The third BBVA Spark Summit in Barcelona brought together more than 350 ecosystem leaders, over half from startups, and 45 venture capital funds from eight countries. The event has become a key venue for matching talent, capital and innovation, and for showcasing Catalonia as one of Europe’s leading tech hubs.
During his dialogue, Torres Vila said BBVA’s push to deploy AI across the organization is helping it differentiate the customer experience, support bankers, manage risk, develop software and streamline processes.
He added that AI has sped up how the bank designs and rolls out processes and applications, and noted BBVA’s large AI operations “factory” for automation and software development, which lifts efficiency and lets teams focus on higher‑value work. He added that analytics and ready access to data are essential to make these models work and to translate them into better services and processes for customers.
BBVA Spark reaffirmed its backing for innovative entrepreneurship, calling it vital to regional economic development. In its three years of operation, the unit has attracted 1,700 customers and channeled more than €750 million in working‑capital and long‑term financing. BBVA has also invested over €900 million in private‑equity funds that support startups and technology‑based companies worldwide.
The BBVA Chair praised entrepreneurs, saying success stems from passion, a focus on value‑based impact, and the courage and conviction to build something great. BBVA Spark has a London‑based team covering Europe, and offices in Madrid, Barcelona, Mexico City, Bogota and Buenos Aires.