UK company Startup Sherpas opens a new office in Barcelona

Startup Sherpas, a London-based company that aims to equip teenagers with startup skills, has made a strategic leap towards global expansion with the opening of a new office in Barcelona. The new branch will be located in the Pier01-Tech Barcelona premises.

Startup Sherpas has created a unique model that blends paid work experience and junior apprenticeships with startup training. Committed to addressing global challenges through innovation, Startup Sherpas has educated nearly 5,000 teenagers in the UK and is now poised to expand its influence internationally.

The launch of the Startup Sherpas platform in Catalonia (Spain) is a milestone moment, targeting young entrepreneurs across the Mediterranean – with the aim of venturing into Latin America. Startup Sherpas’ objective is to educate a further 10,000 teen ‘Sherpees’ in 2024.

The company announced the opening last week during the celebration of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA, said: “It is an honour to support something so crucial to the development of the global teen economy. These young individuals are our future talent. The privilege that Barcelona and MWC have been chosen to be at the heart of Startup Sherpas’ global expansion is not lost on us. We are thrilled to be part of this journey, shaping the future of entrepreneurship and innovation”.

Katherine Walker, Chief Impact Officer at Startup Sherpas, said: “We have a proven model for engaging diverse teenagers at real scale. The individual impact on each teenager is significant, but the impact of the teen economy is much, much bigger". “The Spanish office shows our commitment to driving an inclusive economic future for everyone, from Spain, from around the Mediterranean, from LATAM – all teenagers and important to our mission”, she added.

The organisation is keen to adapt and customise its successful UK-based model to align with the distinct cultural and economic contexts of the Mediterranean and Latin American regions. This expansion underlines Startup Sherpas’ dedication to forming a global network of one million young entrepreneurs by 2029.

Source: Startup Sherpas