Startups and the flourishing Catalan econonmy

By the end of 2025, Catalonia added 114 companies to its startup network, generating more than 30,000 jobs and €3 billion in business. Compared to previous years, these figures surged by 34% and 26% respectively, highlighting the growing importance of these initiatives within the Catalan landscape.

Furthermore, Jaume Baró, teh Secretary for Business and Competitiveness of the Generalitat, noted during the presentation of the Acció report that annual revenue from startups now equals 0.9% of the Catalan GDP. Alongside the Minister of Business and Labour, Miquel Sàmper, they emphasized that these numbers are clear evidence that startups are beginning to expand further. Naturally, the consequences are overwhelmingly positive.

The maturity of the business and economic ecosystem is evolving alongside these constantly growing companies. Of the nearly 2,403 startups in the current network, 429 have increased their annual turnover by more than 20%, officially becoming scaleups (a 5% increase compared to 2024).

Catalonia: The second region in the EU with the most startups

The prosperity of other companies within the same region further demonstrates a general economic bloom:

• +52% of companies earning at least half a million euros per year.
• +40% of entities with more than 10 employees.
• 374 companies specialized in deeptech.
• Over 300 spin-offs emerging from university reaserch or reaserch centers

In the report, Jaume Baró highlighted that the former group supports Catalonia’s response to global challenges, while the latter allows for a deeper analysis of national innovation framework.

Financing

The process of the Catalan ecosystem isn’t just seen in the building of these startups. A fundamental indicator of top-tier business maturity is their economic impact. Here, figures showing the positive economic outcomes:

• €5.6 million average investment round. 
• €1.131 billion raised in funding. 
• 8% increase in volume compared to 2024. 

Finally Miquel Sàmper concluded with a vital piece of information: while the percentages of other major hubs (Paris, Madrid and Dublin) decreased between 29% and 39%, the decline in Catalonia was only 25%. Explaining these figures, Baró commented that the health and life sciences industry is what has successfully propelled the engine of the Catalan ecosystem.