Investment attracted by health startups has grown for another year in Catalonia. After exceeding the 200 million euro barrier for the first time in 2020, with 226 million euros, the ecosystem has done it again and set a new record in 2021, with 238 million euros, 5.3% more. This is according to the report annually prepared by Biocat to X-ray the sector, which already represents 8.7% of Catalan GDP, with more than 1,300 companies and 244,000 workers.
"It has been an exceptional year," remarked the general director of Biocat, Robert Fabregat, at the presentation of the report. The startups that develop medical technologies have been the ones that have attracted the most investment, with 104 million euros, surpassing the biotech companies, which led the ranking the previous year and in 2021 have moved to second position, with 66 million. Rounds such as that of Impress, worth 41 million and the highest achieved by the sector in 2021, and that of Corus Dental, for 25 million, explain the leadership achieved by the medtech companies. In third position are digital health startups, with 63 million.
This dynamism in the health ecosystem means that the rate of creation of emerging companies has been maintained at one per week for years, with spin-offs arising from research institutes and universities as protagonists. In fact, spin-offs represent 25% of Catalan startups in this sector and are increasingly numerous, multiplying by three since 2016. 2021 has also been marked by the acquisition of local companies, such as Infinitec Activos and GoodGut, acquired by Hipra.
This dynamism in the health ecosystem means that the rate of creation of emerging companies has been maintained at one per week for yearsVenture capital continues to be the main contributor to this record investment, accumulating more than 187 million euros, a figure that represents 79% of the total capital raised. The investment obtained corresponds to a total of 36 operations, a lower number than in 2020, when there were 41. Despite this, the average amount per operation has increased. The growth registered by the funds also stands outcrowdequity, through platforms likeCapital Cell, which since 2019 exceeds ten million.
Another characteristic of the resources that the Catalan health sector attracts is the increasing presence of international investors. 83% of the investment obtained has been in operations with foreign participation, reaching 155.3 million. This proportion increases when the value of the rounds also increases, with more than 90% of operations over ten million being shared between local and foreign investors. The majority come from Europe, followed by those from the United States.