What if starting a company could be as simple as explaining a business idea to an artificial intelligence CEO? That’s the proposition behind Spelt, a Barcelona-based startup that has developed a platform capable of turning a business idea into an operating company through a team of AI agents that automate nearly the entire process: from market analysis and software development to go-to-market execution.
At the heart of the platform is Spelt, a AI CEO with whom the user has the initial conversation. After presenting the problem to solve and validating the business opportunity, Spelt coordinates a team of specialized agents that investigate the market, analyze the competition, define the product, build all the software, deploy the tech infrastructure, and prepare the marketing and sales strategy.
“There are thousands of people who know their sector’s problems inside out and have ideas to solve them, but they never turn them into a business because they lack time, technical know-how, or resources,” explains Matías Szarfer, cofounder of Spelt. “Our mission is to remove those barriers so that any professional can become an entrepreneur.”
Unlike coding assistants or AI-powered code-generation tools, Spelt isn’t limited to creating an app or a prototype. Its goal is to build a full-fledged business. The platform generates the product, configures the domain, hosting, payment systems, the commercial website, and analytics tools. Once launched, it continues to optimize the product and automate customer-acquisition actions.
The company asserts that the process can be completed in just a few hours. After that, Spelt helps roll out advertising campaigns, email marketing, and other growth actions. While much of the execution is automated, Spelt designed the platform so that AI complements, rather than substitutes, the entrepreneur’s judgment. The AI handles execution and optimization, while the vision, market knowledge, and strategic decisions remain in the hands of the person driving the project. “We don’t deliver a prototype; we deliver a running business that the founder can lead,” summarizes Sergi Fayos.
More than 100 companies created
What was only a proof of concept a few months ago has become a platform with more than 100 companies created. Some of these businesses have already posted their first sales, while Spelt is now working on increasing the aggregated revenue across its portfolio, aiming to reach about $110,000 in annual revenue by 2026.
The company is also expanding the platform’s capabilities to automate the creation of advertising campaigns,
strategies for email marketing, and other actions designed to accelerate growth for the businesses built within the ecosystem.
A Silicon Valley-inspired model
Although the United States already hosts companies that use artificial intelligence to accelerate software development, Spelt seeks to go further by automating the entire cycle of building a business. Against tools that merely generate code or traditional venture studios, the startup proposes a model that lets any professional turn their knowledge into their own business, without needing a technical team or a large initial investment.
The company reinforced this vision after its stint at Artifact, the Founders Inc. incubator in San Francisco, where it had the opportunity to validate its proposition within one of the world’s most dynamic startup and AI ecosystems.
Additionally, Spelt has received angel investment from Marc Assens, founder of HappyScribe and a scout for one of the most influential venture capital funds in the global tech ecosystem. The startup, which has not yet opened a funding round with a closed valuation, remains focused on developing its technology and validating its business model.
Two founders with experience in entrepreneurship and innovation
Spelt was founded by Matías Szarfer and Sergi Fayos, both 29, who bring extensive experience in tech entrepreneurship. Before launching Spelt, they both worked at Trialing, a digital health platform that became a reference in hospitals across southern Europe and established more than 300 collaborations with medical centers.
Szarfer has been programming since he was 11 and has participated in research projects at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. He has also published scientific papers in oncology, spoken before the United Nations Human Rights Council, and been recognized in international programming and entrepreneurship competitions.
Fayos is a biomedical engineer from Imperial College London and has founded four technology and impact-focused startups. He has also helped more than 380 early-stage companies in incubation and growth programs and has driven health-innovation projects with universities and British organizations.
With Spelt, the two aim to democratize tech entrepreneurship and remove the main barriers to starting a business: time, cost, and the need for technical know-how.
