Let's face it; the online travel market is cluttered with oodles of white noise. We've all been there; the flights are booked for your impending voyage but now you're expected to play the dual role of travel agent and tour guide connoisseur to figure out what the hell to do when you get there. Some of you take to the information highway, studying sites like Tripadvisor for … [Read more...]
Apartum: your saving grace for holiday rentals
Remember the last time you planned a trip somewhere? Maybe you were lucky enough to hit the Samba shaking, caipirinha drinking shores of the beloved Rio de Janeiro or possibly a romantic weekend getaway to Paris. Whatever the weather, there is no doubt that your quest to find a holiday apartment was pretty damn difficult, laborious and time-consuming. You surely spent hours and … [Read more...]
Barcelona Startup Marfeel Raises $2 Million Series A
Marfeel, the Catalonia startup optimizing online publications on mobile devices, announced today the closing of their Series A round of $2 million led by Nauta Capital. Also included in the fundraising round are BDMI (Bertelsmann), Elaia Partners, and existing investor Wayra (Telefonica). Marfeel, founded in 2011 by Xavi Beumala and Juan Margenat, changes the way we … [Read more...]
Bihoop Announces Its First Success Story With Cuentis
Cuentis, an online publisher specializing in customizing illustrated books for both children and adults, has closed a €70.000 seed round using Bihoop’s equity crowdfunding platform. This is a major milestone for all parties involved as it marks the first successful exit on Bihoop and comes during a peak investment period for crowdfunding platforms worldwide. Bihoop was … [Read more...]
The Mayors of Barcelona and Paris Discuss a Partnership Between The Two Cities
Barcelona Mayor Xavier Trias is in Paris today to celebrate the kick off of the annual Salon du Livre, where Barcelona is the featured city guest, and meet with Parisian Mayor Bertrand Delanoë. The meeting will focus on a partnership between the two European capitals to increase the quality of life for their citizens. First on the agenda, is the effort both capitals are … [Read more...]
Barcelona and Hong Kong Team Up to Enable Global Innovation With A Smart City Collaboration
Barcelona took another step forward on Friday to become a global smart city leader. Antoni Vives, the head of Hábitat Urbano together with Nicholas Brooke, chairman of the Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation, announced the agreement to promote accelerated entry for Catalan companies into the Chinese market. The newest Smart City initiative will create a … [Read more...]
Success! Wayra Barcelona Startups Collect €3.000.000 In Funding
Wayra recently announced that their most recent class of startups out of the Barcelona incubator have raised more than €3m from outside investors following their Demo Day last week. Acting as a prelude to the TechCrunch Mobile BCN event and taking advantage of the influx of industry leading investors in town for Mobile World Congress, Wayra successfully hosted their 2nd Demo … [Read more...]
Softonic Receives €82 Million Investment From Partners Group
La Vanguardia reported yesterday that the Swiss investment management conglomerate Partners Group finalized the purchase of 30% equity in Catalan startup Softonic for €82 million. The deal gave a new current valuation of the Barcelona-based download giant of €275 million. Softonic is already a global force without the recent cash infusion. With more than 350 employees … [Read more...]