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Corporate VCAllocates capital directlyActive · deal in last 18 monthsLAST VERIFIED Oct 2026 · 11 SOURCES

Wayra

Corporate venture capital arm of Telefónica

Also known as Telefónica Open Innovation, S.L.U., Wayra, Telefónica's Corporate Venture Capital

Telefónica’s corporate venture capital arm, Madrid. Takes minority stakes of €150K–€5M in AI, cybersecurity and connectivity startups in Spain, Germany, the UK and Brazil.

HEADQUARTERS
Madrid, Spain
FOUNDED
2011
AUM
—
OUTSIDE CAPITAL
No — own capital only
TEAM LISTED
6 people

FOCUS

STAGES
SeedGrowth
SECTORS
Artificial IntelligenceSoftware & SaaSDeep Tech
ASSET MIX
Venture capitalFunds (as LP)
GEOGRAPHY
SpainGermanyUnited KingdomBrazil

WHAT IT IS

Corporate VC. A corporation investing from its own balance sheet, usually with strategic goals.

  • Wayra Deutschland
    Telefónica Germany's open-innovation hub (Wayra Deutschland GmbH, Munich, HRB 199982)
  • Íope Ventures
    Investment vehicle of Wayra and Telefónica Seguros for B2B insurtech and fintech startups, tickets up to €350,000
  • Vivo Ventures
    Vivo’s corporate venture capital fund for growth-stage (Series A onwards) Brazilian startups, up to R$470 million, managed by Wayra Brasil

ABOUT

Wayra was launched by Telefónica in 2011 as a startup accelerator and in 2018 became the group’s corporate venture capital unit, bringing together its investment and open innovation activities. It invests in seed and growth-stage startups that can do business with Telefónica, mainly in Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom and Brazil, and is also a limited partner in more than 15 venture funds, including Leadwind, launched with Kfund in 2021. Since 2022 it has also managed two vehicles for other Telefónica group companies, Íope Ventures and Vivo Ventures. In July 2026 it stated it had invested more than €260 million in more than 1,200 startups.

INVESTMENT THESIS

Minority stakes in qualified rounds alongside venture firms, in startups with pre-money valuations of up to €250M working in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and advanced connectivity, with a venture-client model that connects them with Telefónica’s business units.

PORTFOLIO (6)

  • MITO AI
    Artificial Intelligence · since 2026
  • LuxQuanta
    Deep Tech · since 2025
  • Clevergy
    Climate & Energy · since 2025
  • Hiya
    Software & SaaS
  • Docket
  • Leadwind (fund, with Kfund)

TEAM

  • Andrés Saborido
    CEO · source
  • Santiago García Aguirre
    CFO · source
  • Pablo Moro
    Funds & Venture Growth Managing Director · source
  • Paloma Castellano
    Investment Managing Director · source
  • Agustín Moro
    Innovation Partnerships & Services Managing Director · source
  • Philipp Trauer
    Brazil Managing Director · source

LINKS

FAQ

Wayra is a corporate venture arm based in Madrid, Spain, founded in 2011.

Yes. Wayra invests directly in private companies. It also commits capital to third-party funds as an LP.

Wayra invests at Seed and Growth stages in Artificial Intelligence, Software & SaaS and Deep Tech.

Wayra's stated ticket size is €150K–€5M.

Key people at Wayra include Andrés Saborido (CEO), Santiago García Aguirre (CFO), Pablo Moro (Funds & Venture Growth Managing Director) and Paloma Castellano (Investment Managing Director).

Wayra's investments include MITO AI, LuxQuanta, Clevergy, Hiya, Docket and Leadwind (fund, with Kfund).

The most recent publicly reported investment by Wayra is MITO AI, announced in Jul 2026.

Wayra states that it accepts submissions through its official contact page.

No. Wayra invests its own capital and does not raise money from outside investors.