From Kitchen Table to Expansion: How a Malasaña Entrepreneur Built Madrid's Fastest-Growing Sustainable Packaging Startup

In a modest workshop tucked between vintage clothing shops and cafés on Calle Velarde in Malasaña, Rosa Gómez oversees an operation that has quietly become one of Madrid's most promising sustainable business success stories. EcoMark Ibérica, her three-year-old packaging materials firm, has just secured €2.1 million in Series A funding and counts major Spanish retailers among its clients—a remarkable trajectory for what began as a side project in 2023.

Gómez, 34, initially worked in corporate sustainability consulting before deciding the impact she wanted was tangible and scalable. "I saw businesses struggling to find reliable, affordable alternatives to plastic packaging," she explains of her decision to launch EcoMark from a 120-square-metre space in the neighbourhood known for creative entrepreneurship. Today, the company employs 28 people across two facilities: the original Malasaña headquarters and a larger production site in Móstoles.

The numbers tell a compelling story. Revenue grew from €180,000 in 2023 to €2.4 million in 2025, with projections to hit €5 million this year. Her biodegradable cardboard food containers and compostable protective packaging now supply everything from neighbourhood bakeries to mid-size food distribution chains across the Comunidad de Madrid. Pricing sits roughly 15-22% above conventional plastic alternatives—a gap narrowing annually as production scales.

What distinguishes EcoMark in a crowded sustainability space is attention to the messy reality of small business constraints. Rather than targeting exclusively premium segments, Gómez engineered her supply chain to serve the mid-market: local restaurants and artisanal food producers struggling with EU packaging regulations but lacking the purchasing power of major corporations. She's also embedded herself in Madrid's business community, becoming a regular at CEIM's sustainability working groups and mentoring emerging founders through the Fundación Endeavor programme.

The recent investment round—led by Barcelona-based climate fund Nuada Capital with participation from Madrid angels—enables expansion into the Portuguese market by Q4 2026 and development of new product lines including compostable labels and protective wrapping. Industry analysts note Spain's packaging sector is undergoing genuine transformation as regulatory pressure mounts and consumer preferences shift; EcoMark's growth reflects broader market evolution.

Her trajectory resonates particularly in Malasaña and beyond, where Madrid's entrepreneurial ecosystem continues proving the capital can incubate serious business innovation outside the startup bubble. For Gómez, the work remains grounded in pragmatism: "We're not saving the planet from a coffee shop. We're building something profitable that happens to be sustainable."

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