AGP Executive Report

WhatsApp Web Outage in Spain: A major WhatsApp Web disruption hit users in Spain and beyond, with messages and file sharing failing and some Instagram/Facebook services also affected, leaving many small businesses scrambling for backups. AI Robotics Funding (Barcelona): Barcelona’s THEKER raised €73m (Series A) to scale AI-native factory robots, with CRV leading and Samsung and LVMH joining—good news for Spanish industrial SMEs looking at automation. Port of Valencia Solar Upgrade: The Port of Valencia is installing vertical solar panels on breakwaters under EU-backed Renewport, with work due to be operational by September 2026—another practical sustainability move for local logistics players. SME Finance & Spend Management (Job Cuts): Pleo carried out fresh layoffs (about 50) across its “Offering” teams as it simplifies decision-making and pushes product delivery. EU Tobacco Rules Pressure (Bulgaria): Over 8,300 Bulgarian tobacco growers urged the European Commission to assess rural impacts from the revised Tobacco Products Directive—relevant for any EU agri-SME facing compliance costs. Skills Pipeline (HPC Traineeships): HPCTRAIN opened a Europe-wide call for 3–6 month HPC traineeships through 2028, aiming to close skills gaps for tech employers.

WhatsApp Web Outage in Spain: Meta’s WhatsApp Web went down for thousands of users, with messages and file sharing failing and some Instagram/Facebook services also disrupted, leaving many businesses scrambling for backups. AI Robotics Funding (Barcelona): Theker, a Barcelona AI robotics startup, raised €73m Series A led by CRV with Samsung and LVMH joining to scale factory robots that learn on the job. Port of Valencia Solar Push: The Port of Valencia is installing vertical solar panels on breakwaters under EU Renewport, with a contract worth €169,314 and work due to be operational by September 2026. HPC Skills Call (EU): HPCTRAIN opened a Europe-wide call for 3–6 month high-quality HPC traineeships, targeting hands-on experience across HPC plus AI/quantum intersections. EV Charging Support Startup: Enera raised $2m pre-seed to help EV charging operators with AI voice/text support, aiming to cut failures in charging sessions. Local Business Watch: Cafe Madrid in Houston and Yohan’s Deli in Riverdale are both set to close, highlighting how tough it is for long-running small businesses to survive.

Local Business Closure: Yohan’s Deli in Riverdale is set to close June 21 after nearly 18 years, ending a long immigrant-backed small-business story. AI Skills & Jobs: A new push argues Spain needs faster AI upskilling for youth as entry-level roles increasingly demand AI know-how. Robotics Funding (Barcelona): Theker, an AI robotics startup, raised €73m (Series A) led by CRV with Samsung and LVMH backing to scale general-purpose factory robots. EV Charging Support Startup: Enera raised $2m pre-seed to help EV charging operators with AI voice/text support after 29% of charging sessions fail. Port of Valencia Solar: Valencia’s port is installing vertical solar panels on breakwaters under the Renewport project, aiming to cut port emissions and test large-scale feasibility. HPC Traineeships (EU): HPCTRAIN opened a call for 3–6 month high-quality HPC traineeships across Europe, targeting skills gaps and industry-academia links. Robotaxis in Spain: Uber’s robotaxis are expected to start operating across Spain by end-2026, with Madrid already approved—raising questions about who pays the price for driver displacement. Tourism Cooperation: Saudi Arabia and France signed a joint tourism action program in Toledo, focused on training, investment and destination competitiveness.

AI & Startups (Spain): Barcelona’s THEKER just raised €73M (Series A) to scale “AI-native” generalist factory robots that adapt in real time, with CRV leading and backing from Samsung and LVMH plus others—another sign Barcelona is becoming a robotics hub for SMEs looking at automation without rigid, one-task machines. Local Transport & Jobs: Robotaxis are expected to start operating across Spain by end-2026 after Uber’s €430M push and Madrid approvals, raising the big question for small operators: who pays the price when human drivers are replaced. SME Skills for AI: A new push argues Spain’s economy needs faster AI upskilling, noting 22% of entry-level jobs already list AI skills—especially in marketing, logistics and finance—so smaller firms can hire and train without falling behind. Cyber & Access Control: A market report flags rising demand for privileged access management as companies tighten identity and compliance controls—relevant for SMEs trying to reduce breach risk without overspending. Tourism Partnerships: Saudi tourism talks in Toledo, Spain with France and Indonesia focused on investment, training and workforce planning—useful context for Spanish travel SMEs watching inbound demand.

