25% of Spanish startups now use artificial intelligence, ten points more than last year. 77% sell to other companies, and 60% are under two years old.
The Spanish entrepreneurial ecosystem is changing profile, and Madrid is noticing it. One in four startups now incorporates artificial intelligence, compared to 15% in the previous edition, according to the study Premios EmprendeXXI 2025-2026, conducted by CaixaBank and International Financial Analysts (Afi) based on the 1,006 applications submitted, as reported by infobae.com.
The report outlines a younger entrepreneurial generation: 60% of startups are less than two years old, while companies aged three to four years have dropped from 19% to 14%. The analysed sample represents nearly one-fifth of the startups identified in Spain.
The business model has also shifted. B2B (selling to other companies instead of the end consumer) is present in 77% of the companies analysed. Large companies are the main sales channel for 73%, and the share of individual customers has fallen from 55% to 47%.
This shift towards corporate clients translates into solutions designed to integrate into business processes, digitise companies, or provide specialised services. New startups aim to become suppliers to other businesses and access a larger potential market than that of individual consumers.
Moreover, artificial intelligence is gaining traction among investors. Startups specialising in this technology attracted €72.7 million in funding, almost the same amount as biotechnology firms, which received €73.3 million. Funding for AI companies grew by 59% compared to the previous edition, while many other technology categories saw declines.
The study also indicates a clearer international ambition from the inception of projects. Digitisation remains relevant but is losing prominence compared to frontier technologies and business models designed from the outset to grow outside the home market.
One in four startups is already using this technology, ten percentage points more than in the previous edition
The data comes from the applications submitted for the Premios EmprendeXXI 2025-2026, organised by CaixaBank and Afi, and serves as a reference to measure the evolution of entrepreneurship in Spain and Portugal.
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