The german investment fund Heartfelt has signed a check to Barcelona-based crypto investment platform Iqana. The fund—backed by Axel Springer and Porsche—led a funding round of over €550,000, placing Iqana’s valuation north of €3 million, according to Expansión.
With a different approach than the usual to this market, Iqana has an operation focused on institutional players—such as hedge funds, family offices, and professional asset managers looking to automate crypto exposure without surrendering control. Its proposition hinges on risk-first algorithms and robust architecture, promising a hands-on approach to a sector often dominated by volatile, opaque systems.
What makes Iqana particularly interesting is the pedigree of its founding team. The CEO Quim Allard sharped his teeth at Accenture in strategic consulting, while CTO Albert Ventura-Traveset brings experience from the likes of Credit Suisse and Zurich. Together, they began tinkering with crypto investments as far back as 2017, long before the market became crowded.
Backing their tech is a strong advisory board, including José María Carabias, a finance professor at the London School of Economics (LSE) and former strategist at Citadel, as well as José Abad, ex-Goldman Sachs and now a consultant to the IMF and World Bank.
Looking ahead, the firm is in the process of securing regulatory approval under the EU’s new MiCA rules, which would formally legitimise its operations within the bloc. If granted, the licence could open doors to broader adoption across Europe. For now, Iqana remains a startup with big ambitions—and the technical muscle to potentially deliver on them.
