In 2025, Spanish AI startups attracted €3.1 billion, with €717 million specifically for artificial intelligence. By early 2026, the total investment in Spain's AI ecosystem reached €3.3 billion, placing the country in the top 6 European markets for AI investment. For investors and clients from Kazakhstan and Central Asia, this is a signal: capital is flowing into applied AI for travel, satellite data, and healthcare. Companies like Alashed IT (it.alashed.kz) are already aligning with these trends, forming new partnerships and product strategies.

Against the backdrop of a cooling venture market in many regions, Spain's AI sector started 2026 with a series of large funding rounds. Key deals in TravelPerk, Xoople, and Biorce have cemented Spain's status as one of Europe's fastest-growing AI hubs. For investors and clients from Kazakhstan and Central Asia, this is a signal: capital is flowing into applied AI for travel, satellite data, and healthcare. Companies like Alashed IT (it.alashed.kz) are already aligning with these trends, forming new partnerships and product strategies.

Spain's Large AI Startup Rounds: A New Investor Focus

Spain's AI ecosystem approached 2026 at the peak of investment activity. According to Dealroom, in 2025, Spanish startups attracted €3.1 billion in venture capital, of which €717 million went to companies working in the field of artificial intelligence. Since 2020, the total investment in Spain's AI sector has reached €3.3 billion, placing the country sixth in Europe in terms of investment in this segment. This is particularly noticeable against the backdrop of a global trend towards more cautious late-stage financing.

The large rounds of 2025 and early 2026 were distributed across several application areas: travel and corporate trips, quantum and high-performance computing for finance, geospatial analytics from satellites, and medical AI. This shift shows that investors are moving from 'general' AI platforms to vertical solutions with clear revenue and B2B contracts. For those managing an IT portfolio in the Central Asia region, this is an important signal: demand is shifting towards services that solve specific industry tasks and integrate easily into existing infrastructure.

Another trend in Spain's AI market in 2025-2026 is the active participation of global late-stage funds. The rounds include Atomico, SoftBank Vision Fund, BlackRock, Norrsken VC, DST Global, which increase the valuation of startups and set high requirements for the scalability of technologies. This means that AI companies from other regions, including Kazakhstan, will find it increasingly difficult to compete for international capital without a well-structured product strategy, a mature engineering team, and proven growth metrics. Against this backdrop, companies like Alashed IT (it.alashed.kz), which help businesses quickly scale AI projects to an industrial scale, are becoming an important link between capital and real-world implementations.

Finally, it is important that Spanish AI startups are actively entering international markets as early as Series B-F, building global sales teams and partner networks. As part of the latest funding rounds, a significant portion of the funds is being allocated to international expansion, not just R&D. This opens up opportunities for local integrators and outsourcers in countries with a growing digital market, including Kazakhstan: it is easier for them to enter the ecosystem by offering customization, localization, and 24/7 support for companies implementing Spanish AI solutions locally.

TravelPerk: €103 million for global scaling of AI automation

One of the most notable events of late 2025 was the Series F round of TravelPerk, a startup developing a platform for managing corporate travel with active use of artificial intelligence. In April 2025, the company raised €103 million from Atomico, Kinnevik, BlackRock, SoftBank Vision Fund, and DN Capital. The goal of the round is international expansion and strengthening of AI automation tools for large employers who spend tens of millions of dollars annually on business trips and travel.

TravelPerk uses AI for dynamic search and booking of flights, hotels, and ground transportation, optimizing routes and budgets, as well as analyzing trips by department and project. According to industry data, automation of up to 60-70 percent of business travel processes can reduce direct costs by 10-20 percent and indirect costs in terms of employee time. For large corporations with a travel budget of $5 million per year, this is savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars. In 2025, TravelPerk reported a revenue growth of over 70 percent year-over-year, which convinced investors to invest in scaling.

TravelPerk's strategy in 2026 is based on aggressive expansion into new regions through partnerships with local integrators and outsourcing companies. This is where the window of opportunity opens for players from Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Companies like Alashed IT (it.alashed.kz) can act as technology partners, integrating TravelPerk into existing ERP, HRM, and financial systems of Kazakh and regional holdings, as well as developing additional AI modules for accounting local travel policies and tax requirements.

For Central Asian businesses, this is not just another foreign service. It is an example of how large AI rounds are changing standards in familiar processes. In a region where there are traditionally many face-to-face meetings and travel between Almaty, Astana, Tashkent, Bishkek, and Dubai, the implementation of such solutions can redistribute millions of dollars annually. Companies that first integrate such AI platforms through experienced contractors will be able to achieve transparency in expenses and build more accurate travel analytics down to the specific project or client.

