The tech startup ecosystem in Spain is experiencing a boom. In recent weeks, a series of announcements have emerged, ranging from international agreements to open new markets to open innovation programs in which large companies and city councils offer their facilities as testing grounds. This is further bolstered by new multi-million euro investments and the consolidation of local hubs, demonstrating that entrepreneurial talent is not concentrated solely in major cities.
The combination of institutional support, private capital, and corporate collaboration is creating a favorable environment for startups to scale their solutions. Both regional governments and the private sector are launching initiatives that aim to connect startups with real market needs, whether in the areas of health, mobility, energy efficiency, or the digitalization of services.
Agreement with Vietnam to open the market to Catalan startups
The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, has begun an official tour of Southeast Asia, which has taken him to Hanoi, where he signed an agreement with the Vietnam Innovation Center. The agreement, signed by Acció (the Catalan Agency for International Development Cooperation) and the Vietnamese organization, will facilitate access to the Vietnamese market for Catalan startups through acceleration programs, mentorship, and networking opportunities with investors. Priority will be given to partnerships in sectors such as health, food, audiovisuals, video games, mobility, electric batteries, energy, the blue economy, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, supercomputing, and biotechnology. Illa emphasized that Catalonia operates within the framework of the European Union, which already has free trade agreements with Vietnam, and offered itself as a reliable partner in a geopolitical context marked by the tariff threats of Donald Trump. During his stay, the president also visited the factory of the Catalan multinational Simon in Vietnam, and plans to travel to Da Nang to meet with companies with strong links to Catalonia such as Relats, Tucai and Savall Chocolate.
Open innovation: hotels and cities as startup laboratories
Two recent initiatives demonstrate how established companies and local governments are opening their doors to startups to test solutions in real-world environments. Sercotel and Seidor have completed the first phase of OpenStay Lab, a program that transformed nine of the chain's hotels into testing grounds for four startups. Controlá tested an automatic check-out detection system that optimizes room management and energy consumption; Jaippy focused on online reputation management and data analytics; ProcessAP Robotics introduced service robots for logistics and food service tasks; and Smart Water Flow / Defcon8 implemented a real-time water consumption monitoring system. The program, launched in November 2025 within Sercotel's Innovation Hub, received 14 applications, and the chain is now considering extending the most promising solutions to the rest of its network.
On the other hand, Nealis Tech has launched the first edition of the Nealis Innovation Challenge, an open innovation call seeking startups capable of improving the management of urban services and critical infrastructure . The two challenges are anticipating incidents using advanced digital models and detecting gas leaks early. Selected startups will be able to validate their proposals in Valencia's urban sandbox, thanks to a collaboration with Valencia Innovation Capital. The call for applications will be open until September, and submissions will be evaluated based on their level of innovation, maturity, and potential impact. Marcos Rozas, director of Nealis Tech, stated that the goal is to "accelerate the transition from innovation to action" and generate long-term collaboration opportunities.
Investments and ecosystem: accelerators, funds and local hubs
Capital continues to flow strongly into tech startups. Decelera has announced a €1,5 million investment in four startups that participated in its program in Menorca: HeyDiga, an AI platform that automates customer conversations; Flipflow, a retail intelligence SaaS; Mathew AI, focused on education; and Ruit, an operating system for secondhand resellers. The accelerator, which operates on a high-conviction model, has attracted co-investors such as Abac Capital, Mutua Madrileña, Lanai Partners, and others. Marcos Martín, CEO of Decelera, emphasized that “we build long-term relationships and invest in teams that demonstrate vision and the ability to execute.”
In parallel, Creand Asset Management has registered a venture capital fund focused on US technology startups, the Blue Opal Capital American Technology VC, which its private banking clients in Spain can access with investments starting at €50.000 under certain conditions. The strategy has a seven-year horizon and aims to invest in early-stage companies with high growth potential. The asset manager closed 2025 with €3.404 billion in assets under management, 47% more than the previous year.
Meanwhile, the Madrid ecosystem continues to demonstrate its strength. According to the Startup Radar Madri+d 2026 report, Las Rozas remains the second city in the Community of Madrid with the most startups, boasting 116 technology companies, 1.123 direct jobs, and a cumulative investment of €12.490 billion. Only the capital city surpasses it. Mayor José de la Uz emphasized that "Las Rozas is a well-established benchmark for the innovation ecosystem" thanks to the work of Las Rozas Innova, which has supported 46 startups. The region as a whole has 2.400 technology companies, 35.500 jobs, and €5.600 billion in venture capital raised, ranking as the fifth European area in terms of the number of startups funded.
The dynamism of the sector is reflected in the variety of initiatives that, from different angles, are driving tech startups in Spain. Whether through international agreements that open doors in Asia, open innovation programs that transform hotels and cities into laboratories, or investments that allow emerging companies to scale their solutions, the ecosystem demonstrates an adaptability and growth capacity that positions it as a key player on the European stage. Collaboration between government agencies, corporations, and entrepreneurs is becoming the key for these companies to continue generating employment, technology, and value.
