In the startup world, most of the focus is on major funding rounds. While these are surely important to survive, they are not an end, but just the beginning! This is why we are bringing the most innovative high-tech companies with big ambitions and the potential to disrupt entire industries back into the spotlight. Here are our top picks:
Ailin
Ailin is a diagnostic support solutions platform founded in 2021, which offers people a convenient, efficient and safe way to monitor their health from the comfort of their home. The business model is based on easy-to-use self-test kits and result interpretation software which allows clinicians to interpret results in a fraction of the time.
Why we are excited about them: Ailin has collected 1,500,000 euros in seed-financing in February 2024 in a round led by Decelera Ventures and CDTI. By incorporating AI-algorithms into their diagnostics software and by expanding the team the company targets to exceed 10.000 patients by the end of 2024 and to increase its revenues by a factor of 10x. The company’s founder and CEO, Isabel Caruana was voted Entrepreneur of the year 2024 by the Madrid city council.
Floatech
Floatech, a 2021 spin-off of the IMDEA Materials Institute, designs and produces nanostructured silicon anodes for lithium-ion batteries. Compared to traditional anodes, these can be produced at significantly lower cost and emissions, and more importantly can improve battery capacity by a factor of 10x and reduce charging times by 75%.
Why we are excited about them: Floatech has raised 1,200,000 euros in seed-financing in 2023 in a round led by GROW Venture Partners with Big Sur Ventures and CDTI Innvierte. According to Founder and CTO Dr. Juan José Vilatela, these funds are being used to build a pilot production facility in which the anodes can be validated with automotive clients targeting to secure supply for their electric vehicle gigafactories starting 2026.
g2-Zero
g2-Zero, a 2020 spin-off of CSIC, is developing single-photon sources for the emerging market of quantum technologies. The company´s patented technology enablea vibration-resistant and alignment-free control of quantum states. This addresses a key challenge in scaling quantum technologies from the lab to practical applications.
Why we are excited about them: After tapping into over 1,000,000 euros in public funding in prior years, g2-Zero raised 320,000 euros in seed-financing in April 2024 in a round led by FI Nvest with participation of B5tec and Hamamatsu Photonics Corporate Venture Capital. According to Benito Alen, co-founder and scientific advisor of g2-Zero these funds will be used to expand the team in R&D and business development to be able to supply different industrial players with their sources.
KD
KD develops and sells semiconductor chips that enable high-speed connections over optical fibers. The company´s cost-effective, yet lightweight technology which is not affected by electromagnetic interferences perfectly solves the challenges for in-vehicle networks and has successfully developed into a benchmark in the automotive market being implemented by pioneering brands such as Mercedes.
Why we are excited about them: In April 2024, KD raised 900,000 euros in a follow-up investment round with participation of CDTI, Bullnet Capital and Critical Venture Tech. Under the leadership of founder and CEO Carlos Pardo, the company is working on a multi-gigabit system that will fulfill the future needs of connected vehicles and continues to expand into industrial and consumer markets with applications for machine-to-machine and Smart Home networks.
Nanological
Nanological was founded in 2021 as a spin-off of the Spanish National Research Council CSIC. Combining optics, nanomechanics and machine learning, the company develops medical devices for the rapid diagnosis of sepsis in its initial stages. Sepsis is the leading cause of hospital death worldwide with about 11 million deaths per year mainly due to being detected too late.
Why we are excited about them: In November of 2023, Nanological raised 600,000 euros in its first round of financing with participation from Clave Capital. According to founder and CEO Blanca Caballero, the closing of this round represents a boost to advance and improve its disruptive technology, placing Nanological one step closer to revolutionizing the way in which a disease as serious as sepsis is diagnosed.
These startups have one thing in common: their innovative approaches position them as key players to watch in their respective industries. Join us in rooting for their success and be prepared for them to make headlines soon.