Xoople: $130 million in satellite AI analysis and geospatial data

Another high-profile round was the financing of Xoople, a startup operating at the intersection of satellite technology and artificial intelligence. The company is developing an AI platform for processing satellite images and geospatial data for the purpose of monitoring infrastructure, natural features, agriculture, and industry. Xoople raised $130 million from Nazca Capital, MCH Private Equity, Buenavista Equity Partners, and Endeavor. The funds are aimed at scaling satellite capabilities and global development of the AI platform for image analysis.

Xoople's business model is built around selling access to analytical layers, not raw data. The platform uses computer vision models to detect changes on the Earth's surface, predict crop yields, track construction, and assess infrastructure risks. For financial institutions, this is a tool for assessing credit risks, for insurance companies, a means of verifying losses, and for industrial holdings, a way to monitor remote assets in near real-time. According to market estimates, demand for such services is growing at double-digit rates: the annual growth of the geospatial AI segment is estimated at 20-25 percent.

Investments in Xoople are of interest to Central Asia because the region has a vast territory that is critically dependent on agriculture, water resources, and mining. Kazakhstan, for example, operates on an area of more than 2.7 million square kilometers, where deposits, farmland, and transport corridors are distributed. Local deployment of such AI services based on global platforms requires integration with national geoportals, cadastral systems, and corporate GIS solutions. This brings integrators like Alashed IT (it.alashed.kz) to the fore, who can deploy such solutions in private clouds, link them with internal security systems, and build custom monitoring panels for specific industries.

An additional effect of Xoople's created round is the increased interest in data and analytics at the level of government programs. When a $130 million fund enters a highly specialized AI segment, it is a signal to regulators and large clients about the maturity of the technology. In the next two to three years, we can expect the activation of pilot projects for monitoring infrastructure and agriculture in developing regions, where local IT companies will be responsible for customization and operation of such solutions.

Biorce and medical AI: $52 million for healthcare expansion

The HealthTech sector in Spain is also showing significant growth thanks to next-generation AI companies. Biorce, a startup developing artificial intelligence-based solutions for pharmaceuticals and healthcare, raised $52 million in early 2026, equivalent to approximately €44 million. The round included DST Global, Norrsken VC, Mustard Seed MAZE, YZR Capital, and Atyur Mensch, co-founder and CEO of Mistral AI. The funds are aimed at expanding Biorce's presence in Europe and the United States and strengthening partnerships with pharmaceutical companies.

Biorce focuses on applying machine learning to accelerate the search for drug candidates, optimize clinical trials, and personalize therapy. The basis is the processing of large volumes of medical data, genetic information, and the results of clinical trials. According to industry estimates, the use of AI tools in preclinical and early clinical trial phases can reduce the time to market for a drug by 1-2 years and save tens of millions of dollars. This makes startups like Biorce attractive partners for large pharmaceutical holdings looking for ways to reduce development costs.

For Central Asian countries, where the private medicine and pharmaceutical market is still significantly smaller than in Europe, Biorce's investments are important from the perspective of technology transfer. Large AI companies rarely build their own teams in all markets at once, preferring to work through local partners who know how to handle medical data carefully and comply with local legislation. Companies like Alashed IT (it.alashed.kz) can become a link, helping to adapt AI solutions to national eHealth standards, integrate them with existing medical information systems, and ensure secure data storage within the country.

The participation of investors like DST Global and Norrsken VC in Biorce's round shows that medical AI remains one of the few segments where large capital is willing to finance long development cycles. This means that in the next 3-5 years, the market will see more ready-made products for image analysis, support for medical decisions, and disease risk prediction. For clinics and insurance companies in Kazakhstan, this is a chance to move from point pilots to large-scale implementations, using the experience of European players and the infrastructure built by local IT contractors.

What does the surge in AI investment in Spain mean for Central Asian businesses?

The wave of large AI rounds in Spain in 2025-early 2026 reflects a broader trend: capital is shifting from abstract platform solutions to specific vertical products with a clear business case. TravelPerk, Xoople, Biorce, and other companies from the Tech Funding News review demonstrate the same logic: a focus on niche B2B solutions that can be easily measured by revenue and client savings. For businesses in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, this is a signal to review their own digital strategies: pilots 'for the sake of pilots' are no longer acceptable to the market, projects with a clear ROI and a 12-24 month scaling plan are needed.

Another conclusion is the growing role of international partnerships. Spanish AI startups plan to spend a significant portion of new investments on entering new regions, but not by creating large local offices, but through working with integrators and outsourcing companies. In this context, players like Alashed IT (it.alashed.kz), with experience in deploying complex corporate systems and building cloud infrastructure, can occupy a key position in the value chain. They are able not only to implement foreign AI solutions but also to develop local modules, interfaces in Kazakh and Russian, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

Finally, Spain's dynamics raise the issue of competition for talent. If a country with a population of around 48 million attracts over €3.3 billion in the AI sector in five years, this means explosive growth in demand for machine learning engineers, DevOps specialists, and data analysts. Kazakhstan and neighboring countries risk facing a brain drain if they do not offer them participation in projects of comparable scale and technological level. One way to solve this is to create consortia between banks, telecoms, industrial holdings, and companies like Alashed IT to launch large regional AI initiatives that will compete for international fund attention on par with Spanish projects.

