What Barcelona & Partners does

Barcelona & Partners is a non-profit investment attraction agency founded in 2021 by Barcelona Global (Associació Barcelona Global), headquartered at Travessera de Gràcia 17 in Barcelona, Spain. The agency provides free, 360-degree advisory services — covering opportunity definition, project definition, and operational setup — to international companies ranging from scale-ups to multinationals that are evaluating or establishing operations, innovation hubs, or R&D centers in Barcelona. Its work is organized around five sector specializations: Digital Tech (AI, deep learning, cybersecurity, cloud and edge computing), Advanced Manufacturing (robotics, IoT, 3D printing), Life Sciences (genomics, bioinformatics, medical devices, digital health), Climate Tech (blue economy, smart mobility, hydrogen, energy transition), and Gaming (mobile, console/PC, esports). Since launch the agency claims to have supported 43 international companies — including Sanofi, Bayer, PepsiCo, AstraZeneca, Microsoft, Intel, HP, Teladoc Health, King, and Scopely — representing over €1.7 billion in investment and more than 4,500 highly qualified jobs created.

The organization operates through a public-private funding model rather than fee-based revenue. It is backed by named private partners including Accenture, CBRE, Cuatrecasas, Deloitte, CaixaBank, Naturgy, Philip Morris, Ferrer, Aigües de Barcelona, Colonial, Comsa, Eurofirms, Claire Joster, Exea Impact, and Inmocolonial, alongside public partners ACCIÓ (Catalonia Trade & Investment), Ajuntament de Barcelona, Diputació de Barcelona, and Fira Barcelona. Research partnerships with the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), ICFO, and ALBA Synchrotron anchor the technical credibility of the offering. The agency does not sell a technology product, license intellectual property, or operate a SaaS platform; it functions as a strategic intermediary whose value proposition is curated access to Barcelona's 130,000+ digital professionals, 2,400+ startups, 200+ global corporate tech hubs, and 90+ research institutions.

Go-to-market relies on direct advisory engagements with company leadership, transatlantic investment missions (notably the Barcelona-New York Summit co-hosted with Cuatrecasas at IESE's New York campus), participation in major international conferences (Web Summit, VivaTech, NOAH Conference), publication of sector reports and one-pagers, and earned media placements including The Place Brand Observer's Place Brand Leaders Global Yearbook 2026. CEO Montserrat Puig leads the organization. The agency's primary KPIs — companies attracted, represented investment, and jobs created — function as outputs of a place-marketing and FDI facilitation function rather than as financial revenue metrics.

Name

Barcelona & Partners

Legal name

Associació Barcelona Global

Website

https://barcelonaandpartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Barcelona & Partners is a non-profit investment attraction agency founded in 2021 by Barcelona Global that provides free advisory services to international scale-ups and multinationals establishing operations, innovation hubs, and R&D centers in Barcelona across Digital Tech, Advanced Manufacturing, Life Sciences, Climate Tech, and Gaming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Funding from Private and Public Partners: Barcelona & Partners is a non-profit agency funded by major corporations and public institutions. The organization provides its investment attraction and advisory services free of charge to companies exploring or establishing operations in Barcelona, generating no direct revenue but operating through partner funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Barcelona & Partners is a non-profit investment attraction agency that provides free-of-charge advisory services to international companies seeking to establish or expand operations in Barcelona. Services span a 360-degree approach covering Opportunity Definition (exploring Barcelona for international expansion), Project Definition (collaborative planning), and Project Building (operational setup support), with specialized focus across Digital Tech, Advanced Manufacturing, Life Sciences, Climate Tech, and Gaming sectors.

Product overview

Barcelona & Partners operates as a non-profit investment attraction agency (initiative of Barcelona Global) that provides advisory services to help innovative companies establish and grow operations in Barcelona. The organization offers a unified service portfolio centered on investment attraction across five key sectors: Digital Tech, Advanced Manufacturing, Life Sciences, Climate Tech, and Gaming. Services include project ideation, business strategy development, operational setup support, ecosystem connections, market intelligence reports, investment mission coordination, and an Ambassadors Programme. The agency does not offer a technology product platform but rather serves as a strategic intermediary connecting international companies with Barcelona's talent pool, research institutions, and business ecosystem through public-private partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investment Attraction Advisory Services Free 360-degree advisory services for international companies seeking to establish operations in Barcelona, structured across three phases: Opportunity Definition (exploring Barcelona for international expansion), Project Definition (collaborative planning), and Project Building (operational setup support). Targeted at scale-ups and multinationals with direct economic impact on Barcelona.
• Sector Specialization Programs Focused investment attraction support across five key sectors: Digital Tech (AI, Deep Learning, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing), Advanced Manufacturing (Robotics, IoT, 3D Printing), Life Sciences (Genomics, Bioinformatics, Digital Health), Climate Tech (Blue Economy, Smart Mobility, Hydrogen), and Gaming (Mobile, Console, PC, Esports). Each sector has a dedicated one-pager and supporting reports.
• Ecosystem Connection Services Connects international companies with Barcelona's dynamic local ecosystem, including access to research institutions (BSC-CNS, ICFO, ALBA Synchrotron), universities, corporations, infrastructure operators, and public-private partnership networks to support market entry and long-term operational success.
• Investment Mission Coordination Organizes and leads investment missions across Europe, the United States, and other strategic hubs, including senior executive summits such as the Barcelona-New York Summit hosted at IESE Business School's New York campus, connecting with senior executives and investment leaders.

