CosmoCaixa

What CosmoCaixa does

CosmoCaixa is a non-profit science museum located at C. Isaac Newton, 26 in Barcelona, Spain, operated by Fundación "la Caixa" (Fundación Bancaria Caixa d'Estalvis i Pensions de Barcelona). The museum opened in its current form in 2005 and serves individual visitors, families, and school groups with permanent and temporary science exhibitions, a full-dome planetarium, and educational programming for general public, family, and school audiences. Core offerings include the Sala Universo permanent exhibition, rotating temporary exhibitions such as "Extraterrestres: ¿hay vida fuera de la Tierra?", the Planetario with fulldome projection shows, and thematic campaigns including Cosmonits Biodiversidad, Cosmonauta, and the Especial eclipse program.

The business model is consumer-facing and transactional: general admission is €8 per person, with paid add-on activities ranging from €4 to €8 (planetarium shows, workshops, project activities). General admission is required to access most paid activities. Distribution runs through on-site ticket sales, an online ticketing platform (tickets.cosmocaixa.org), and a dedicated space rental channel for corporate and private events (reservaespacioscentros.fundacionlacaixa.org). Ancillary revenue comes from an on-site gift shop and café-restaurant. The museum operates seven days a week from 10:00 to 20:00 with 34 on-site employees.

CosmoCaixa is part of the broader CaixaForum cultural center network operated by Fundación "la Caixa", which spans nine locations across Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, Palma, Sevilla, Valencia, Zaragoza, Girona, Lleida, Tarragona). The foundation provides institutional backing, strategic direction, and shared marketing infrastructure including the CaixaForum+ mobile application and email newsletter systems. As a non-profit foundation entity, the museum has no external investors or venture funding; it is sustained through the parent foundation's endowment and operational revenues from ticket sales, rentals, and ancillary services. No digital products, applications, APIs, patents, or AI/ML capabilities are associated with the museum.

Name

CosmoCaixa

Legal name

Fundación Bancaria Caixa d'Estalvis i Pensions de Barcelona, "la Caixa"

Website

https://cosmocaixa.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CosmoCaixa is a non-profit science museum in Barcelona operated by Fundación "la Caixa", serving visitors, families, and schools with permanent and temporary exhibitions, a full-dome planetarium, and educational programming, funded through ticket sales, rentals, and foundation support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Museum

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Space & Astronomy Programs (EDAMABAE), Conference Centers & Dedicated Meeting Venues (THAHAAAB), Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Science museum exhibitions
• Planetarium shows
• Educational programming
• School field trips
• Event space rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. General Admission: Museum entry tickets sold directly to visitors at 8€ per person. Additional paid activities such as planetarium shows, workshops, and special exhibitions generate supplementary revenue.
2. Space Rental: Equipped conference rooms and adapted spaces available for rent for various types of events, providing venue rental revenue.
3. Retail and Food Services: On-site gift shop (tienda) and cafe-restaurant (cafe-restaurante) provide ancillary revenue from visitor spending.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CosmoCaixa is a science museum that sells general admission (8€) to its permanent and temporary exhibitions, full-dome planetarium shows, and themed educational activities to individual visitors, families, and school groups. It complements ticket revenue with paid workshops, special exhibitions, an on-site gift shop and café-restaurant, and event space rental for corporate and private functions.

Product overview

CosmoCaixa is a science museum operated by Fundación "la Caixa" in Barcelona, offering a unified visitor experience centered on permanent and temporary exhibitions, a full-dome planetarium, and diverse educational programming. The museum's core offerings include permanent exhibitions (such as Sala Universo), rotating temporary exhibitions (like Extraterrestres), and the Planetario as an immersive experience. These are complemented by educational programs for schools, families, and general audiences, plus special campaigns like Cosmonits Biodiversidad and Cosmonauta. The museum also offers space rental services for events. No digital product, app, or API is offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Planetario (Planetarium) Full-dome planetarium featuring astronomy shows and immersive Fulldome projections for educational experiences, available to general visitors with an additional 6€ fee on top of museum admission.
• Exposiciones Permanentes (Permanent Exhibitions) Permanent science exhibitions at the museum, including the Sala Universo (Universe Room) with exhibits on biodiversity and natural history; included with general museum admission.
• Exposiciones Temporales (Temporary Exhibitions) Rotating temporary science exhibitions on thematic topics (e.g., extraterrestrial life), included with museum admission and refreshed periodically.
• Actividades Escolares (School Programs) Structured science and culture activities for school groups, designed to enrich student learning, support teachers, and align with curriculum standards.
• Actividades Familiares (Family Programs) Family-oriented science activities and workshops designed for children and parents to engage with science together.
• Actividades Público General (General Public Programs) General public programming including lectures, cycles, and special science events for adult audiences.
• Alquiler de Espacios (Event Space Rental) Rental of equipped conference rooms and adapted event spaces within the museum for corporate meetings, conferences, and private gatherings.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Fundación 'la Caixa'coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCosmoCaixa is operated by Fundación Bancaria Caixa d'Estalvis i Pensions de Barcelona, 'la Caixa'. The foundation provides institutional backing, funding, and strategic direction for the museum as part of its cultural and social mission.
• CaixaForum NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCosmoCaixa is part of the CaixaForum cultural center network, which includes 9 locations across Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, Palma, Sevilla, Valencia, Zaragoza, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona). The network provides cross-promotional opportunities and shared cultural programming.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Science Museum (London): Major science museum in London with broad STEM exhibits, an IMAX cinema, and large-scale educational programming. Directly comparable to CosmoCaixa in mission, exhibit mix, and reliance on temporary special exhibitions to drive visits.
• Exploratorium: San Francisco-based interactive science museum emphasizing hands-on STEM learning. Comparable to CosmoCaixa's interactive, family-oriented science programming and education-focused mission.
• Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie: France's largest science museum in Paris, with a planetarium, permanent and temporary exhibitions, and educational programming. Highly comparable to CosmoCaixa in scope, audience, and family/school focus.
• California Academy of Sciences: San Francisco science museum and research institution combining a natural history museum, aquarium, and planetarium. Comparable to CosmoCaixa's diversified science offering with biodiversity focus (Sala Universo, Cosmonits campaigns).
• City of Arts and Sciences (Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias): Large science and cultural complex in Valencia, Spain, operated by the regional government. Directly comparable to CosmoCaixa as a Spanish science museum with permanent exhibitions, a planetarium/IMAX-style cinema, and educational programming for schools and families.
• Deutsches Museum: One of the world's oldest science and technology museums, located in Munich, Germany. Comparable to CosmoCaixa as a large-scale, interaction-focused science museum with permanent and temporary exhibitions, educational programs, and a planetarium.
• Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona: Natural history and science museum network in Barcelona, including the Museu Blau science museum. A direct peer within the same city and category, with permanent exhibitions, school programs, and visitor-based ticketing.

Broad incumbents

• CaixaForum Madrid: Flagship cultural center of the same Fundación 'la Caixa' network that operates CosmoCaixa. A direct sibling institution offering cultural exhibitions and events under the same brand and operational infrastructure.

Emerging players

• Imaginary (Instituto de Matemáticas): International traveling exhibition and outreach initiative focused on interactive mathematics. Comparable to CosmoCaixa's interactive STEM mission but operates as a roving/programming platform rather than a fixed museum.

Regional players

• Museo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (MUNCYT): Spain's national science and technology museum, with locations in A Coruña and Madrid. A national-scale peer to CosmoCaixa in the Spanish science museum landscape, with similar educational programming and exhibition-driven visitation model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cosmocaixa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 CosmoCaixa