No Spoon Tech Lab

What No Spoon Tech Lab does

No Spoon Tech Lab is a Spanish venture builder and innovation partner founded in 2015 by serial entrepreneurs Carles Pons and Dani G. Blázquez, the founders of Akamon (sold in 2015 for €27 million). The company operates as a hands-on co-developer rather than a traditional advisor, embedding its team into client projects to build technology and AI-powered products, with particular depth in gaming and education verticals. Core offerings include the PlayLAB video game incubator (operated under mandate from Generalitat de Catalunya), Kit Consulting (a government-subsidized digital advisory service for SMEs covering AI strategy, data analysis, digital sales, and process optimization at €6,000 per package), and bespoke venture-building engagements that have produced 45 MVPs and supported €20M+ in portfolio financing since 2017.

The business model combines professional services revenue (consulting fees, public grants), potential equity participation in co-developed ventures, and wholly-owned operating subsidiaries (PlayJoy Games in social casino, Koanly in AI-for-education). Customer segments span early-stage gaming startups, EdTech platforms, Spanish SMEs seeking digital transformation, and serial entrepreneurs. The company is privately held, based in Valencia with a legal entity in Igualada (Barcelona), and operates as a remote-friendly organization with a small core team supplemented by a broader collaborator network and 90+ gaming-sector mentors.

Technology is applied rather than produced: No Spoon leverages AI techniques (generative AI, NLP, process automation) and emerging modalities (AR/VR, geolocation, multimodal experiences) in client deliverables, demonstrated by the Euroinnova content generation engagement and the Grefusa AR-based promotional campaign. There is no evidence of proprietary model development, patents, or owned training pipelines. The competitive positioning rests on founder credibility, an accumulated portfolio of co-built ventures, and privileged access to public funding channels such as Generalitat de Catalunya, ENISA, and IVACE.

Name

No Spoon Tech Lab

Legal name

No Spoon Tech Lab S.L.

Website

https://nospoonlab.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

No Spoon Tech Lab is a Spanish venture builder that co-develops technology and AI-powered products with entrepreneurs and SMEs, primarily in gaming and education, via hands-on partnership, a publicly-funded gaming incubator (PlayLAB), and subsidized AI advisory services (Kit Consulting).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technology Consulting and Venture Building

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Educational Support Services (61171)

akta.pro primary industry

Research Collaboration & Joint Labs (International Partnerships) (EDAIABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Virtual Labs, Remote Labs & Hands-On Practice Tools (EDAFABAH)

Keywords

• Venture building services
• AI consulting services
• Gaming incubator programs
• Digital transformation advisory
• Agile product development

Headquarters

HQ city

Valencia

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Incubation and Venture Building: Working as a venture builder, partnering with entrepreneurs and companies to co-develop technology products and AI solutions. Revenue likely comes from a mix of consulting fees, success-based compensation, and potentially equity stakes in successful ventures.
2. Kit Consulting Services: Government-subsidized consulting services for SMEs covering AI implementation, data analysis, digital sales, and business process optimization. Services priced at €6,000 each with government subsidy support.
3. PlayLAB Gaming Incubator: Free incubation program for video game developers in Catalonia, funded by Generalitat de Catalunya. No equity taken during incubation phase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

No Spoon Tech Lab is a venture builder and development lab that partners with entrepreneurs and companies as a hands-on team member to co-develop technology products and AI-powered solutions. The company operates two flagship programs: PlayLAB (a government-funded video game incubation, mentorship, and acceleration program in Catalonia) and Kit Consulting (subsidized AI and digital transformation advisory services for SMEs priced at €6,000 per service with up to €24,000 in government subsidy support).

Product overview

No Spoon Tech Lab operates as a venture builder offering two primary service programs: (1) PlayLAB - a video game incubator program in Catalonia providing mentorship, training, and acceleration services for gaming startups, and (2) Kit Consulting - subsidized digital advisory services helping SMEs adopt AI technologies and digital transformation. The company leverages its founders' experience (having sold their Akamon startup for €27M in 2015) to provide hands-on partnership and technology expertise to entrepreneurs and companies building AI-powered products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PlayLAB: Incubator, mentorship, and acceleration program for video game studios in Catalonia, supported by the Generalitat de Catalunya.
• PlayJoy Games
• Kit Consulting

Products and services

• PlayLAB A video game studio incubation, mentorship, and acceleration program for Catalonia that provides selected teams with expert support for project development, business capabilities improvement, and company growth. The program is fully funded by the Generalitat de Catalunya and includes online sessions and one in-person gaming industry event for networking with publishers and investors.
• Kit Consulting Digital advisory service helping SMEs apply Artificial Intelligence to their business. Offers government-subsidized consulting packages of €6,000 per service covering AI strategy, basic and advanced data analysis, digital sales, business process optimization, and 360-degree digital transformation advisory. Available subsidies of up to €24,000 support SME adoption.

