Telefonica Ventures

Telefónica Ventures, now known as Telefónica Open Innovation, is the corporate venture capital arm of Telefónica, dedicated to fostering innovation and supporting startups that align with Telefónica’s strategic objectives. Established over 15 years ago, it has evolved from a startup accelerator to a comprehensive corporate venture capital fund. The initiative operates through various platforms, including Wayra, which invests in startups with the potential to bring innovation to Telefónica and offers innovation services to other corporations.

In 2020, Telefónica introduced Telefónica Tech Ventures, focusing on investments in the cybersecurity sector. This vehicle aims to detect disruptive innovations in areas such as threat intelligence, cloud security, data protection, and artificial intelligence applied to cybersecurity.

As of September 2024, Telefónica Open Innovation valued its startup investments at €102.5 million, a slight decrease of 2.2% compared to the previous year. The most notable investment is in DevTeam, the parent company of Bit2Me, valued at €6.13 million. Other investments include Assia Shares, Nozomi Networks, and Voicemod. Telefónica holds interests in 20 startup investments valued at €24.28 million and in 15 venture capital funds valued at €61.38 million.

Through these initiatives, Telefónica Open Innovation collaborates with startups and other corporations to drive technological advancements and business growth, leveraging Telefónica’s extensive global network and resources.