{"id":14,"description":null,"name":"Spain","shortName":"ES","bounds":"27.6377894,-18.160788,43.7923795,4.3277839","regionIds":"6,9,40,29,10,37,15","parentRegion":9,"unicorns":0,"website":null,"population":48848840,"tractionRank":10,"customDescription":"![aerial photography of vehicles passing between high rise buildings](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1539037116277-4db20889f2d4?ixlib=rb-4.0.3&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MHxzZWFyY2h8Mnx8bWFkcmlkfGVufDB8fDB8fHww&w=1000&q=80)\n
The Spanish startup ecosystem is younger than others in Europe and offers entrepreneurs a relatively affordable cost of living, in addition to an abundance of sunny weather that attracts remote talent.
\n\n==read-more==\n\n
Spain is blessed with two strong ecosystems, Barcelona and Madrid. While these cities are the backbone of the Spanish startup ecosystem, a lot of innovation and talent has come out of smaller cities like Valencia. Barcelona has given birth to some of Spain's most notable companies, and unicorns such as Glovo, Wallbox, and Letgo have had successful exits. In 2022, Factorial and TravelPerk joined the unicorn list, showcasing the strength of the ecosystem.
\n\n
Madrid is home to Telefónica, a major player in the global telecommunications industry and ranked the top corporation in Europe in the [2025 Corporate Startup Activity Index](https://www.startupblink.com/blog/corporate-startup-activity-index/) for its leadership in startup collaboration. It is also home to Amadeus IT Group, a leading provider of travel technologies. These global success stories could be what the ecosystem needs to prevent brain drain and stimulate its most ambitious talent toward more innovation.
\n\n
Ironically, long-term high unemployment rates in Spain have had positive effects on the startup ecosystem, as the difficulty in finding high-quality corporate jobs pushes more people toward entrepreneurship. However, now with rapid GDP growth and record-low unemployment, fewer are driven to entrepreneurship, despite a stronger economy and more capital in the ecosystem. Another unfortunate competitor for startup talent is the public sector, which offers stability and incentives that make it more attractive for the risk-averse young population in Spain.
\n\n
Regulations to help attract talent have already been established, and foreign entrepreneurs can use an Entrepreneur Visa or Startup Visa to establish a company in Spain. However, red tape, high taxes, and a strong bureaucracy are additional challenges that should be peeled back to allow startups to truly advance. For that reason, some of Spain’s notable startups have been headquartered in other ecosystems, and incorporation in the country is not generally regarded as a strategic decision. If Spain manages to build a pro-business narrative and track record, it will truly become a champion of innovation.
\n\n
Addressing the challenge of regulatory reform, the Spanish government has launched the Spain Entrepreneurial Nation Strategy, a ten-year plan to position Spain’s brand as a country focused on innovation and entrepreneurship. The plan includes a New Startup Law. Apart from tax reductions and incentives, the law proposes the launch of a new Digital Nomad Visa, which allows foreigners to stay and work in the country for up to 12 months.
\n\n
