Spain’s startup and venture capital scene has rapidly grown over the past few years, even in regions beyond the major cities, with a surge of new companies and investors emerging.
In fact, according to a report, Spain was one of the least disrupted markets in VC funding during the last quarter of 2022.
Without going any further, the country broke its record for private equity in 2022. So it is expected to experience continued growth in its startup ecosystem,
The country has become an increasingly attractive destination for venture capital firms and angel investors, attracted by the potential for high returns in a market that is still relatively untapped.
As a result, a number of notable investors are playing a key role in shaping the future of the Spanish startup ecosystem.
In this article, we will take a closer look at 15 startup investors to watch out for in Spain in 2023.
José del Barrio, Samaipata
José del Barrio is the Founder and Managing Partner of Samaipata, a venture capital fund focused on investing in early-stage technology startups in Europe.
At Samaipata, José leads the investment team and is responsible for sourcing and managing the fund’s portfolio of companies.
He is particularly interested in startups that are disrupting traditional industries with innovative technology and business models.
Some of Samaipata’s notable investments include Spotahome, a home rental platform, and Colvin, an online flower and plant delivery service.
Jose’s focus now is on investing in extremely sticky, highly scalable, and defensible products (mostly B2B) with network effects.
Beatriz González, Seaya Ventures
Beatriz González is the Founding and Managing Partner of Seaya Ventures, a Madrid-based venture capital firm managing over €350M.
Seaya invests in exceptional entrepreneurs building global tech companies in Europe and Latin America, providing Series A and B rounds with tickets ranging from €2-8M, and up to €20M.
Beatriz is also a board member of Cabify, Glovo, Wallbox (NYSE: WBX), Idealista, Spotahome, and Filmin, and a member of Endeavor Spain’s Board of Trustees.
Laura González-Estéfani, TheVentureCity
Laura González-Estéfani is the CEO and Founder of TheVentureCity, a global early-stage venture fund focused on making the entrepreneurial ecosystem more diverse, cross-border, and fairly funded.
Since founding TheVentureCity in 2017, Laura has invested in more than 100 companies internationally in seed & Series A.
TheVentureCity has campuses in Miami and Madrid, as well as offices in San Francisco and Sao Paulo.
Marc Badosa Rigau, 4Founders Capital
Marc Badosa Rigau is a Founding Partner at 4Founders Capital, a venture capital firm focused on investing in early-stage startups in Spain and Europe.
With over a decade of experience in the technology industry, Marc has worked in various roles, including software development, project management, and business development.
Marc focuses on investing in startups in the software, SaaS, and digital sectors, with a particular interest in companies that have a clear value proposition, a solid business model, and a passionate team.
Gonzalo Tradacete Gallart, Faraday Venture Partners
Gonzalo Tradacete Gallart is the Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer (CIO) at Faraday Venture Partners, a Madrid-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage technology startups.
Gonzalo has more than 20 years of experience in venture capital and private equity, and he has led numerous investments in companies across Europe and Latin America.
Carlos Blanco, Encomenda
Carlos Blanco is a well-known entrepreneur and investor in the Spanish startup ecosystem.
He co-founded several successful companies such as Grupo ITnet, Akamon Entertainment, and Conector Startup Accelerator.
In 2020, he launched Encomenda, a new venture capital fund focused on investing in early-stage startups.
As an active angel investor, Carlos has invested in more than 100 startups, including Glovo, Deporvillage, Housfy, and Holded.
He is also the Co-founder and Chairman of Nuclio Venture Builder and Nuclio Digital School, a startup creator and a digital school for entrepreneurs, respectively.
Carina Szpilka, Kfund
Carina Szpilka is a General Partner of Kfund, a Spanish venture capital firm investing in early-stage technology startups.
Carina is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in the startup ecosystem and has been recognized as one of the top women in fintech in Spain.
KFund invests in early stages (seed and growth) of startups in Southern Europe and Latin America, looking for innovative technology projects focused on the customer and that have a relevant impact on the markets in which they operate.
