If you’re new to Barcelona, or you’re just about to dive headfirst into the Barcelona startup scene, your head must be swimming with questions. What do I need to know before moving to Barcelona? How do I set up a company there? Is Barcelona a good place for my company’s new tech center?
Don’t worry, Barcelona Startup News has got you covered. We spend all our time talking to people who have been there, done that, and we’ve gathered the wisdom that they have gained through their own experience, the mistakes they’ve made and the lessons they’ve learned. Our articles are designed to help you find the information you need and make an objective decision about whether Barcelona is the right place for you. And we really hope it is!
Here you will find everything you need to know about moving to Barcelona, starting a startup, opening a development center, finding and hiring tech talent and scaling your team – so basically everything about personal and business relocation and being an expat in tech hub Barcelona.
Read on for success stories and advice from individuals and companies that are already a part of Barcelona’s tech and startup ecosystem.
Barcelona has earned the right to call itself an international tech hub. It’s super well-connected and it’s doing everything to establish and maintain its international relations in business and entrepreneurship. One of its key efforts is attracting people from abroad and creating an environment where locals and foreigners can work … more of this 'Moving to Barcelona' post
Barcelona is an intimidating city. It’s competitive. It’s full of brilliant people who work hard and fuel the startup machine that the city is turning into. The sunny beaches and afterwork drinks are not starting points: they’re rewards for determination and hard work. All of the above can make you … more of this 'Moving to Barcelona' post
Thinking about moving to Barcelona, but scared of all the paperwork that’s awaiting you here? The Spanish bureaucratic system gets such a bad rap that people actually get discouraged to move to Spain or start a business here. Some of the horror stories they may have heard certainly don’t paint … more of this 'Moving to Barcelona' post
Barcelona is everything but a boring city, but one does get tired of visiting the same touristic spots and going to the same restaurants and parties after a while. If you need some inspiration to change it up a bit and find some unusual, a bit weird yet extremely fun … more of this 'Moving to Barcelona' post
No matter if you’re a local or an expat, if you live in Barcelona, you know that summers can get a little tough around here. It’s not just the heat and the tourists – although these certainly play a role – it’s just the fact that you’re living in a … more of this 'Moving to Barcelona' post
Would you have thought that the Catalan capital is probably one of the most geek-friendly cities in the world? No judgment here: with us, geek is not a pejorative term. We’re all obsessed with everything tech, science and superpowers. And so is Barcelona! Here’s why the tech startup hub is … more of this 'Moving to Barcelona' post
Everyone loves Barcelona, there’s no question about that. We adore the distinctive Catalan culture, the unique, offbeat and free-spirited vibe of the city, and the unrestricted lifestyle that anyone can have here, no matter where you’re from. However, after a few weeks of living in Barcelona as a foreigner, you … more of this 'Moving to Barcelona' post
When he was offered a position at a large company in Barcelona, Marcos didn’t hesitate much before saying yes. The pull of one of Europe’s largest tech and startup hubs and the opportunities promised by relocation proved stronger than the fact that in his native Brazil, he enjoyed the freedom … more of this 'Moving to Barcelona' post
When you’re starting your own business, the last thing you want to focus on is legal matters. You’ve already got enough on your plate trying to develop your project, manage your expenses and not get into fights with your co-founders. That said, legalities are a necessary evil and you have … more of this ‘Starting a company’ post
Did you know that Zopa, one of the first fintech businesses in the world, has opened a development center in Barcelona? The UK-based company, known for its unsecured personal loans and peer-to-peer investment products, has recently landed in our city, and they’re building something fascinating. A team of some of … more of this ‘Starting a company’ post
If you’ve ever read any of our posts, you’ll know that we’re all for Barcelona. We believe that it’s a city full of opportunities for startups and tech companies of any kind, local or foreign. But, even we have to admit that each case is unique, and Barcelona may not … more of this ‘Starting a company’ post
With such a high demand for the best developers in the game, it’s become commonplace for tech companies to try to attract tech talent by attempting to outbid the competition any way they can. What most of them don’t realize is that a good location can be an absolute game-changer … more of this ‘Starting a company’ post
Why Barcelona? Let’s break this down. We keep making claims like “entrepreneurs are choosing Barcelona over Berlin or London” and “Barcelona is turning into a cluster of innovative tech ventures unparalleled in Europe”. But we rarely go into detail about why we’re being so conceited. What is it about Barcelona … more of this ‘Starting a company’ post
