> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://barna.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # BBVA Spark backs Catalan tech with €1.5bn - URL: https://barna.news/bbva-spark-backs-catalan-tech-with-1-5bn/ - Published: 2026-11-06T08:29:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-06T08:52:03.000Z - Description: BBVA Spark reaffirms commitment to Catalonia's tech sector, where it channels 45% of its Spanish business and supports 270 startups. - Author: Barna.News News Desk - Tags: Economy & Finance Video: @bbvaspark / IG ## Catalonia central to BBVA Spark’s growth strategy BBVA Spark, the banking group’s dedicated division for technology and high-growth companies, has reaffirmed its commitment to Catalonia as a core hub for innovation in Europe. The institution confirmed that Catalan businesses account for 45% of its national business volume in Spain and represent 43% of its Spanish client portfolio, with over 270 active clients in the region. These figures were presented during the BBVA Spark Summit 2026, held in Barcelona on Friday 6th November 2026, which brought together more than 300 entrepreneurs, investors, and technology leaders from across Europe and beyond. Attendees included representatives from over 200 startups and 100 investors managing a combined €55 billion through 70 national and international funds. --- ## €1.5bn in financing for tech firms Since its launch in 2022, BBVA Spark has committed €1.5 billion in financing to nearly 2,000 clients across Europe, around 500 of whom have active funding lines. In Spain, one in four of its specialised financing operations supports a Catalan company, which also accounts for 20% of the national volume of such transactions. Catalan firms backed by BBVA Spark include logistics platform Paack, travel tech company Exoticca, and fintech firms Payflow and Mitiga. These companies have used the financing to scale operations, develop new products, and expand into international markets. > With a client portfolio ranging from growing startups to technology companies with international reach, BBVA Spark has consolidated its position as a financial partner of the Catalan entrepreneurial ecosystem. Peio Belausteguigoitia, BBVA’s country manager in Spain, underscored the region’s strategic importance during a roundtable with Catalan tech leaders, including the CEOs of Mitiga, Frekuent, Bytetravel, and CFO of Innovamat. He highlighted Catalonia’s combination of talent, research infrastructure, and investor networks as key drivers of its global competitiveness. ### AI reshaping startup financing needs Miguel Ángel Alcalá, head of BBVA Spark in Europe, noted that artificial intelligence is accelerating product development and market entry but also intensifying global competition. He stressed that access to tailored bank financing, distinct from equity investment, allows startups to grow without excessive shareholder dilution. Bank financing, Alcalá explained, enables companies to invest in expansion, enter new markets, or extend runway between capital rounds. BBVA Spark specialises in assessing non-traditional metrics such as growth potential and technology viability, rather than relying solely on profitability. The bank’s venture lending model also extends to capital call financing for venture capital funds, providing them with liquidity to accelerate investments in early-stage firms. Catalonia’s prominence in BBVA Spark’s strategy reflects its standing as one of Europe’s leading technology hubs, with the capacity to generate scalable, globally oriented companies. The full details of BBVA Spark’s financing solutions are available on the [official BBVA website](https://www.bbva.com/en/enterprises/bbva-spark-reaches-e1-5-billion-in-financing-with-its-sights-set-on-europe/?ref=barna.news). --- *Sources:* [*Crónica Global*](https://www.cronicaglobal.cat/contingut-global/20261106/bbva-spark-reforca-aposta-catalunya-lemprenedoria-tecnologica/1003742809120%5F0.html?ref=barna.news)*,* [*Ara*](https://en.ara.cat/special-content/catalonia-concentrates-45-of-bbva-spark-s-business-in-spain%5F1%5F5901694.html?ref=barna.news)*,* [*bbva.com*](https://www.bbva.com/en/enterprises/bbva-spark-reaches-e1-5-billion-in-financing-with-its-sights-set-on-europe/?ref=barna.news)*.*