From Malasaña Garage to European Scale: How María Gómez Built Spain's Leading Climate-Tech Startup

In a converted loft above a vintage bookshop on Calle Espíritu Santo in Malasaña, María Gómez launched Verdant Systems in 2021 with little more than a laptop, a sustainability obsession, and a conviction that Madrid could compete with Silicon Valley on climate innovation. Five years later, her company has just secured €47 million in Series B funding and operates offices across three European capitals, with the flagship Madrid headquarters still anchored in the neighbourhood where it all began.

"The startup ecosystem here was fragmented," Gómez reflected during a recent panel at Madrid's Innovation Hub on Paseo de la Castellana, where Verdant now maintains research labs. "There was talent, there was capital, but no one was weaving it together around climate solutions." Her company, which uses AI and IoT sensors to optimise energy consumption in commercial real estate, has become a case study in how local entrepreneurs are reshaping Madrid's business identity beyond finance and tourism.

Verdant's growth mirrors the broader transformation of Madrid's startup scene. The city attracted €2.1 billion in venture funding last year—a 34% increase from 2024—according to Madrid Emprende, the municipal innovation agency. The concentration of activity now extends well beyond the traditional Paseo de la Castellana corridor. Neighbourhoods like Chamberí, San Blas, and Lavapiés have emerged as secondary hubs, with co-working spaces and accelerators proliferating at rental rates roughly 30% below Barcelona equivalents.

What distinguishes Verdant's trajectory is Gómez's deliberate strategy to remain Madrid-based while scaling internationally. Rather than chase Silicon Valley venture money early, she bootstrapped to profitability, then partnered with Spanish institutional investors and European climate funds. This approach resonates with a cohort of Madrid-based founders increasingly sceptical of traditional venture playbooks. "There's an assumption that you must relocate to achieve scale," noted Diego Martín, programme director at the Madrid Tech Hub on Calle Mejía Lequerica. "Companies like Verdant prove otherwise."

The company now employs 156 people across Madrid, Barcelona, and Berlin, with plans to open a fourth office in Lisbon by 2027. Gómez has also become an informal mentor within Madrid's founder community, regularly appearing at events hosted by Asociación Madrid Innova and supporting early-stage climate startups through the city's nascent ESG-focused accelerator programme.

As Madrid positions itself as a European leader in climate-tech innovation, Verdant Systems exemplifies how local entrepreneurs, combined with institutional support and neighbourhood regeneration, can build world-class companies without abandoning their roots.

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