In Spain, there are around 450 startups that are developing applications or infrastructure related to artificial intelligence (AI) in one way or another. Multiverse Computing, Cala AI, Openchip, and Biorce are four examples leading the sector.
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Multiverse Computing: on the way to becoming a unicorn
Multiverse Computing is today the largest Spanish AI company. Born in the Basque Country in 2019, it has earned the trust of technology, financial, and energy companies worldwide with its technology that allows compressing AI models and saving costs and energy consumption. “Companies like HP or Toshiba already apply our technology in their products,” says CEO Enrique Lizaso. Last year, the company invoiced 40 million and employed 500 people in Spain. Now, it is finalizing a 500 million round, where the public and private sectors will participate equally. The European Investment Bank, the State (through SETT), and multinationals like Samsung will lead this operation, which is expected to allow the company to reach unicorn status, that is, surpass 1 billion in valuation.
Cala AI: Elisenda Bou-Balust’s new bet after selling the startup to Apple
At a more incipient stage is the project of Elisenda Bou-Balust. The entrepreneur, recognized for having achieved the sale of her former startup Vilynx to the Apple group, has just launched the startup Cala AI. “The goal is to become a major provider of external data for the artificial intelligence agents used by companies,” says the entrepreneur. The company has convinced the market. It has raised 7 million euros in a round led by the Lightspeed fund from Silicon Valley and has attracted its first clients. They are technology companies with international impact, but the service is aimed at any type of company. For now, the company employs 20 people in Barcelona and is in the process of hiring engineers. “Barcelona is in a brilliant moment,” concludes Bou-Balust.
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Openchip: going for the European microchip race
Microchips are essential infrastructure to guarantee the computing capacity required by the use of artificial intelligence. The Barcelona-based company Openchip has set out to lead the industry in Europe. Driven by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and the company GTD, it has raised 111 million euros of European funds in addition to 25 million from the Generalitat. “The forecast is to have the first prototype this year and reach the market on a large scale in 2028,” says Cesc Guim, the company’s CEO, who this week appointed Tobías Martínez (ex Cellnex) as president. Founded in 2021, the company already has over 300 employees between its headquarters in Barcelona and offices in Italy, Poland, France, Germany, and Ireland.
Biorce: AI to improve the efficiency of clinical trials
Four Portuguese entrepreneurs are driving a startup from Barcelona that promises to revolutionize the world of clinical trials with artificial intelligence. “We reduce by 50% the time spent on the preparation and processing of paperwork for these very complex processes. We already have as clients large pharmaceutical groups from the United States, Asia, and Europe,” says Pedro Coelho, co-founder of the business along with Clara Bernardes, José Faria, and Diogo Pisoeiro. In its second year on the market, the company aims to invoice around 100 million euros with a workforce of about 150 employees. Recently, Biorce closed a 44 million euro investment round in which it brought in several investment funds and a European AI reference, Arthur Mensch, CEO of Mistral
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