Parlem Telecom and Inveready create a tech startup accelerator

• The program, which is called Parlem Ventures and starts today, involves the participation of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, the i2CAT Foundation, the Mobile World Capital Barcelona and the Department of the Vice-Presidency, Digital Policies and Territory.
• Addressed to entrepreneurs from Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and the Valencian Community, Parlem Ventures will boost technological seed stage startups that offer B2B solutions.
• Annually six startups will be selected in two rounds. Each of them will candidate for up to 100k € convertible loans from Parlem Telecom and Inveready.

18 January, 2022

Parlem Telecom and Inveready have joined forces to create Parlem Ventures, a new startup acceleration program for technological entrepreneurs in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and the Valencian Community.

The joint initiative by the telecommunications operator and the Venture Capital management company, which also includes the participation of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, the i2CAT Foundation and the Mobile World Capital Barcelona (MWCapital), as well as the Department of the Vice-Presidency, Digital Policies and Territory of the Generalitat de Catalunya, will foster emerging companies in the “seed stage” prioritizing projects that offer B2B (business-to-business) innovative technological solutions.

A Selection Committee with representatives from the six Parlem Ventures partners will select a total of 6 winning startups annually, the six of which will have access to a pilot test with Parlem Telecom, as well as the opportunity to become strategic allies or integrate themselves into one of the company’s departments. Besides, both Parlem Telecom and Inveready will be able to allocate a total of €600k in convertible loans. More specifically, each project will be eligible for an up to €50k loan from the telecommunications operator and an up to €50k loan from the Venture Capital management company. The 6 emerging projects will be selected in two annual rounds where three projects will be picked up respectively in the Pitch Day. The first round was launched today, January 18, 2022.

Parlem Ventures, which allows the participation of up to 15 projects per round, offers training sessions (workshops) and consulting (mentoring) by experts from Parlem Telecom, Inveready, i2CAT, Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and MWCapital and Digital Politics for entrepreneurs. These individual and group sessions, which will encourage networking among participants, will address key aspects in the development of a startup, such as access to public funding, the structure of funding rounds, the development of business plans or the possibilities of internationalization. In addition, Mobile World Capital will train entrepreneurs in the uses of 5G technology (such as edge computing or the application of the Internet of Things) and the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce will conduct an in-depth analysis of the small & medium enterprise sector, while i2CAT will help entrepreneurs develop the product’s first versions and strengthen the technological pillars of the project based on the digital ecosystem of innovation. The meetings will be held in the Chamber’s different working spaces and, mostly, in the new HUB cambraDigital of Barcelona, a more than 500 square meter space recently inaugurated with the aim of boosting productivity among entrepreneurs and SMEs through the promotion of digital transformation.

The Parlem Ventures launch was made official in an event at the HUB cambraDigital with Jordi Puigneró, Vice President and Minister of Digital Policies and Territory of the Generalitat de Catalunya; Ernest Pérez-Mas, CEO of Parlem Telecom; Aniol Brossa, operating partner of Inveready; Carlos Grau, CEO of MWCapital; Mònica Roca i Aparici, president of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, and Joan Manel Martín, managing director of the i2CAT Foundation.

About Parlem Telecom

Parlem Telecom is a Catalonian telecommunications operator founded in 2014 that offers comprehensive telecommunications services, both for individuals and companies from Catalonia and in Catalan. It is committed to customer proximity and to building an identity of its own. Chaired by Ernest Pérez-Mas, the company  is in an expansion phase and was featured among the 200 fastest growing companies in Europe in the annual Financial Times top 1,000 for the last two consecutive years.

Since June 2021, Parlem Telecom has been listed on the BME Growth market. Located in the 22@ district of Barcelona, Parlem Telecom is a cutting-edge operator that develops innovation projects, such as 5G pilots in the metropolitan area or artificial intelligence projects in Catalan, while also being highly involved in promoting the country’s ICT sector. The Parlem Empreses business line offers multiple innovative technological solutions tailored to the needs of each company and is currently planning to open physical stores in Catalonia. Parlem Telecom’s goal is to become a large telecommunications group with regional operators in other Catalan-speaking territories and in Europe, that very much adapt to and suit the social and cultural identity of each area. In this sense, the newly created operator Aproop offers proximity and integral mobile, internet and landline services to the Valencian Region.

About Inveready

Inveready is one of the leading private equity managers in Spain, investing in different specialized sectors (Information Technology, Life Sciences, Venture Debt, Alternative Markets and Private Equity) and companies with a strong technological and innovative component part. Founded in 2008, Inveready’s portfolio consists of 160 active companies, +50 successful disinvestments and more than €600M assets under management.

Some of Inveready’s portfolio companies have been acquired by multinationals such as Intel, Symantec, IBM and Facebook, while others are listed on alternative markets such as NASDAQ, BME Growth, AIM London and Euronext Growth. Based in Sant Sebastián, Inveready also has offices in Barcelona and Madrid and the return of its funds and transactions has been acknowledged by ASCRI and Preqin on several occasions.

About Mobile World Capital Barcelona

The Mobile World Capital Barcelona is an initiative that fosters the digital development of society and helps improve people’s lives globally. With the support of the public and private sector, MWCapital focuses on four areas: the acceleration of innovation through digital entrepreneurship, the transformation of industries through digital technology, the rise of digital talent among new generations and professionals, and the reflection on the impact of technology in our society.

The Mobile World Capital Barcelona programs are positively transforming the economy, education and society. It also hosts MWC in Barcelona and founded 4 Years From Now (4YFN), the startup business platform present at MWC events around the world.

AboutBarcelona Chamber of Commerce

The Barcelona Chamber of Commerce offers cross-sectorthud  services to companies, contributing to the economic and business development of the entire productive network. The corporation follows the Catalunya 2030/40 project roadmap, which aims to build a new economic model that contributes to a more internationalized, socially responsible, environmentally sustainable and high added value Catalonia.

About HUB cambraDigital

The HUB cambraDigital is a diverse, multipurpose and technological space with the objective of dynamising and integrating the different Barcelona Chamber of Commerce action strategies. This new space promotes the integration of ICT, innovation and internationalization in the business plans of SMEs and entrepreneurs, in order to better cope with the present and future challenges of digital transformation. The HUB is located at the Chamber’s headquarters, at 452 Diagonal Avenue.

About i2CAT Foundation

The i2CAT Foundation is a RESEARCH center for research and innovation in advanced digital technologies. Since 2003, i2CAT promotes the digital society of the future based on the knowledge that results from the development of projects and R+D+I activities on technologies such as 5G, IoT, VR and immersive technologies, cybersecurity, blockchain, artificial intelligence, New Space and technologies for the digital society. i2CAT Foundation Works

with companies, public administrations, academic institutions and users to apply this knowledge to solving social and business challenges.

About Digital Politics

The Department of the Vice-Presidency and of Digital Policies and Territory of the Generalitat de Catalunya implements and coordinates ICT related governmental policies, with the aim of making Catalonia a digital and empowered nation with a connected and decarbonized territory, generating equal opportunities for all citizens wherever they live, and with innovation as the driving force of the new digital economy.

For more information: 

Ana Lorente – Mobile World Capital Barcelona 

alorente@mobileworldcapital.com 

639 775 288