The Belgian Qualifio strengthens its presence in Spain from Barcelona

Barcelona stands as a pole of attraction for international talent. More and more foreign companies are choosing the Catalan capital to open headquarters to operate in Southern Europe. This is the case of the Belgian startup Qualifio, a platform for collecting customer data through interactive campaigns, which consolidates its presence in the Spanish market through its offices in the Catalan capital. "At Qualifio, we are committed to a delocalized and flexible work culture, and Barcelona allows us to attract international talent that exists in the city," says Pablo Gómez de Castro, head of the Customer Success team.

Qualifio was founded in Belgium in 2011 by Olivier Simonis and Serge Rapaille with the aim of offering a tool to media outlets to collect data about their audience, get to know them better, and, in this way, build loyalty. However, they soon expanded their business model and also opened up to brands from other sectors. "Companies are increasingly aware of the importance of having a good internal database to create messages that generate an impact on their audience," says Gómez.

The company offers the brands it works with a catalog of 50 interactive formats ---which include surveys, contests, or mini-games--- to interact with the audience. "Users are increasingly sensitive and reluctant to hand over our data, so we need an incentive, like a video game or a prize, that makes the idea of providing our information more attractive," explains Gómez. In 2023, the Nordic technology group QNTM Group acquired Qualifio, with the intention of offering a comprehensive solution to its clients to grow their business.

Currently, the firm has a portfolio of more than 400 international clients, from Mexico to Japan, with 50% media companies and the other 50% companies from other sectors, which include brands such as Moulinex or Unilever. Looking ahead to 2025, Qualifio expects a 10% growth in its turnover, after closing 2024 with a turnover of 8.4 million euros, as well as strengthening its presence in Europe.

The same year of its foundation, the company opened a second headquarters in Paris, and five years later it did so in Madrid to enter the Spanish market. However, the company has now decided to establish itself in the Catalan capital. Of the more than 80 employees of the startup, eleven of them are part of the Spanish team, six of whom work from the Barcelona offices, while the others do so remotely from cities such as Madrid, Alicante, Burgos, and Cartagena. In the Catalan capital, Qualifio shares space with Actito, another Belgian company that is also part of QNTM Group.

"Our strength is that we offer a delocalized and flexible solution that can adapt to brands worldwide, conforming to the colors and messages of different companies, in addition to offering the possibility of incorporating into the databases used by each company," defends Gómez. The Spanish team currently manages a portfolio of more than 35 clients at the state level, which includes communication groups and brands such as l'Oréal or Nestlé, and its goal is to continue growing and strengthening itself in the Iberian market from its headquarters in Barcelona.