Organization · Corporate Venture Capital
Wayra
Wayra is the Corporate Venture Capital arm of Telefónica, focusing on investing in startups and facilitating their collaboration with the company's business units. It operates globally with hubs in Europe and Latin America, emphasizing sectors like telecommunications, AI, and fintech.
Overview
What Wayra does
What Wayra is
Wayra is the Corporate Venture Capital arm of Telefónica, focusing on investing in startups and facilitating their collaboration with the company's business units. It operates globally with hubs in Europe and Latin America, emphasizing sectors like telecommunications, AI, and fintech.
How it participates in the startup ecosystem
The current public profile supports funder capabilities. Each capability below is shown separately so organization identity and role-specific information do not get conflated.
Operational profile
Organization status and context
Organization status describes the entity itself. Funding and program availability appear within the relevant capability profile.
- Operational status
- Active
- Organization type
- Corporate Venture Capital
- Founded
- Founded in 2011
- Approximate age
- About 15 years
- Structured capabilities
- Funder
- Last reviewed
- May 6, 2026
Official channels
Find Wayra elsewhere
Open the official website or a supported primary organization account.
Capability profile
Wayra as a funder
Investment thesis
Wayra invests in startups that can generate real impact for Telefónica and scale through commercial collaboration with its business units.
Focus narrative
Wayra invests in startups that demonstrate disruptive potential, particularly those that can integrate with Telefónica's operations. The organization provides innovation services to other corporations, helping them implement open innovation strategies. It focuses on various sectors, including telecommunications, technology, and digital services, and aims to generate business impact through its investments.
Value beyond capital
Wayra provides strategic support to its portfolio companies by facilitating collaboration with Telefónica's business units, offering access to resources, expertise, and potential commercial routes to scale their solutions.
Terms and economics
- Typical check
- $150,000–$5,000,000
Focus and fit
- Stages
- Seed · Growth Equity
- Sectors
- Artificial IntelligenceCybersecurityFintechHealthcareEnergyWeb3 & BlockchainInternet of Things
- Regions
- Global · Europe · Latam
Availability
- Currently deploying
- Yes
Portfolio and track record
- Recorded portfolio count
- 520
Portfolio context
Wayra has invested in over 137 startups, including notable companies like Crossmint, a blockchain backend platform; LuxQuanta, a quantum cybersecurity company; and Clevergy, a SaaS platform for energy management. The organization has facilitated more than €65 million in business development for these startups.
Common questions
What to know about Wayra
Upseed classifies Wayra under the Corporate Venture Capital organization type. Its current public profile includes funder capabilities.
Source and update disclosure
Know what this page is based on
Source basis
Public organization and program material, official websites, and structured Upseed records.
Last reviewed
May 6, 2026
Known limits
Capability profiles appear only when a structured public profile also contains decision-useful role evidence. Terms and availability can change.
Upseed is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the organization described on this page.