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Generalitat de Catalunya - Direcció General d'Innovació i Cultura DigitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Government body that impulsed and funds the PlayLAB program. No Spoon Tech Lab was selected to manage this video game incubation program for Catalonia, with the program being free for participants.
• Exelweiss EntminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVideo game studio founded in 2000 by the No Spoon founders, representing their early entrepreneurial experience in the gaming industry before Akamon.
• PlayJoy GamesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial games company to connect people. No Spoon helped develop and accelerate PlayJoy, which has been recognized as a best startup. Joint project operating synergistically within the ecosystem.
• GoKoanflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAI-powered online exam preparation platform. No Spoon helped create GoKoan with 100% agile vision, launching MVP in just 3 months. GoKoan democratizes exam preparation with AI, generating qualified employment.
• KokorocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCognitive development games for children. No Spoon partnership focused on innovation with impact, supporting sustainable education technology.
• KoanlycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAI applied to training and education. Koanly provides AI solutions that No Spoon has helped deploy for clients like Fresh People and Euroinnova.
• Triple CherrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNext-generation casino software company. Part of No Spoon's gaming ecosystem portfolio.
• Play and Go ExperienceflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGamification, geolocation, AR/VR solutions that transform cities into augmented reality games. No Spoon helped Grefusa launch an innovative promotional campaign. Awarded for accessibility.
• Soul BreachcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiplayer RPG video game project within No Spoon's gaming ecosystem.
• World ChallengeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst board game with blockchain technology. No Spoon provided enormous support from the beginning, with agility and experience accelerating the project significantly.
• United Nations SDGscoreOthersNo Spoon aligns its incubation programs with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on SDG 8 (Decent Work), SDG 9 (Innovation), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Idealab: One of the longest-running US-based startup studios (founded 1996), creating companies across multiple verticals including tech. Comparable due to venture studio model, founder partnership approach, multi-vertical focus, and long operational history validating the model.
• Betaworks: NYC-based startup studio that builds and invests in companies from scratch, particularly in AI and emerging tech. Comparable due to venture studio model, co-founding approach, AI/internet focus, and similar methodology of building multiple companies in parallel.
• High Alpha: US-based B2B SaaS startup studio that co-creates companies with entrepreneurs, providing capital, business model design, and shared services. Comparable due to venture studio model, co-development approach, and focus on building tech-driven businesses.
• Demium Startups: Spanish startup incubator and talent investor focused on tech and digital startups, with locations across Spain and Europe. Comparable due to Spanish geography, incubation model, and startup support services targeting similar founder profiles.
• Wayra: Telefónica's open innovation hub and corporate-backed startup accelerator with strong presence in Spain and Latin America. Comparable due to corporate-backed acceleration, startup partnership model, Spanish ecosystem presence, and competition for the same AI/tech startups.
• Lanzadera: Valencia-based startup accelerator founded by Juan Roig (Mercadona), supporting Spanish entrepreneurs with funding, mentorship, and workspace. Highly comparable due to shared Valencia geography, Spanish venture building model, and similar services targeting early-stage tech entrepreneurs.
• Antler: Global venture builder with active presence in Spain (Madrid and Barcelona), co-creating startups from day zero with founders. Comparable due to venture building model, co-founder approach, and direct competition for the same pool of Spanish entrepreneurs seeking hands-on technical partners.
• Ship2B Ventures: Spanish impact venture builder investing in startups addressing social and environmental challenges. Comparable due to Spanish venture building model, impact orientation (No Spoon aligns with UN SDGs), and similar target founder profile.

Regional players

• GameBCN: Catalan video game industry cluster and ecosystem supporting gaming startups in Barcelona. Comparable due to gaming sector focus, regional presence in Catalonia (where PlayLAB operates), and similar support for emerging game studios and developers.

Others

• ENISA: Spanish public funding body providing participative loans to entrepreneurs and SMEs. While not a direct competitor, ENISA is an ecosystem partner that No Spoon helps portfolio companies access, making it an adjacent player in the same Spanish startup support ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nospoonlab
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/no-spoon-tech-lab/about

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about No Spoon Tech Lab