The best things about an international city like Barcelona is that it’s like a portal to other parts of the world. You can virtually be anywhere around the globe without ever having to leave the city. And we don’t just mean that you can have dinner at a Lebanese restaurant … more of this ‘Starting a company’ post
World Tech Makers, a coding bootcamp highly renowned in South America and the US, has arrived in Barcelona and will be starting its first course on 6 November. A tight-knit team of three professors, they’re more like a startup than a school, and their good vibes could make even the … more of this 'Tech talent' post
There can be no doubt that Human Resources is undergoing a change. Digitalization and innovation inspired by the startup philosophy is transforming the way that departments within a company function, and HR is no exception. What role does HR have in the growth of a digital business? Is the future … more of this 'Tech talent' post
What if I told you someone who runs an incubator in Barcelona believes that there are far more important things than having a business plan when setting up a startup? Francisco Badia, an entrepreneur himself and a well-respected strategic advisor for companies and investors, firmly believes that the most important … more of this 'Tech talent' post
Tamsen Wassell is something of a hiring activist. She believes that the HR practices we use today are completely obsolete and need to be disrupted immediately. Travelling back and forth between the United States and Barcelona, where she lives as an expat, Tamsen works with companies to help them make … more of this 'Tech talent' post
Have you ever found yourself wishing you could go back in time and study software engineering instead of whatever else you did at university? There’s no shame in wanting to become a developer now, when technology is seeping into every aspect of our lives, and coding is one of the … more of this 'Tech talent' post
It is our greatest pleasure to report that within the walls of office buildings in Barcelona, an important conversation is going on about something that matters. One intersection of this conversation is at the offices of NetSuite/Oracle in Barcelona, a hub of creative and socially sensitive thinkers who believe that promoting … more of this 'Tech talent' post
The first few weeks after graduation is a curious phase in everyone’s life who has ever been a student in an institute of higher education: you get a paper saying that you’ve mastered your trade, and you’re ready to go and be an adult from now on. But that’s it. … more of this 'Tech talent' post
Thanks to the zillions of bright ideas brought to life by startups popping up all over the city, Barcelona has a homegrown app or website to help you solve pretty much any problem whatsoever (you’ll know this if you follow our stories). We’ve discovered yet another promising startup that’s making … more of this 'Tech talent' post
As an ambitious entrepreneur, you know there’s nothing like being surrounded by like-minded professionals who inspire and motivate you to persevere through hard times. A strong network is a source of opportunity, wisdom and helpful connections. However, if the thought of “selling yourself” to a bunch of strangers seems daunting, … more of this 'How to' post
Congratulations, startup founder, you’ve managed to schedule a coffee date or a phone call with a journalist who works for a prestigious publication. So what now? How do you gear up for the interview? How do you make sure that you get the most out of this fleeting opportunity? Here … more of this 'How to' post
The Great Question. We’ve all asked it before. Now let’s address it. Let’s open a discussion about the ontology of startups. We talk about startups all the time as if their existence was unquestionable and as if they’d been around since the beginning of time. And yet, grasping the difference … more of this 'How to' post
Even though we’re well into the second half of July, summer in Barcelona is far from over. The hot and sunny days will stretch well into September, and many of us are wondering: how are we supposed to stay focused and motivated at work in a city that’s constantly full … more of this 'How to' post
Let’s get this straight. Some wordplays are OK, others are not. There are creative names that you can give your startup that actually serve to distinguish your brand and give character to it, and there are ridiculous abominations that do more to scare away your potential customers than to attract … more of this 'How to' post
How would you put together a legendary tech startup team? When it comes to finding a bunch of superstars like The Avengers or The Expendables of software development, you can’t just hire whoever has the best technical knowledge (although that stuff is important too). There are certain traits that you need to … more of this 'How to' post
Do you often find yourself staring out the window, imagining that you’re one of the most successful tech moguls in the world, a real self-made hero that everyone looks up to? Have you already written your acceptance speech for every business award on Earth, and prepared a couple of motivational … more of this 'How to' post
The more time we spend talking to startup founders and entrepreneurs, the more obvious the typical mistakes that many startups make at an early stage seem to become. Of course, every situation is different, and the stress that comes with starting your own company may work against sobriety and reason, … more of this 'How to' post