Spain's Private Equity Awards Name the Standout Deals of 2024–2025

SpainCap, Deloitte and IESE Business School gathered in Madrid on 9 July for the 19th edition of the Private Equity Awards in Spain, a ceremony designed to spotlight the contribution of venture capital and private equity to the national economy. The event celebrated eight transactions completed between April 2024 and March 2025, chosen by a panel of ten independent experts for their financial returns, sales growth, job creation, international expansion, innovation or sustainability push.

Among the winners, Axon Partners Group took the Best Venture Capital Operation for its investment in social-media analytics platform Metricool, while Advent International won the Best Large Operation for its backing of dental chain Donte Group. Oakley Capital was recognised in the Middle Market category for legal-tech firm vLex, and Suma Capital earned the Expansion Capital prize for outdoor gear e-commerce business TradeInn. Inveready scored a double, picking up the Best Venture Debt award alongside Sabadell Venture Capital for influencer marketing group SamyRoad, and the Best ESG Initiative for its stake in natural ingredients company Natac. Tresmares Capital’s direct-lending deal with Metrodora and Seed Capital de Bizkaia’s impact investment in sustainable logistics startup Koiki rounded out the list. A Lifetime Achievement award went to Carlos Lavilla, former partner at Corpfin Capital.

During the event, SpainCap chairman Enrique Tombas called the industry a “catalyst for growth, driving innovation, internationalisation and competitiveness.” Deloitte’s newly appointed president, Ana Torrens, pointed to concrete figures: over €7bn of investment in 2025, more than 1,000 transactions and a record €6.2bn in funds raised. IESE Business School professor Juan Roure added that private capital now attracts the deepest talent pools and is crucial for pushing companies on innovation and sustainability.

What the 19th Edition Reveals About Spanish Private Capital

Winners Reflect Spain’s Broadening Investment Footprint

The spread of awards — from early-stage tech and direct lending to mid-market buyouts and impact investing — underscores how Spanish private capital is diversifying beyond its traditional mid-market base. Deals in software (Metricool, vLex), consumer e-commerce (TradeInn), healthcare (Donte Group, Metrodora) and green chemistry (Natac) show the sector’s reach into both digital-native and traditional industries. The recognition of a direct-lending operation and a venture-debt deal also highlights the growing maturity of non-equity financing in Spain, where alternative credit is filling gaps left by bank retrenchment.

The €7bn figure cited by Deloitte represents a significant year for the industry, but it comes against a backdrop of higher interest rates that have cooled leveraged buyout activity elsewhere in Europe. That Spain recorded a record fundraise suggests institutional investors remain confident in the country’s deal pipeline, even if the awards themselves are a backward-looking showcase of exits rather than a forward indicator. The data points — 1,000 transactions, €6.2bn in fresh capital — align with a narrative that Spanish private equity has moved from a niche asset class to a core part of the corporate finance ecosystem, something the awards ceremony is designed to reinforce.