AI Robotics Funding (Barcelona): THEKER, a Barcelona-based AI robotics firm, just raised €73M in a Series A led by CRV, with Samsung and LVMH among the backers, to scale “AI-native” generalist factory robots from pilots to real industrial deployments. AI Commerce (Barcelona): Rezolve Ai says shopper behavior is shifting fast: 70% of purchases now happen after a single search, while filter use and deep browsing are falling—useful signals for SMEs rethinking online sales funnels. Startup Hiring & Growth (Spain/Europe): Oriva Therapeutics appointed Dr Agnès Arbat as CEO to push its women’s health pipeline forward, while UCJC adopted VyOS for hands-on routing and cybersecurity labs—both moves that can matter for local talent and tech adoption. Immigration & Visas (Spain): A Spanish migration official outlined which work visas US nationals are most often getting approved for, offering practical guidance for small firms hiring internationally. SME-Adjacent Tech: CardNexus (Madrid/Europe TCG marketplace ecosystem) secured a €3.5M pre-Seed to expand its mobile-first trading card platform.

Women’s Health Startup Leadership: Oriva Therapeutics (Barcelona) appoints Dr Agnès Arbat as CEO to push its non-hormonal, disease-modifying endometriosis therapy ORV-362 through Phase I. Education & Cyber Skills: UCJC (Spain) uses VyOS to give students realistic routing and infrastructure-level cybersecurity lab training beyond simulators. EU Antitrust & AI Access: The European Commission orders Meta to restore free WhatsApp access for rival AI assistants via the Business API, after complaints including a Spanish competitor. SME Tech & Compliance Pressure: KITRO says EU food-waste rules are boosting demand for AI tools that measure and cut kitchen waste, with Spain tightening legislation too. Local Business Demand Boost: Eclipse travel data points to a surge in bookings across Spain (and Iceland) in August, with higher occupancy and room rates. Aviation & Tourism: Riyadh Air’s maiden London flight highlights how carriers are navigating Middle East disruption while expanding routes. Business/Finance Watch: Reports on AI IPO momentum underline how capital-raising could reshape tech funding—relevant for Spain’s startup ecosystem.

EU Antitrust: The European Commission has ordered Meta to restore free access to WhatsApp for rival AI chatbots, after complaints that Meta blocked competitors’ access to WhatsApp Business tools to favor its own AI. SME Tech & Hiring: Legal AI startup Legora is opening offices in Madrid, Milan and Paris, plus an engineering hub in London, targeting 700 EMEA employees within a year. Hospitality Tech: Shiji released its 2026 Hotel Distribution Technology Chart in Barcelona, mapping how hotels are shifting from OTAs toward AI discovery, map-based commerce and “bookable everywhere” experiences. Food Waste Compliance: Swiss AI food-waste firm KITRO says EU binding targets and tighter Spanish rules are boosting demand for measurement and reduction tools for restaurants and hotels. Travel Demand Boost: New data shows bookings and hotel occupancy rising in Spain ahead of the August 2026 solar eclipse, with higher room rates along the eclipse path. Aviation & Business: Riyadh Air launched its first London Heathrow flight, betting on a smaller fleet to manage disruption and fuel-price pressure.

Canary Islands Tax Relief: From 1 July 2026, the REPEP simplified IGIC scheme will raise the annual turnover cap for self-employed workers from €30,000 to €50,000, letting thousands more freelancers qualify (but they still can’t reclaim IGIC on expenses). Hospitality Tech for SMEs: Shiji launched its 2026 Hotel Distribution Technology Chart in Barcelona, mapping how hotels are shifting from classic OTAs toward AI discovery, map/local visibility, and “bookable everywhere” direct booking—useful for operators planning tech spend. EU Competition Watch: The European Commission ordered Meta to give rival AI chatbots free access to WhatsApp while it continues an antitrust probe—an important signal for any Spanish SMBs relying on messaging-based customer journeys. Renewables Deal in Spain: Mitsubishi HC Capital and Brookfield formed a JV to buy and run ~570MW of contracted renewable assets across Europe, including Spain, with a focus on stabilized cash flows and future battery storage acquisitions. Accessibility at Stadiums: Telefónica and Atlético de Madrid are rolling out Navilens QR smart signage at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano to improve inclusion, including long-range audio access in 41 languages. MWC Barcelona Impact: MWC 2026 delivered €588m economic impact for Barcelona and 14,000+ temporary jobs, with a big share of visitors from the 4YFN startup ecosystem.

