startups to develop cutting-edge technology and expand globally without losing their roots and local impact”

Jaume Baró, CEO of Catalonia Trade & Investment

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Along these lines, 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. Furthermore, 44% of Catalan startups were established in the past five years, demonstrating the characteristic dynamism of the ecosystem. From an international perspective, the study underlines 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 launch a startup, behind Paris, Berlin, Stockholm and Amsterdam.

Growth in turnover and job creation

According to the conclusions of the ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment study, the Catalan startup ecosystem still follows its growing trend in terms of business volume. Collectively, Catalan startups generate €2.947 billion in turnover, 26% more than the previous year, representing 0.9% of the Catalan GDP. The report also notes that startup turnover has almost tripled over the past ten years, compared with €1.091 billion a decade ago.

In terms of employment, the document reports that Catalan startups employ over 30,500 people (+34%). According to Minister 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 high-quality jobs through innovation”. Another indicator of the ecosystem’s maturity is that almost 60% of startups have at least one founder with prior experience in creating startups, a figure that has stabilized in recent years. What’s more, the analysis highlights that 28% of Catalan startups have at least one international founder, and that nearly 60% of startups employ foreign workers.

On an international level, the ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment report also points out that it is an ecosystem that is internationally focused, given that 61% of Catalan startups export their products and services. The main export destinations include the United States, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. The analysis also identifies that 15% of startups with international clients generate more than 90% of their turnover from exports.

Increase in funding raised by startups

From a financial perspective, the report highlights that Catalan startups raised €1.131 billion in investment in 2025, 8% more than the previous year. This represents the third-highest figure on record, only behind 2021, with €1.687 billion, and 2022, with €1.592 billion, two years heavily influenced by the effect of mega-rounds, defined as those over $100 million (€88.5 million).

In total, 203 investment rounds were closed in Catalan startups in 2025, with an average amount of €5.6 million. This is the highest average investment on record, reflecting an upward trend. Furthermore, in 2025 Catalonia saw the completion of two so-called mega-rounds.

The figures also show a growth in investment received by Catalan startups in recent years. Over the past five-year period (2021–2025), a total of €6.106 billion was raised, more than double the amount recorded for the previous five years, a figure of €2.659 billion between 2016 and 2020.

Technology, research and innovation at the heart of the ecosystem

From a sector point of view, 30.8% of startups operate in healthtech and business services. The advertising technology and media sector also stands out (6.2%), followed by e-commerce and sales platforms (5.4%) and education technologies (5.1%). In terms of turnover, the health, travel and financial sectors account for 37.3% of total revenue.

The report also highlights the strong technological drive of Catalan startups. Over half (57.5%) work with Industry 4.0 technologies, such as artificial intelligence and big data, sensors or cloud computing. Furthermore, a total of 374 deep tech startups have been identified (10% more than in 2024), defined as companies rooted in science, technology or engineering, requiring STEM-skilled talent and developing pioneering knowledge and technologies to address global challenges. In this context, according to the Global Location Trends 2025 study by IBM, Barcelona ranks first in the EU and third worldwide in attracting foreign investment projects in artificial intelligence, behind London and Singapore.

According to the CEO of ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment, Jaume Baró, these figures indicate that "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 that act as driving forces." "This is the environment that enables startups to develop cutting-edge technology and expand globally without losing their roots and local impact,” Baró said.

In line with research and talent, the document also notes that 308 startups are spin-offs, companies originating from universities and research centers. In addition, nearly 90% of the startups analyzed 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 city in the EU with the highest number of founders originating from local universities, and as the second-best spin-off hub in the EU, behind only Paris, according to the 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-Catalonia Trade & Investment in 2016 that includes startups up to 10 years old (12 years in the case of the biotechnology sector), technology-based companies with scalable and repeatable business models applicable in global environments and oriented towards rapid growth.