Creative startups driving digital art in Barcelona

The ecosystem has matured. And quickly. According to recent data from Acció, Catalonia is home to 2,403 start-ups that generate 3 billion euros in turnover. Employment in this sector has grown by 34%. These figures invite reflection. Behind every number is a team of creators. People who have decided that screens are their new canvases.

Photo by lavanguardia.com

Beyond the Pixel: The New Generation of Studios

Let us walk through the corridors of the ISE or 4YFN fair. There they are. Restless minds. One example is Into Reality. They have developed a platform that places you at the centre of live cultural events. The best thing? You can change camera simply with your gaze. 8K resolution. No remote controls. It is like having a superpower. But it is real.

Then there is Emogg. Their obsession is the audience. They have created software that analyses gestures and postures. Micro-expressions that nobody sees with the naked eye. They measure whether a message truly connects. It works for events of up to 2,000 people. Goodbye to boring surveys. Hello to emotional data.

We cannot forget Framemov. They are committed to interaction. Their “Dynamic Persona” proposal uses artificial intelligence to generate unique content. The audience does not watch. It participates. Every spectator movement transforms the experience. It is art that breathes. That responds.

Digital events are a modern trend that is becoming the new norm. Similarly, the new reality requires the use of global VPN services to access them. VPN servers allow private access, even if these events have geographical restrictions.

Institutional Support: When the City Bets Big

Barcelona Activa is clear about it. For them, the ISE fair is a “global showcase”. It is not only business. It is visibility. This year, they brought six start-ups to show their talent. The aim is to connect with investors from all over the world. The city acts as a launch platform.

On the other hand, the ICEC, under the Catalan Arts brand, has also made its move. At this year’s 4YFN, ten Catalan companies occupy their own space. It was the first edition of the “Catalan Arts Agora”. A place to present projects. To create synergies. To demonstrate that there is quality here.

Among them, names such as Immersive Creatures stand out. They combine storytelling with augmented reality. They tell visual stories for brands and the cultural sector. Also Zertifier, which uses blockchain to certify technological art. They use NFC and NFT to verify authenticity. A bridge between art and digital security.

Total Immersion: Journeys to the Centre of Creation

What is digital art in Barcelona without the immersive experience? Nothing. That is why spaces such as the “Immersive Horizons” stand at ISE exist. A journey through Catalan creativity was projected there. Six studios took part. They created an immersive cube measuring 8 by 6 metres. A window onto other worlds.

Onionlab is one of them. Its work “2100: The Outcome” explores climate futures. It is not only a beautiful projection. It is a collective reflection. It forces you to think. Eyesberg, meanwhile, presented “The Beauty of Destruction”. Inspired by an Icelandic crater. It speaks of the violence of nature and its regeneration.

There is room for visual poetry. Campmajó Studio transforms spaces into narratives. They design installations that can be heard. That can be felt. Burzon*Comenge reimagines Catalan heritage with 3D photogrammetry. Geometry, light and emotion in perfect synchrony. They are not only companies. They are laboratories of emotions.

Data That Speaks: A Growing Ecosystem

Let us talk in numbers. Because passion is fine, but data sustains realities. At present, 44% of Catalan start-ups have been created in the last five years. That is vitality. In 2025, these companies attracted 1.131 billion euros in investment. Eight per cent more than the previous year.

More than 70% of those investors come from abroad. They see potential. They see talent. The city has become a magnet. Not only for tourism, but for smart capital. And although unicorns (companies valued at more than 1 billion) do not appear every day, the Catalan government says the next one is on its way.

The Future Is Collaborative: Music, Video Games and Virtual Reality

The range is enormous. It goes beyond the traditional art installation. MusikaliVR, for example, is breaking the barrier of sold-out concerts. They offer immersive broadcasts in 3D and 8K. Could not make it to the show? It does not matter. The experience reaches your screen.

In the video game sector, GameBCN acts as an incubator. It helps studios professionalise their production. It maximises business opportunities. Vanova produces innovative content. Its video game “Lumen” is already an award-winning project. They show that entertainment can also be art.

And to complete the circle, XRoam offers the world’s first location-based virtual reality platform. They allow large-scale multi-user experiences. From content creation to final operation. Zero limits. Only creativity.

Conclusion: A Canvas Called Barcelona

Barcelona has ceased to be only a stage. It is now the leading actor. Creative start-ups have found a home here. A place where experimentation is allowed. Where digital art merges with the most advanced technology. The city breathes innovation.

We see it at international fairs. In employment data. In the variety of proposals. There is AI audience analysis. There is blockchain certification. There are immersive experiences that transport you to Icelandic volcanoes or dystopian futures.

Everything is possible. Because here, code and brushwork work together. The result is a city that does not only look to the future. It is building it. Pixel by pixel.