On a regional level, ACCIÓ, the public agency for the competitiveness of the Catalan enterprise, should be celebrated for attracting record funding in recent years to Catalonia and positioning it as a notable hub in Europe. Moreover, as a local economic development agency, Barcelona Activa offers coaching, feasibility assessment, training, and incubation programs to help local startups. Beyond Catalonia, other Spanish regions are also fostering their local ecosystems through similar initiatives. Madrid Investment Attraction (MIA), PROEXCA – Canary Islands, VLC Tech City, Startup Valencia, and ProMalaga all contribute significantly to growing their respective local ecosystems, highlighting a nationwide effort to support startup growth and innovation.
\n\n
In addition to public sector activity in Spanish startup ecosystems, the country’s top universities are also active players with their incubators, accelerators, and research-driven spin-offs. Institutions like IE Business School’s Venture Lab, ESADE’s EWorks, and IESE’s Business Angels Network are examples of how academia can foster entrepreneurship.
\n\n
The presence of global events such as [MWC Barcelona](https://www.mwcbarcelona.com/), [South Summit](https://www.southsummit.io/?utm_campaign=startupblink&utm_medium=startupblink&utm_source=startupblink), [Valencia Digital Summit and Smart City Expo World Congress](https://www.smartcityexpo.com/tracks-scewc/) has done wonders for promoting the ecosystem overseas and gathering entrepreneurs, investors, and tough leaders together every year.
","slug":"spain","dashboardTexts":"\"{\\\"dashboardData\\\":{\\\"country_id\\\":14,\\\"region_position\\\":7,\\\"region_last_position\\\":8,\\\"country_name\\\":\\\"Spain\\\",\\\"region_name\\\":\\\"Western Europe\\\",\\\"position\\\":14,\\\"quantity_index\\\":7,\\\"quality_index\\\":19,\\\"business_index\\\":24,\\\"last_position\\\":15,\\\"traction_rank\\\":10,\\\"global_count\\\":118,\\\"startup_pos\\\":8,\\\"startup_count\\\":5027,\\\"coworking_pos\\\":3,\\\"coworking_count\\\":287,\\\"accelerator_pos\\\":4,\\\"accelerator_count\\\":181,\\\"organization_pos\\\":15,\\\"organization_count\\\":15,\\\"leader_pos\\\":12,\\\"leader_count\\\":4,\\\"unicorns\\\":9,\\\"exits\\\":9,\\\"pantheons\\\":3,\\\"top_industries\\\":[{\\\"industryId\\\":9,\\\"name\\\":\\\"Social & Leisure\\\",\\\"industryPosition\\\":3,\\\"startupsCount\\\":630,\\\"momentum\\\":3,\\\"qualityFactor\\\":5.472926,\\\"globalIndustryShare\\\":4.4,\\\"industryUnicorns\\\":2,\\\"regionalIndustryRank\\\":2,\\\"nationalIndustryRank\\\":null},{\\\"industryId\\\":2,\\\"name\\\":\\\"Edtech\\\",\\\"industryPosition\\\":9,\\\"startupsCount\\\":192,\\\"momentum\\\":4,\\\"qualityFactor\\\":1.667749,\\\"globalIndustryShare\\\":3.41,\\\"industryUnicorns\\\":1,\\\"regionalIndustryRank\\\":4,\\\"nationalIndustryRank\\\":null},{\\\"industryId\\\":1,\\\"name\\\":\\\"Ecommerce & Retail\\\",\\\"industryPosition\\\":10,\\\"startupsCount\\\":498,\\\"momentum\\\":4,\\\"qualityFactor\\\":4.064883,\\\"globalIndustryShare\\\":2.61,\\\"industryUnicorns\\\":2,\\\"regionalIndustryRank\\\":6,\\\"nationalIndustryRank\\\":null}],\\\"industries_with_position\\\":[{\\\"industryId\\\":9,\\\"name\\\":\\\"Social & Leisure\\\",\\\"industryPosition\\\":3,\\\"startupsCount\\\":630,\\\"momentum\\\":3,\\\"qualityFactor\\\":5.472926},{\\\"industryId\\\":2,\\\"name\\\":\\\"Edtech\\\",\\\"industryPosition\\\":9,\\\"startupsCount\\\":192,\\\"momentum\\\":4,\\\"qualityFactor\\\":1.667749},{\\\"industryId\\\":1,\\\"name\\\":\\\"Ecommerce & Retail\\\",\\\"industryPosition\\\":10,\\\"startupsCount\\\":498,\\\"momentum\\\":4,\\\"qualityFactor\\\":4.064883},{\\\"industryId\\\":5,\\\"name\\\":\\\"Foodtech\\\",\\\"industryPosition\\\":10,\\\"startupsCount\\\":175,\\\"momentum\\\":-4,\\\"qualityFactor\\\":1.450262},{\\\"industryId\\\":8,\\\"name\\\":\\\"Marketing & Sales\\\",\\\"industryPosition\\\":12,\\\"startupsCount\\\":215,\\\"momentum\\\":1,\\\"qualityFactor\\\":1.365387},{\\\"industryId\\\":7,\\\"name\\\":\\\"Healthtech\\\",\\\"industryPosition\\\":13,\\\"startupsCount\\\":594,\\\"momentum\\\":2,\\\"qualityFactor\\\":3.729968},{\\\"industryId\\\":10,\\\"name\\\":\\\"Software & Data\\\",\\\"industryPosition\\\":14,\\\"startupsCount\\\":1529,\\\"momentum\\\":-1,\\\"qualityFactor\\\":9.956583},{\\\"industryId\\\":3,\\\"name\\\":\\\"Energy & Environment\\\",\\\"industryPosition\\\":15,\\\"startupsCount\\\":281,\\\"momentum\\\":-1,\\\"qualityFactor\\\":1.793049},{\\\"industryId\\\":11,\\\"name\\\":\\\"Transportation\\\",\\\"industryPosition\\\":15,\\\"startupsCount\\\":145,\\\"momentum\\\":-1,\\\"qualityFactor\\\":1.11801},{\\\"industryId\\\":6,\\\"name\\\":\\\"Hardware & IoT\\\",\\\"industryPosition\\\":17,\\\"startupsCount\\\":396,\\\"momentum\\\":1,\\\"qualityFactor\\\":2.745475},{\\\"industryId\\\":4,\\\"name\\\":\\\"Fintech\\\",\\\"industryPosition\\\":18,\\\"startupsCount\\\":394,\\\"momentum\\\":1,\\\"qualityFactor\\\":3.395458}],\\\"notable_startups_logos\\\":[{\\\"notableLogo\\\":\\\"startup_111037\\\",\\\"title\\\":\\\"Typeform\\\",\\\"sb_url\\\":\\\"/startup\\\",\\\"slug\\\":null,\\\"id\\\":111037,\\\"sbScore\\\":\\\"738.826347471\\\"},{\\\"notableLogo\\\":\\\"startup_422407\\\",\\\"title\\\":\\\"Wallapop\\\",\\\"sb_url\\\":\\\"/startup\\\",\\\"slug\\\":null,\\\"id\\\":422407,\\\"sbScore\\\":\\\"727.843710087\\\"},{\\\"notableLogo\\\":\\\"startup_257387\\\",\\\"title\\\":\\\"SEEDTAG\\\",\\\"sb_url\\\":\\\"/startup\\\",\\\"slug\\\":null,\\\"id\\\":257387,\\\"sbScore\\\":\\\"609.949114385\\\"}],\\\"notable_startups_highest_industry_logos\\\":[{\\\"notableLogo\\\":\\\"startup_256886\\\",\\\"title\\\":\\\"Voicemod\\\",\\\"sb_url\\\":\\\"/startup\\\",\\\"slug\\\":null,\\\"id\\\":256886,\\\"sbScore\\\":\\\"598.106652354\\\"},{\\\"notableLogo\\\":\\\"startup_237493\\\",\\\"title\\\":\\\"Exoticca\\\",\\\"sb_url\\\":\\\"/startup\\\",\\\"slug\\\":null,\\\"id\\\":237493,\\\"sbScore\\\":\\\"593.717138539\\\"},{\\\"notableLogo\\\":\\\"startup_236205\\\",\\\"title\\\":\\\"Lodgify\\\",\\\"sb_url\\\":\\\"/startup\\\",\\\"slug\\\":null,\\\"id\\\":236205,\\\"sbScore\\\":\\\"565.555074041\\\"}],\\\"top3_cities\\\":[{\\\"position\\\":33,\\\"city_name\\\":\\\"Barcelona\\\",\\\"all_cities_count\\\":39},{\\\"position\\\":51,\\\"city_name\\\":\\\"Madrid\\\",\\\"all_cities_count\\\":39},{\\\"position\\\":158,\\\"city_name\\\":\\\"Valencia\\\",\\\"all_cities_count\\\":39}],\\\"ranked_entities_count\\\":3330,\\\"country_short_name\\\":\\\"ES\\\",\\\"population\\\":47.3,\\\"country_partner_link\\\":null,\\\"has_complimentary_partner\\\":false,\\\"description\\\":null,\\\"portal\\\":null,\\\"next_global_position_country_name\\\":\\\"Finland\\\",\\\"ranked_cities_count\\\":39,\\\"ranked_cities_count_previous_year\\\":35,\\\"averageFunding\\\":\\\"7613538\\\",\\\"regional_startup_count\\\":46093,\\\"country_above_name\\\":\\\"The Netherlands\\\",\\\"country_below_name\\\":\\\"Finland\\\",\\\"growthRate\\\":29.7,\\\"neighboringCityData\\\":{\\\"topCity\\\":\\\"Barcelona\\\",\\\"secondCity\\\":\\\"Madrid\\\",\\\"scoreDifferencePercent\\\":69},\\\"regionalUnicornsCount\\\":177,\\\"regionalExitsCount\\\":317,\\\"topNewLeaderboardCities\\\":[\\\"Sitges\\\"],\\\"coworkingCount\\\":287,\\\"acceleratorCount\\\":181,\\\"organizationCount\\\":15,\\\"influencerCount\\\":4,\\\"avgFundingLastYear\\\":\\\"8.02\\\",\\\"avgFundingMomentum\\\":68.13417190775682,\\\"totalFundingLastYear\\\":\\\"4298.09\\\",\\\"totalFundingMomentum\\\":8.652589482305778,\\\"noOfDealsLastYear\\\":536,\\\"dealsMomentum\\\":-35.42168674698795},\\\"hero\\\":{\\\"bottomText\\\":\\\"In the Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2025, Spain's startup ecosystem is ranked #14 worldwide, climbing 1 spot compared to the previous year. The Spanish startup ecosystem ranks 7th in Western Europe, having climbed 1 spot since 2024. It ranks right after The Netherlands and is followed by Finland. Spain also has 39 cities ranked in the StartupBlink Ecosystem Index.\\\",\\\"topText\\\":\\\"Spain has 5,027 startups, representing 11% of all startups in Western Europe. This equals approximately 11 startups per 100,000 people. The ecosystem grew by +29.7% over the past year and is home to 9 unicorns.\\\"},\\\"startupRankingByIndustry\\\":{\\\"industry_one\\\":\\\"On our map, you can explore\\\\n a total of 630 startups for Social & Leisure.\\\",\\\"industry_two\\\":\\\"The Edtech industry in Spain's is ranked 9 globally. There are 192 startups for Edtech on our sample database and map.\\\",\\\"industry_three\\\":\\\"Spain's Ecommerce & Retail is ranked 10th in the world. Our database contains 498 for this industry.\\\"},\\\"topTechIndustries\\\":\\\"Social & Leisure is the leading industry in Spain, where it ranks 3rd globally, 2nd in Western Europe.
Spain Social & Leisure Industry has 630 startups — representing 13% of all startups in Spain.
Additionally, Spain hosts 4.4% of the world's Social & Leisure startups. The country is also home to 2 Social & Leisure unicorns. Full data available on StartupBlink Pro.\\\",\\\"featuredEcosystemPortal\\\":{\\\"text\\\":\\\"The country has some notable startup success stories including , Typeform.\\\"},\\\"metaData\\\":{\\\"title\\\":\\\"Spain Startup Ecosystem - Rankings, Startups, and Insights\\\",\\\"description\\\":\\\"Spain's startup ecosystem grew +29.7% in 2025, ranks #14 globally, with 5,027 startups and total startup funding over $4.3B.\\\"},\\\"leaderboardsDescription\\\":\\\"Download our latest Global Startup Ecosystem Index Report for an in-depth analysis of the Spain startup ecosystem, along with insights from over 1,400 additional locations worldwide. StartupBlink ranks 39 cities in Spain. Barcelona leads the national startup scene, with an ecosystem that is 69% stronger than that of Madrid. In 2025, 1 new city from Spain joined the StartupBlink Ecosystem Index, including Sitges.\\\",\\\"entityListDescription\\\":\\\"Spain includes 5,027 startups. 9 startups in Spain have reached unicorn status, accounting for 5% of all unicorns in Western Europe. – Read More – Spain has recorded 9 startup exits valued above US$1 billion, making up 3% of such exits in Western Europe. Supporting the Spain startups, there are 287 coworking spaces, 181 accelerators, and 15 startup organizations. The ecosystem's reach extends worldwide through 4 Influencers and 3 Pantheon Members based in Spain.\\\"}\"","region":{"id":9,"name":"Western Europe","slug":"western-europe"}}

Top Unicorn Startups in Spain for 2026

Top Unicorn Startups in Spain for 2026

Most Valuable Unicorns in Spain for 2026

Top Hiring Unicorns in Spain by Employee Number

Explore More Top Startups

Madrid

Barcelona

Bilbao

Famous Unicorns in Spain for 2026

Explore the Startup Ecosystem of Spain

Top Cities for Startups in Spain - Ranked by StartupBlink