Invest in a growing ecosystem
There are great opportunities for investment in the life sciences and healthcare in Barcelona and Catalonia. The region’s leadership in basic and applied research (#6 in Europe and #9 in the world in clinical trials), vibrant entrepreneurial community (Barcelona is the 2nd most attractive city in Europe for creating a startup) and network of companies and specialized VC firms give international investors access to projects with huge potential and expert partners for placing their capital.
Catalan venture capital leveraging capacity
Foreign VC firms value the excellence of Catalan research, systemic support for entrepreneurship and startups, with several public funding initiatives, and the diverse network of investors in the area.
In December 2022, the total funds Catalan VC firms had available for new investments (not counting capital paid out or set aside for follow-ons) was over €300 million.
More companies, more investment, more public funds
startups created in the BioRegion since 2013
increase in funds raised by startups and scaleups since 2018 (€445 million in 2022)
in the Advanced Technology Investment Fund (FITA) promoted by the Catalan government
Funds secured up x4 in five years
The value of global deeptech investment (mainly in biotechnology and artificial intelligence) increased x4 between 2016 and 2020, and is expected to grow +$200 billion by 2025. In line with this trend, companies in the BioRegion of Catalonia have multiplied x4 the investment secured over the past five years.
In 2022, 16 deeptech firms in the BioRegion raised $86 million in 20 operations, putting Catalonia ahead of countries like Sweden, the Netherlands and Ireland.