¿Por qué no?

What ¿Por qué no? does

¿Por qué no? (PQNO?) is a privately held Spanish boutique consultancy founded in 2007 and headquartered in Zaragoza, with a team of 12 employees. The firm operates under two service pillars: "Ciencia y transferencia" (Science and Transfer) and "Empresa e innovación" (Business and Innovation), delivering advisory, training, and facilitation services across ten named modules including Radar de la transferencia, Mapa de decisiones, Huella spin-off, Ruta de la valorización, Mentalidad exploradora, Rutas hacia el futuro, Nuevas formas de avanzar, Exploración de oportunidades, Guías de cambio, and Diseño de producto digital. Its primary client base spans Spanish universities and research institutions (notably CSIC, Universidad de Zaragoza, Universidad de Alicante, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and CIEMAT), large corporations (Mann+Hummel, Libelium, DKV Seguros, Hinojosa, Satel, Calier), and public administrations (Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza, Cámara de Comercio de Zaragoza, Fundación Ibercaja).

The firm does not produce a software product; its core "technology" consists of proprietary methodologies and frameworks (DeepTech Lean Canvas, MVP development guides, Macro Sources of Disruption, dashboard analytics for spin-off evolution) applied through consulting engagements, workshops, hackathons, and venture-building programs. The Brújula blog and an active LinkedIn presence serve as content marketing channels. The company is independently owned as a Sociedad Limitada (S.L.) with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or acquisition activity, and is registered under CIF B99497208.

Commercially, PQNO? operates on a project-based consulting model with pricing not publicly disclosed. Engagement is relationship-driven, with a notable concentration of strategic-tier partnerships with major Spanish research bodies and corporations, supplemented by minor partnerships with regional innovation hubs. The firm markets itself as a bridge between scientific research and market application, combining future design, agile strategy, and innovation culture work. No revenue figures, headcount growth trends, or hiring signals are disclosed in the available source material.

Name

¿Por qué no?

Legal name

¿Por qué no? Innovar. Diseñar. Crecer, S.L.

Website

https://porqueno.io

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

¿Por qué no? (PQNO?) is a Zaragoza-based boutique consultancy of 12 employees serving Spanish research institutions, universities, large corporations, and public administrations with science-to-market transfer, strategic foresight, and innovation culture services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Zaragoza

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

\u00bfPor qu\u00e9 no? (PQNO?) is a Spanish innovation consultancy that delivers advisory, training, and facilitation services in two domains: science-to-market transfer (helping universities, research institutions, and public organizations translate research into spin-offs and market-ready ventures) and business innovation (helping corporations design innovation strategies, transform culture, and develop new products). Engagements cover strategic foresight, transfer program design, spin-off impact measurement, venture building, agile transformation, startup scouting, and digital product design.

Product overview

¿Por qué no? (PQNO?) is a consulting firm organized around two main service areas: Science and Transfer (Ciencia y transferencia) and Business and Innovation (Empresa e innovación). Under Science and Transfer, they offer five service modules: Radar de la transferencia (strategic support for research institutions), Mapa de decisiones (analytics dashboards), Huella spin-off (spin-off impact measurement), Ruta de la valorización (scientific venture building), and Mentalidad exploradora (market-oriented training and AI applied to transfer). Under Business and Innovation, they offer five modules: Rutas hacia el futuro (strategic foresight and innovation planning), Nuevas formas de avanzar (agile organizational transformation), Exploración de oportunidades (trend monitoring and startup scouting), Guías de cambio (innovation ecosystem activation and venture building), and Diseño de producto digital (digital product design and UX). Their portfolio also includes tools such as DeepTech Lean Canvas, interview structuring tools, MVP development guides, and Macro Sources of Disruption frameworks. The company does not offer a software product but provides advisory, training, and facilitation services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Radar de la transferencia (Science and Transfer pillar) Strategic support service for scientific and university institutions to align transfer efforts, design transfer strategies, and create programs to boost knowledge transfer through quadruple helix innovation models.
• Mapa de decisiones (Science and Transfer pillar)
• Huella spin-off (Science and Transfer pillar)
• Ruta de la valorizaci\u00f3n (Science and Transfer pillar)
• Mentalidad exploradora (Science and Transfer pillar)
• Rutas hacia el futuro (Business and Innovation pillar)
• Nuevas formas de avanzar (Business and Innovation pillar)
• Exploraci\u00f3n de oportunidades (Business and Innovation pillar)
• Gu\u00edas de cambio (Business and Innovation pillar)
• Dise\u00f1o de producto digital (Business and Innovation pillar)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Spanish public research institution and the largest public research organization in Spain. PQNO? supports CSIC in innovation and transfer initiatives, including programs like EBTON hackathons and the CONVERGE innovation hub.
• Universidad de ZaragozacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Universidad de AlicantecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• CIEMAT (Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Fundación Parque Científico de MadridcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• EIT FoodcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Google for EntrepreneurscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Aitiip Centro TecnológicocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• HinojosacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• SatelcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• DKV SegurosminorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Fundación IbercajaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Ayuntamiento de ZaragozaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Cámara de Comercio de ZaragozaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• CalierminorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Universidad Complutense de MadridminorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Startup ValenciaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Escuela de Organización IndustrialminorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Mann + HummelminorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• LibeliumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• EIT Food: European knowledge and innovation community focused on the food sector, providing acceleration, venture building, and innovation ecosystem programs. PQNO? already collaborates with EIT Food; the relationship is thematic and ecosystem-adjacent rather than direct competitive.

Broad incumbents

• IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy offering futures design, design strategy, and digital product design. Comparable to PQNO?'s 'Rutas hacia el futuro' and 'Diseño de producto digital' services, but at much larger scale and international reach.
• McKinsey & Company: Global management consultancy with dedicated innovation, organization, and growth practices that overlap with PQNO?'s strategy foresight, intrapreneurship, and corporate innovation services. Not a like-for-like competitor on scale, but increasingly active in the European science transfer space.
• Boston Consulting Group (BCG): Global strategy consulting firm with a substantial innovation, technology, and digital transformation practice (BCG Platinion, BCG GAMMA). Overlaps with PQNO? on innovation strategy, portfolio design, and transformation mandates across large Spanish and European corporate clients.
• TECNALIA: Large Spanish applied research and technology development organization that supports companies and institutions in R&D, technology transfer, and innovation. Overlaps with PQNO? on the science transfer side but operates at a much larger scale with broader industrial focus.
• NTT Data (everis): Spain-rooted global consulting and technology services firm with dedicated innovation, digital transformation, and emerging tech practices. Comparable to PQNO? in corporate innovation and digital product design scope but at enterprise scale across EMEA.

Direct peers

• Insitum: Innovation consulting firm that helps organizations design and execute innovation strategies, with strong capabilities in digital product design and corporate transformation. Comparable to PQNO?'s 'Empresa e innovación' portfolio and digital product design service.
• CTIC Centro Tecnológico: Spanish technology center offering R&D, technology transfer, and innovation services to companies and public entities. Similar to PQNO? in bridging scientific output and market deployment, with comparable client base in Spanish regions.
• Opinno: Portuguese-origin innovation consulting firm with operations in Spain and Europe, focused on open innovation, corporate entrepreneurship, and innovation strategy. Highly comparable to PQNO? in service mix (intrapreneurship, foresight, digital product) and target segments.
• ZABALA Innovation Consulting: Spanish innovation and R&D management consultancy that helps organizations access public funding, manage technology transfer, and structure innovation projects. Directly comparable to PQNO? in operating model, geography, and target clients (universities, corporates, public administrations).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/porque-no

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 ¿Por qué no?