Barcelona's Mobile Acceleration Program

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Barcelona's Mobile Acceleration Program is an initiative by NUMA designed to support and accelerate growth-phase digital startups.
What are the main aims and objectives?

NUMA Barcelona's Mobile Acceleration Program aims to position Barcelona as a leading hub for digital innovation and startup growth in Europe. Its main objectives include attracting digital talent to Barcelona, providing funding and resources to selected startups, fostering scalability and global impact, and facilitating international expansion. By investing in promising startups and offering comprehensive support, the program seeks to create a thriving ecosystem that bridges Barcelona with other innovation centers, particularly Paris, while nurturing businesses with the potential for significant international success in the mobile technology sector.

How does the program work?

NUMA Barcelona's Mobile Acceleration Program operates as a structured initiative designed to boost the growth of digital startups in the mobile technology sector. The program runs in annual cycles, with each cycle lasting four months and accommodating ten carefully selected startups. These startups are chosen based on their potential for innovation, scalability, and global impact in the mobile technology field.

Upon selection, each startup receives an initial investment of €30,000 in exchange for a 5% equity stake in their company. This financial support is complemented by a comprehensive package of resources, including office space in Barcelona, consulting services, and access to a network of international mentors. These mentors, drawn from industry giants like Facebook, Uber, and British Telecom, provide invaluable guidance and expertise to help the startups refine their business models and strategies.

Throughout the four-month program, startups undergo intensive development and acceleration. They receive tailored support to address their specific challenges, whether it's refining their product, developing their market strategy, or preparing for international expansion. The program leverages NUMA's global network and presence in emerging markets to help startups explore and prepare for international opportunities.

The acceleration period culminates in a high-profile Demo Day, which takes place at the 4 Years From Now (4YFN) event during the GSMA Mobile World Congress. This platform offers startups unparalleled exposure to potential investors, partners, and customers on a global stage. It's an opportunity for them to showcase their progress, pitch their refined business models, and potentially secure additional funding or partnerships.

Beyond the initial program, NUMA Barcelona maintains a vested interest in the success of its accelerated startups. The program allocates an additional €1.5 million for potential follow-up investments in startups that demonstrate exceptional promise and innovation. This ongoing support helps to ensure that high-potential startups continue to receive the resources they need to scale and succeed in the competitive mobile technology landscape.

What is the overall cost?

NUMA Barcelona and mVenturesBcn committed €4.8 million to attract and accelerate growth-phase digital startups.

How was it implemented?

NUMA Barcelona's Mobile Acceleration Program was created as a joint venture between two key organizations: mVenturesBcn, a program launched by Mobile World Capital Barcelona (MWCB), and NUMA, a French global innovation network. This collaboration was established with the aim of attracting more digital talent to Barcelona and supporting the growth of digital startups.

The program was officially announced in September 2016, with plans to invest €4.8 million over three years to accelerate 30 startups. This initiative positioned NUMA Barcelona as the first European acceleration program specifically targeting growth-phase digital startups. The program's focus was on supporting startups with established business models, helping them scale their projects and expand into new international markets.

NUMA Barcelona's creation was driven by the recognition of Barcelona's potential as a hub for digital innovation and entrepreneurship. Aleix Valls, the General Director of Mobile World Capital Barcelona at the time, emphasized that the program reflected the city's talent and innovative capacity, as well as its ability to provide an environment conducive to developing digital projects with international potential.

The program was structured to run in annual cycles, with each cycle lasting four months and accommodating ten carefully selected startups. The first program was set to launch on November 1, 2016, culminating in a Demo Day at the 4 Years From Now (4YFN) event during the GSMA Mobile World Congress in February 2017. This structure was designed to provide intensive support and exposure to the participating startups.

To ensure the program's success, NUMA Barcelona assembled a network of international mentors, including notable figures from companies like Facebook, Uber, and British Telecom. This mentorship network was a key component in providing comprehensive support to the accelerated startups, offering expertise in various aspects of business development and growth.

What impact has been measured?

The first edition of the program attracted applications from 37 countries across 4 continents, demonstrating its global appeal. It was reported that all from the first edition of the program successfully raised funding and achieved substantial growth in their core business metrics. Notable successes include Vitcord, a collaborative video application that raised €750,000, and Trybe, a British peer-to-peer marketplace for indie chefs. 

Notes + Additional Context

*About leveraging accelerators in policy instruments (excerpt from Nesta's ‘Idea Bank’ for Local Policymakers):

Accelerators have exploded across the startup scene in the past decade. Models and definitions vary, but most share the common features of delivering a time-limited, competitive, cohort-based training programme, often geared towards investment readiness.87, 88 Although there may be substantial differences in terms of sector, mission and funding, mentoring is almost always a critical component of the programme.

Many accelerators are privately-funded, aimed either at generating investment opportunities or, as with some corporate-sponsored accelerators, encouraging new technical solutions. However, numerous publicly-funded accelerator programmes can also be found – often with an emphasis on urban regeneration rather than financial return. In addition, EU-funded initiatives such as the Accelerator Assembly exist to help accelerators share good practice (such as focusing on quality of applicants; promoting peer-learning; building entrepreneurial networks and finding the best-quality mentors possible).

Public policy here should focus first on understanding the existing distribution of privately-funded accelerators, so as to avoid competition using public funds. Co-investment of public funds may help stimulate private activity, although in such instances, alignment of the funders’ success criteria is important. These may diverge if, for instance, a VC funder wants accelerated firms to move abroad in search of funding or a higher valuation, whilst a public funder wants them to remain to aid the local economy.

Various national schemes have been created to develop accelerators (e.g. the South African Department of Trade and Industry’s Incubation Support Programme, or Enterprise Ireland’s Accelerator Development Scheme). However, individual cities have also taken the initiative to fund such schemes.

CURATED BY

Chris Haley

Head of Research
United Kingdom