Prime Highlights:
- Around 600 startups are participating in the Barcelona Deep Tech Summit 2025.
- Nimble Diagnostics emerges as a standout startup, developing breakthrough technology in medical innovation.
Key Facts:
- Catalonia hosts 340 deep tech companies, with €174 million raised in funding.
- The summit expects over 2,500 visitors, underscoring Barcelona’s growing innovation ecosystem.
Background:
The Barcelona Deep Tech Summit started at Fira Gran Via, bringing together around 600 startups from different countries to show their latest technology and engineering innovations. The three-day event, running until Thursday, is expected to draw over 2,500 visitors, strengthening Barcelona’s position as a leading center for deep tech innovation in Europe.
Deep tech startups are those that work on cutting-edge scientific and engineering solutions designed to create a lasting impact on industries and society. According to the ACCIÓ 2024 report, Catalonia currently hosts 340 emerging deep tech firms, many of which are dedicated to health and life sciences, as well as information and communication technologies.
The event is promoted by Barcelona Activa, an organization that has supported 212 of these startups, 93 of which have collectively raised over €174 million in public and private funding. The initiative reflects Barcelona’s growing role as a European leader in nurturing high-tech entrepreneurship.
One of the main highlights of the summit is Nimble Diagnostics, a Catalan startup created by the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), and the University of Barcelona (UB). The company is developing a microwave-based technology that helps monitor metal implants in patients and plans to bring it to market by 2028. Nimble Diagnostics has already completed successful human trials after testing the technology on animals and is now preparing for a €12 million funding round.
Juan Baselga, Director of Services to Companies at Barcelona Activa, said that deep tech is essential for Europe’s competitiveness and for reducing its dependence on other countries. He said these companies need more support, visibility, and funding to grow.
Barcelona Activa runs several programs to help startups through mentoring, funding help, and networking. These efforts help companies grow quickly, work together, and build a stronger deep tech community in the region.