Their contributions range from €100,000 to €10M, seeking projects whose entrepreneurs demonstrate the ability to create differential products and technology-based services.
Sonia Fernández, Kibo Ventures
Sonia Fernández is a Partner at Kibo Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage technology companies in Series A in Spain.
She focuses on identifying and investing in the most prominent start-ups in the Spanish ecosystem.
Sonia had previously worked as an advisor in different Spanish startups and also as an angel investor herself.
She looks for companies with brilliant teams that are capable of scaling the business and have ambitions to build a very large company.
Sonia values founders who have arrived at their idea and company through a clear need to solve a problem or address a market need.
Lourdes Álvarez de Toledo, JME Ventures
Lourdes Álvarez de Toledo is a partner at JME Ventures, a Madrid-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage technology companies.
With over 10 years of experience in the tech industry, Lourdes has held various management and consulting positions in companies such as IBM, Deloitte, and Telefonica.
She is particularly interested in startups that are focused on artificial intelligence, big data, and digital transformation.
Lourdes is also a mentor at various accelerators and entrepreneurship programs in Spain and is passionate about promoting diversity and women’s leadership in the tech industry.
Rocío Pillado, Adara Ventures
Rocío Pillado is a Partner at Adara Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on investing in early-stage technology startups in Europe and the United States.
Rocío is a computer engineer, holds an MBA from The University of Chicago, and is co-founder of Club-MBA, one of the leading professional growth portals.
With more than 7 years of experience at Adara Ventures, she focuses on identifying and investing in innovative startups that are driving transformational change in these areas.
Javier de Toro Velazquez, Angels Capital
Javier de Toro Velazquez is the Investment Manager at Angels Capital, a venture capital firm based in Madrid, Spain.
At Angels Capital he is responsible for sourcing and evaluating investment opportunities in early-stage technology startups.
Before joining Angels Capital, he has been portfolio manager of Lanzadera, the most relevant accelerator in Spain, having supported more than 100 entrepreneurs in their investment rounds.
Manuel Nieto Arias y Alejandro Valero, First Drop VC
Manuel Nieto Arias and Alejandro Valero are Co-Founders and General Partners at First Drop VC, a venture capital firm based in Valencia that invests in impact companies, those whose solutions are included in the SDGs.
Manuel has a background in finance and entrepreneurship, having co-founded several companies and worked in investment banking and private equity before starting First Drop VC.
Alejandro is very passionate about finances and stock markets. Before co-founding First Drop, he also co-founded Alma Ventures.
First Drop’s methodology is developed in 3 phases, ranging from the implementation of objectives, and delimitation of solutions linked to the SDGs to support the development of their actions and operations after funding.
Luisa Rubio, Wayra X
Luisa Rubio is the Head of Wayra X, a branch of Telefónica’s investment vehicle that specializes in investing in early-stage digital companies with B2C products aimed at mass markets.
With extensive experience in venture capital, open innovation, entrepreneurship, and corporate strategy, Luisa has spent much of her career focusing on Open Innovation initiatives in Spain and the USA.
In addition to her work in venture capital and open innovation, Luisa has also contributed to the field by speaking at conferences, serving as a jury member, publishing international articles, and teaching entrepreneurship and open innovation.
Andrés Dancausa, TheVentureCity
Andrés Dancausa is the General Partner at TheVentureCity, a global venture capital fund that invests in early-stage technology companies.
With extensive experience in the technology industry, Dancausa has played a key role in the growth and success of various companies.
He began his journey with TheVentureCity as VP of the Growth Accelerator Program and has since then served as a board member for several prominent startups.
Edgar Vicente, Enzo Ventures
Edgar Vicente is a Founding Partner at Enzo Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage startups in Europe and Latin America. It’s the first VC formed by Gen Z entrepreneurs.
Prior to founding Enzo Ventures, Edgar was one of the first Glovo employees. After that experience, he founded DiHola in 2017, which he and his partners sold after three successful years.
With Enzo Ventures, Edgar is focused on investing in innovative startups in sectors such as fintech, e-commerce, and digital health.
Disclosure: This article mentions clients of an Espacio portfolio company.
