Hello friends,
Finally, it was time again for 26 VCM members for “the VCM is going out,” and that in none other than the startup metropolis of Barcelona.
Day 1 – Tapa Tapas
After a super comfortable flight from Cologne to Barcelona, we were greeted straight away by the Spanish sun. Impressed by all the little charming alleys, we headed to our hostel first. We then wrapped up the evening together at a tapas bar. There was something for every taste—from shrimp to olives.
Day 2 – On top of Barcelona
Today we were, of course, totally hyped to get a tour of one of the biggest tech hubs in the world. With over 11,000 m² of space, Tech Hub Barcelona offers room for corporations, startups, investors, incubators, and institutions. The tour gave us a solid first impression of the resident startups. We were all very impressed by how broad the topics are—ranging from toys to nuclear fusion plants to novel payment methods, everything was represented. Some German startups have also found a place in the Tech Hub, such as clockin, which offers hourly hotel‑room bookings through its app.
On the rooftop, with probably the best view over the harbor, we were finally able to ask all our questions.
In the afternoon we returned to the Tech Hub for a visit with Antai Ventures. All the VC nerds among us got their fill here. Antai Ventures invests in early‑stage startups or initiates joint ventures. JVs are startups that originate from the VC itself. We then got to meet the two co‑founders of one of these JVs. They are trying to revolutionize immediate mental‑health support in the healthcare sector with their platform.
Day 3 – From gambastic startups
On Thursday we headed straight in the morning to a conference room where we had invited several startups. First up was Yumminn. This platform gives restaurants an end‑to‑end solution—from virtual ordering of dishes to reviews. The biggest takeaways were that when founding a company you should study the market thoroughly beforehand, and that founding can turn your whole life upside down.
Our next guest, a VC from Plug and Play Ventures, took us into the world of a VC analyst. Plug and Play’s investment portfolio includes startups like N26 and PayPal. Here we also got very candid insights from the founder of REVER after the pitch. In e‑commerce they want to dramatically improve the returns process and refunds. Our takeaways are that a young, dynamic team and a strong growth focus are among the secret ingredients.
After two days packed with new insights, we let the evening wind down at the Bunkers del Carmel and kept chatting about our impressions of Barcelona’s startup scene well into the sunset and beyond.
Day 4 – Vamos a la playa
On our free day we explored the city in small groups. Some brave beach‑goers jumped into the sea and enjoyed the sand beneath their feet. The hardcore sightseeing crew checked out several of Gaudí’s works and made sure not to miss the most exciting museums. The city wanderers tracked down the best shops in the downtown area and spent lunch at the market. Either way, we made good use of the last day and let the startup tour end on a perfect note.
Day 5 – !Hasta pronto!
Packed with a ton of new impressions and memories, we say goodbye to what is probably the sunniest startup stronghold. This startup tour has definitely made VCM history. And what can I say— with such great group dynamics, I can only look forward to the next startup tour. So until then, hasta pronto.