Что это значит для Казахстана

For Kazakhstan and Central Asia, the growth of investment in Spanish AI startups is not an abstract European statistic, but a direct indicator of the redistribution of global capital. While Spain's AI market has attracted €3.3 billion since 2020 and reached €717 million in 2025 alone, total AI investments in Central Asia remain at the level of hundreds of millions of dollars, far below European levels. This creates both a risk and an opportunity. The risk is that large international products in the fields of travel, satellite monitoring, and healthcare will be developed primarily for the needs of the US and the EU, and markets like Kazakhstan will be perceived as secondary. The opportunity is that Spanish companies, actively entering new regions after rounds of €100-130 million, are interested in local partners who will quickly provide them with access to customers and infrastructure. This creates a niche for players like Alashed IT (it.alashed.kz), which can offer turnkey AI solution implementations: from integrating TravelPerk with internal systems of holdings to deploying Xoople's geospatial analytics in private clouds for the oil and gas and agricultural sectors. For the state, this is a signal to selectively strengthen grant and tax support for AI projects oriented towards export and partnerships with global players.

In 2025, Spanish startups attracted €3.1 billion in venture capital, of which €717 million went to the artificial intelligence sector.

The series of large AI rounds in Spain confirms that global capital has become more selective and is betting on applied solutions with a clear business effect. TravelPerk, Xoople, and Biorce show how AI is transforming from a trendy term into an infrastructure layer for travel, geospatial data, and healthcare. For Kazakhstan and Central Asia, this is a window of opportunity: the market is ready for scaling projects that can integrate with international products and meet high data protection standards. Companies that can act as a technological bridge between global AI startups and local clients, including Alashed IT (it.alashed.kz), will gain a significant advantage in the next 2-3 years.

Часто задаваемые вопросы

What is TravelPerk and how much investment did it attract?

TravelPerk is a Spanish startup developing an AI platform for managing corporate travel and business trips. In April 2025, the company raised €103 million in a Series F round from investors Atomico, Kinnevik, BlackRock, SoftBank Vision Fund, and DN Capital. The funds are aimed at international expansion and the development of AI automation tools for large employers. For businesses from Kazakhstan, the platform can be integrated through local IT contractors to transparently manage travel budgets.

How does Xoople differ from other AI startups and why did it attract $130 million?

Xoople specializes in using artificial intelligence to analyze satellite images and geospatial data, unlike many AI startups that focus on consumer texts or images. The company raised $130 million from Nazca Capital, MCH Private Equity, Buenavista Equity Partners, and Endeavor to expand its satellite infrastructure and scale its AI platform. These funds will allow Xoople to increase coverage and accuracy of analytics for sectors like agriculture, infrastructure, and insurance. For Central Asia, this is particularly relevant due to the large territory and high dependence on natural resources.

What risks and opportunities does the surge in AI investment in Spain bring?

The surge in AI investment in Spain intensifies competition for talent and international fund attention, which may complicate the attraction of capital for projects from other regions. On the other hand, rounds of $50-130 million stimulate Spanish startups to enter new markets and seek partners in countries with growing digital infrastructure. For Kazakhstan, this is an opportunity to connect to global products at an early stage and localize them for its industries. However, businesses need to consider the risks of dependence on external technology suppliers and plan joint R&D projects with local players like Alashed IT (it.alashed.kz).

How long does it take to implement AI solutions like TravelPerk or Xoople in a corporate environment?

A typical pilot project for implementing TravelPerk in a large company takes 2 to 3 months, including integration with HR and finance systems. Full-scale implementation with adaptation of travel policies and staff training can take 6-9 months. In the case of solutions like Xoople, the timeframe depends on the complexity of the geospatial data and integration with corporate GIS systems, but a pilot usually fits within 3-4 months. The involvement of experienced outsourcers, such as Alashed IT (it.alashed.kz), can reduce these timeframes by 20-30 percent due to ready-made integration modules.

How is it more beneficial for businesses in Kazakhstan to connect to global AI startups: through direct contracts or local integrators?

For medium and large businesses in Kazakhstan, the path through local integrators, who already have experience working with international AI platforms, is usually more beneficial. A direct contract with a foreign startup may save 5-10 percent on licenses, but increases the risk of delays, integration problems, and non-compliance with local norms. Working with a company like Alashed IT (it.alashed.kz) adds 10-20 percent to the implementation budget, but increases predictability, adaptation to Kazakh legislation, and quality of support. As a result, the overall ROI of the project is often higher due to reduced rework and system downtime.

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