Masia has closed its €18M debut fund to invest in early-stage AI and frontier tech companies with a Barcelona connection, and opened Masia House to bring its founders, international investors and LPs together.
Masia combines early-stage investment with access to international investors, talent and expertise, supported by a community of founders, operators and more than 70 LPs. Masia House gives that network a physical home in Barcelona, where local and visiting founders and investors can build relationships through regular contact, helping companies find the connections and support they need to scale globally.
Carlos Trenchs, Co-founder and Chairman at Masia, commented:
“The moment for Barcelona is right now. We launched Masia’s first fund last year because we saw Barcelona’s tech ecosystem was nearing a tipping point, and we wanted to connect successful LPs and international VCs in the city with talent choosing to build and scale global frontier tech businesses from here.
Masia House is the next step in that mission, providing a physical space because we know capital alone doesn’t create innovation. It happens when ambitious people repeatedly encounter other ambitious people.”
Barcelona’s growth as a technology hub is reflected in the latest investment figures. Startups in the city attracted €1.175 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 14 per cent year-on-year1.
The city also ranks as the European Union’s sixth-largest hub for deeptech startup funding, with €610 million raised between 2020 and 20242. More than 70 LPs backed the fund, including successful technology founders, executives, and experienced investors, as well as two institutional investors.
Beyond capital, this investor base contributes expertise and connections to Masia’s founder community. Since launching in 2025, Masia has invested in 46 companies, representing 60 founders.
The fund has co-invested with 60 international and specialist VC firms, including Common Magic, Nina Capital, Point Nine, and Lunar Ventures. Portfolio companies have subsequently attracted investment from firms including a16z, DST Global, Norrsken VC, Y Combinator and Initialized Capital.
Portfolio companies include Biorce, which uses AI to transform clinical trials and announced a $52m Series A earlier this year; Prosper, which uses AI to manage the patient journey and raised $30m led by a16z; and
, an AI-native identity platform backed by Y Combinator.
Pepe Borrell, Founding Partner at Masia Fund, added:
“We’re already seeing companies we backed last year raise Series A rounds and expand into the US. Our focus is on founders using AI and frontier technology to address significant market opportunities, with international ambition from the outset.
We want to support that growth through both investment and access to people who can help them scale.”
Spanning more than 1,000 m² across four floors in Barcelona’s Gràcia neighbourhood, Masia House gives the community a physical home. Its workspaces, meeting rooms, accommodation for visiting investors, and terrace are designed to bring founders, international VCs and experienced operators together for working sessions, private dinners and informal encounters.
A further project on the ground floor, planned for Q1 2027, will engage the wider Barcelona frontier tech ecosystem.
Carlos Trenchs added:
“Masia is rooted in Barcelona, but our ambition is global. We want Masia House to become a home for founders building international companies and investors looking to connect with them.
We aim to build one of Europe’s most connected communities, giving founders access to the talent, expertise, and capital they need to scale. When founders and investors come to Barcelona, we want Masia to be their first call.”
With the fund’s close and the launch of Masia House, the team has grown to seven people.
Masia welcomed Gemma Torruella to lead operations; she brings more than 20 years of experience launching initiatives and implementing strategies across Spain’s financial and entrepreneurial sectors.
Cathy White has joined as Fractional CMO; a Barcelonian-by-choice, she has worked across the European tech and venture ecosystem for over 15 years, with roles across agencies and at Seedcamp.
Lead image: Masia Partners Pepe Borrell and Carlos Trenchs. Photo: Pol Du Camp.