Quantifiable outcome

• 43 global companies attracted to Barcelona since 2021
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• AccenturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccenture is a private partner supporting Barcelona & Partners' investment attraction initiatives, collaborating on events and ecosystem development for Barcelona's innovation sector.
• CBREcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBRE is a private partner providing real estate expertise and supporting Barcelona & Partners in facilitating company relocations and expansions.
• CuatrecasascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCuatrecasas is a private partner providing legal expertise and co-hosting events such as the Barcelona-New York Summit for investment promotion.
• DeloittecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeloitte is a private partner contributing professional services expertise to support Barcelona & Partners' initiatives.
• NaturgysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNaturgy is a private partner supporting Barcelona & Partners' sustainability and climate tech initiatives.
• CaixaBanksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaixaBank is a private partner contributing financial sector expertise to Barcelona & Partners' ecosystem.
• Philip MorrissupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhilip Morris is a private partner supporting Barcelona & Partners' initiatives.
• FerrersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFerrer is a private partner supporting Barcelona & Partners' initiatives.
• ACCIÓ (Catalonia Trade & Investment)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACCIÓ is a public partner and government agency responsible for attracting and supporting foreign investment in Catalonia, providing data and strategic support to Barcelona & Partners.
• Ajuntament de Barcelona (Barcelona City Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarcelona City Council is a public partner providing municipal support and resources for investment attraction initiatives.
• Diputació de Barcelona (DIBA)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiputació de Barcelona is a public partner supporting Barcelona & Partners' initiatives.
• Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSC-CNS is a key research partner hosting the MareNostrum supercomputer and facilitating technology company partnerships.
• ICFO (The Institute of Photonic Sciences)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICFO is a research partner ranked among the top 3 photonics institutes worldwide, leading in quantum technologies and optical communications.
• ALBA SynchrotroncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerALBA Synchrotron is Spain's largest scientific infrastructure, attracting global talent for cutting-edge experiments and supporting deep tech research.
• IESE Business SchoolsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIESE Business School partners with Barcelona & Partners for events such as the Barcelona-New York Summit hosted at their New York campus.
• Asabys PartnerssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAsabys Partners is a venture capital firm co-founder participating in Barcelona & Partners events as moderator.
• Net PharmasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNet Pharma joined Barcelona & Partners to boost life sciences sector growth, bringing pharmaceutical expertise to the ecosystem.
• Fira BarcelonacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFira Barcelona is a public partner providing exhibition infrastructure for major events supporting Barcelona's innovation ecosystem.
• Plug and PlaysupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPlug and Play is an innovation platform partner connected through advisors like Natalia Olson-Urtecho.

Scale indicators21 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Business France: France's national agency supporting the international development of the French economy, with a dedicated Invest in France mandate to attract foreign direct investment. Broader geographic scope but directly comparable mandate.
• Enterprise Singapore (ESG): Singaporean government agency driving enterprise development and FDI attraction as a top-tier global innovation hub. Best-in-class comparator for the public-private model that Barcelona & Partners aspires to replicate at city scale.
• ICEX Invest in Spain: Spain's national investment promotion arm under ICEX, focused on attracting FDI to Spain with regional coordination. Provides the national-level context in which Barcelona & Partners operates as a city-level agency.

Direct peers

• Amsterdam inBusiness: Official foreign investment agency of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, providing free-of-charge advisory to companies expanding into Amsterdam across tech, life sciences, and fintech verticals. Closely mirrors the FDI attraction mandate.
• London & Partners: London's official investment promotion and tourism agency, operating the same public-private-funded model to attract international companies, talent, and FDI to a single city. Most direct analogue to Barcelona & Partners' mission, structure, and delivery model.
• Paris&Co: Paris's economic development and innovation agency that connects international companies, scale-ups, and innovators with the Paris ecosystem across priority sectors. Highly comparable in mandate, free-advisory model, and sector specialization approach.
• Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie: Berlin's public-private economic development agency offering free advisory to companies establishing operations in the city, with sector programs similar to Barcelona & Partners' Digital Tech, Life Sciences, and Advanced Manufacturing verticals.
• Copenhagen Capacity: Greater Copenhagen's investment promotion agency focused on attracting FDI to the Øresund region. Comparable public-private model and sector-focused approach to driving high-quality international investment.

Regional players

• hub.brussels: Brussels's public agency supporting the internationalization of Brussels-based companies and attracting FDI. Similar mid-sized European capital mandate, operating free advisory services through public-private collaboration.
• AICEP Portugal Global: Portugal's national trade and investment agency supporting FDI attraction and export development. Comparable Iberian-Mediterranean positioning with overlapping target sectors in tech and tourism-adjacent industries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInes.linkedin.com/company/barcelona-partners

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Barcelona & Partners