4 Active ICT sectors in Spain during Covid-19
Just a few weeks ahead to closing this complex year 2020, we can summarize and assess which sectors have been most affected by Covid-19, as well as the business opportunities that have developed due to the new situation.
The pandemic has been a great example of the importance of investing in technology. Investment in ICT sectors has been active and growing, but what are the 4 main sectors that we should look at?
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Investments in order to change the energy dynamics in Spain and Europe continue to be very high.
A clear example of this is the commitment of the European Union. The 37% of the recovery plan of each country in the European Union will be used to promote clean technologies, the use of renewables and improving the energy efficiency of buildings or public transport. (read more here)
A real case is Velca – sustainable mobility. Last September, the start-up closed a capital increase of €750,000 through the Crowdcube platform in just 4 hours. ENERGY SOLAR TECH, a technology company that facilitates an energy outsourcing model without client investment, closed an investment round of €1,943,000, setting a new record in the Spanish crowdfunding market.
CONTACT LESS
Software oriented to carry out procedures from home, to interact from home or telework. That is, solve activities at a distance.
Happy Signals, the leading platform for employee experience management, also closed a Series A financing round of 4.7 million euros in September, led by Nauta Capital and Vendep Capital.
Homedoctor, application that allows you to be attended by emergency doctors from smartphones, was finalist for restartingtogheter.com, an acceleration program for Telefónica, ABB, BASF, CEMEX, AIRBUS, CITI, MAPFRE and 8 other large companies was announced.
Wolo, a digital platform for the real estate sector specialized in the rental market to facilitate negotiations between the owner and the tenant, received €570,000 of investment.
RE-OPEN
Another business opportunity is the re-opening of the sectors that have been drastically affected, closed or below minimums.
Nemuru, the fintech that allows professionals in the service sector to offer financing to their clients instantly, has raised a €2.6M financing round from InnoCells, Banco Sabadell, Bankia Fintech Venture, Antai Venture Builder, Encomenda, Lánzame, Plug and Play (US) and Scale Lab Andorra.
One of the most affected sectors has been real estate, with the drop in prices and the volume of buying and selling. Idealista.com, the main online platform for real estate classifieds in Spain, was acquired by the EQT fund for 1,321 million euros.
Paack, has been the largest investment round of a startup in Spain this year. The leading solution for same-day and next-day scheduled delivery in Europe, closed a Series C round of $53 million.
WELLNESS
The personal care sector, which with the combination of biotechnology, pharmacy and health, is consolidated as the most interesting for business angels and investors, who predict its great growth and continue to commit to it.
A clear example is that startups in the health sector in Catalonia have already raised 120 million euros of investment, surpassing the record reached in 2019.
2EyesVision, a technology that allows the patient to test the visual experience they would have after the implantation of different intraocular lenses, closed an investment round of €1.3M in November.Emjoy, a startup founded in Barcelona and dedicated to intimate well-being through audio sessions, closed in October a financing round of 2.5 million euros led by JME Ventures, and Nauta Capital.
