Nexiona prepares to expand to Germany and the US

At Nexiona they define themselves as "plumbers of data." Their field of action is in factories, equipped with multiple devices that constantly generate information but that many companies still do not know how to process or make use of. The Barcelona-based company is dedicated to extracting all the data and structuring it so that clients can improve their operations by better understanding how their machines work, adapting to each one's needs and designing specific solutions, focusing on improving maintenance, quality or production controls, or better analyzing costs.

"It is a need that exists throughout the entire industrial sector, it is not linked to any process. It's as if we said we are going to bring electricity to all factories," explains their CEO, Jaume Rey. They have clients in very different fields, with examples such as Damm, Grifols and Puig, but with a strong presence in the steel industry, working for Celsa and Tubos Reunidos.

Nexiona, a technology company with a foothold in the Internet of Things (IoT) and industry 4.0, was founded 12 years ago with the aim of commercializing the software they had developed to obtain all the data produced in a plant, coming from both old and new machines. Their initial idea was for third parties to work with that information and provide solutions to each factory's needs. Over the years, they realized that there were not many companies dedicated to that part of the process, so they began to take it on themselves starting in 2020.

That was the moment when they began "to grow a lot and very quickly," Rey emphasizes. The new stage coincides with the move to DFactory Barcelona, a new economy and industry 4.0 center promoted by the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB). "Being leaders, it was critical to be where the best are. It helps us to project the image of a consolidated company because we are an SME and not a startup, no matter how much we are a technology company. We live off our clients, not investment rounds. When clients see the DFactory, they confirm that we are a consolidated company," explains their CEO.

DFactory Barcelona also helps them collaborate with other companies in the same sector, Rey continues: "Among all of us, we combine to offer clients an overview of Industry 4.0, in addition to giving them a complete and modern solution." Nexiona arrived at the CZFB's new facilities with the works recently completed, in September 2021, and they took an office, considering that they are a company that has always worked remotely. The workforce stands at 32 employees, with only two to three located in DFactory.

Settled in the new headquarters, the company wants to grow in Europe in the coming years, with a special interest in Italy and Germany. "We want to be the European leader in Industry 4.0 in data management," says the executive. Its international expansion model is based on franchises, ceding the structure and brand to an entrepreneur who wants to open the business in a country, making them 100% owner of the company. Nexiona already has an office in Mexico, under the franchise model, and has just closed the one it had in Canada. It is in full negotiations to formalize its entry into Germany and, despite its priority plans for Europe, it is also doing so for the United States.