Canary Islands Tax Relief: The BOE has published a decree that raises the REPEP turnover threshold for Canary Islands self-employed workers from €30,000 to €50,000 from 1 July 2026, letting more freelancers qualify for the simplified IGIC regime (with the trade-off that they can’t reclaim IGIC on expenses); applications run 1–31 July 2026. EU Competition Watch: The European Commission ordered Meta to give rival AI chatbots free access to WhatsApp while it investigates whether Meta abused market power by blocking competitors, with the interim measure set to run through the investigation (up to June 2029). Tech for Business: Iberia launched a ChatGPT app at South Summit, letting users prompt “Iberia” to search and plan trips inside ChatGPT using OpenAI tech. SME-Friendly Energy Moves: EdgeMode agreed to acquire 51% of Ibersun Generación to launch a large-scale battery storage platform in Spain, aiming to cut outages and price spikes from solar-heavy grid conditions. Local Economy Boost: Barcelona’s MWC 2026 delivered €588m in economic impact and over 14,000 temporary jobs, with 105,000+ participants.

EU Innovation Funding: The European Commission named winners of the 12th European Prize for Women Innovators at the EIC Summit, highlighting women-led startups across healthcare, sustainability, space tech and digital traceability. E-commerce Costs: From July 1, a new €3 customs duty (about £2.50) will apply to many low-value parcels under €150 entering the EU, pushing small sellers to review delivery pricing and customs paperwork. Education & Tech Backlash: Sweden is set to ban mobile phones in schools from the fall, citing weaker reading and writing skills—part of a wider European shift away from classroom screens. Circular Fashion Supply Chain: Recover™ launched Recover™ Yarns, a ready-to-use portfolio meant to speed recycled cotton adoption across apparel production. Startup Growth in Spain/Europe: Companion.energy raised €7.8m to expand real-time energy management for large firms into Germany and Spain, aiming to replace spreadsheet-heavy energy decisions. AI for SMB Sales: Zen Cortext launched a WordPress plugin that turns a site page into a live AI sales consultant, with pay-at-cost AI usage.

SME Tech & Payments: Cegid has completed its acquisition of Shine, creating a cloud-native, AI-driven financial hub for SMBs and accountants across Europe, including Spain, with e-invoicing, accounting, payments, tax and payroll under one platform. Startup Growth in Southern Europe: Mercuryo says it ranked 60th in Sifted’s 2026 Southern Europe fastest-growing startups list, highlighting rapid payments and compliance as it scales. AI for Small Businesses: Zen Cortext launched a WordPress plugin that turns a site page into a live AI sales consultant, aiming to cut the “middleman” cost model by charging businesses at cost per conversation. Channel Partner Push: Snom is expanding support for telecom resellers with easier rebate access and new technical training via a Competence Centre for desk phones, DECT and hospitality endpoints. Energy Management for Industry: Ghent’s Companion.energy raised €7.8m to expand its real-time energy optimisation software into Germany and Spain, targeting firms that still rely on spreadsheets. Workforce & Worker Safety: A Moroccan agricultural union is calling for stronger protections for seasonal workers in Spain’s Huelva strawberry fields after a reported heatstroke death, urging better oversight of recruitment and living conditions. Policy Pressure on Business Costs: Nine EU capitals, led by Poland, are challenging a Commission plan to force large corporate vehicle fleets toward electric quotas, arguing it could hurt competitiveness and burden businesses.

SMB Cloud Deal: Cegid has completed its acquisition of Shine, creating a Europe-wide, cloud-native, AI-driven financial hub for SMBs and accountants, serving 400,000 SMB customers and 15,000 accountants across France, Germany, Spain, Portugal and more—aimed at helping firms meet mandatory e-invoicing and digital reporting reforms. Workforce Safety in Agriculture: A Moroccan agricultural union is calling for stronger protections for Moroccan seasonal female farmworkers in Spain’s Huelva strawberry fields after a reported heatstroke death, alleging unsafe conditions and discrimination. AI for Business in Spain: Spain’s economy minister Carlos Cuerpo is in Silicon Valley to strengthen ties with tech leaders and investors, including meetings tied to entrepreneurship and data/AI firms—plus a new Spain economic and commercial office in San Francisco. Circular Economy Push: Swiss cleantech GR3N raised €15.5M to build a microwave-assisted PET recycling plant in Spain, targeting the hard-to-recycle 85% of PET waste that mechanical methods can’t handle.

