Niels & Priya(30)

Priya and I met during our computer science master in Utrecht. After graduating we built a fintech app for micro-investments. In Amsterdam the startup scene was competitive but expensive: an office for four people cost €2,800 per month, developers asked €55,000 starting salary, and investors expected Silicon Valley-style growth. We looked for an alternative.

Barcelona's tech ecosystem is growing explosively. The Mobile World Congress is there, universities deliver talent, and the Ley de Startups of 2023 offers concrete advantages: reduced corporate tax of 15% for the first four years, accelerated NIE procedures for startup employees, and access to ENISA loans — government-guaranteed loans up to €300,000 for young companies.

We set up our SL in four weeks for €2,400 through a gestoría specialized in tech startups in the 22@ district. The paid-in capital was €3,000. Our office in a startup hub in Poblenou costs €1,200 per month for four workstations including meeting room, fiber optic and coffee. In Amsterdam we paid double for half.

Priya has an Indian background and could get a special work visa through the Ley de Startups that was approved in eight weeks — versus six months for a regular work visa. Our first Spanish employee — a frontend developer from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya — cost us €32,000 gross per year. The social contributions of 30% are high, but the total package is still 25% cheaper than in the Netherlands.

The investor landscape in Barcelona is international. We closed a seed round of €500,000 with a combination of Spanish and German investors. The Catalan government offered us €15,000 in subsidies through the ACCIÓ program for innovative startups. The ecosystem is smaller than Amsterdam, but the mutual support is stronger — founders help each other.

Living in Barcelona as young entrepreneurs is affordable and inspiring. Priya and I share an apartment in Sant Antoni for €1,400 per month. We eat lunch for €12 at the menú del día restaurant around the corner. After work we sit on the terrace at Barceloneta. The work ethic here is different: Spaniards work hard, but there's always time for a coffee break and a conversation. That human element makes Barcelona unique as a startup hub.