AI & Policy in Spain: Spain strengthens its weight in AI governance after accessing Anthropic’s Mythos, signaling faster adoption of frontier models in public-sector oversight. SME Tech & Funding: Barcelona’s Zazume raises €2.5M to scale an AI-powered rental management platform, while Percepta expands in Valencia with a new site—both aimed at making day-to-day operations smarter for smaller firms. Circular Economy for Businesses: Swiss cleantech GR3N closes a €15.5M Series B to build MODUS, a microwave-assisted PET recycling plant in Spain designed to tackle the 85% of PET waste that mechanical recycling can’t handle. Energy & Industry Finance: EIB and Ingeteam sign a €75M loan for advanced renewable energy and electrification tech, a potential tailwind for local suppliers and contractors. Local Commerce & Digital Payments: Percepta expands in Valencia; meanwhile, the broader push for digital inclusion shows up in market activations like GFiber Prepaid WiFi paired with GCash to help vendors move beyond cash-heavy transactions.

CleanTech Funding: Swiss PET recycler GR3N has closed a €15.5M Series B to build MODUS, a 40,000-ton-per-year microwave-assisted plant in Spain aimed at tackling the 85% of PET waste that mechanical recycling can’t handle. AI & Cybersecurity: OpenAI is extending its GPT-5.5-Cyber model to Europe via an EU Cyber Action Plan, offering limited preview access for vetted defenders and institutions. SME/Startup Ecosystem: South Summit Madrid 2026 spotlights “AI Convergence” and investor focus on classic fundamentals like market size, teams, differentiation and scalability. Local Business & Community: Durango City Council discussed immigration-support ideas including bilingual staff and partnerships with police and a Hispanic Chamber to improve safety, inclusion and civic participation. Energy/Industry Finance: Spain’s EIB and Ingeteam signed a €75M loan for advanced renewable energy and electrification technologies.

Circular Economy Funding: Swiss cleantech GR3N has raised €15.5M in a Series B to build MODUS, a 40,000-ton-per-year microwave-assisted PET recycling plant in Spain, targeting the 85% of PET waste mechanical recycling can’t handle (textile fibres, films, coloured resins). Startup & AI Policy: OpenAI is extending its cybersecurity-focused GPT-5.5-Cyber to Europe via an EU Cyber Action Plan, offering limited preview access to vetted defenders and institutions. SME Tech & Investment Ecosystem: Spain’s economy minister Carlos Cuerpo is in Silicon Valley to strengthen ties with major AI and data firms and to launch a new Spain economic/commercial office in San Francisco. AI & Business Events in Spain: South Summit Madrid 2026 spotlights AI adoption and startup competition, with Felipe VI attending pitches and prototype showcases. Local Business Support: Seville’s trade voucher rollout faced a website glitch delaying 57,500 vouchers, a reminder of how admin hiccups can hit small firms fast.

Spain–US Business Ties: Economy minister Carlos Cuerpo is in Silicon Valley to deepen links with investors and tech leaders, including meetings tied to ICEX and visits to Scale AI, Google/Alphabet and Nvidia, plus a new Spain economic and commercial office in San Francisco. AI & Startups in Spain: South Summit Madrid 2026 drew King Felipe VI for AI startup pitches and adoption forums, underscoring Spain’s push to turn AI prototypes into real business traction. Circular Economy Investment (Spain): GR3N, a Lugano clean-tech firm building Spain’s first microwave-assisted PET recycling plant, closed a €15.5M Series B led by 360 Capital to scale chemical recycling beyond today’s mechanical limits. SME Tech Funding Roundup (Europe): A busy week of deals included Perk’s €258M credit line for its AI-native platform and CommerceClarity’s acquisition of Katalogo.ai, signaling continued appetite for practical AI in business operations. Energy & Mobility (Spain): EVE Energy and Barcelona’s Stark Future deepened their performance partnership for electric off-road motorcycles, aiming for better batteries and faster charging across the 2026 season.