Splio Taps Barcelona AI Hub for Southern Europe CRM Push

BARCELONA, Spain – May 19, 2026 – In a significant strategic move underscoring the growing importance of both artificial intelligence and the Southern European market, CRM specialist Splio is intensifying its regional investment. The company announced that co-CEO Antoine Parizot is relocating to its historic Barcelona office, while COO Donald Pontabry will now lead its Southern Europe division, covering Spain, Portugal, and Italy. This expansion follows the recent launch of Splio's AI-first CRM platform and signals a deep commitment to a region experiencing rapid digital acceleration.

For over 12 years, Splio has maintained a presence in Southern Europe, but this new phase marks a deliberate pivot to capitalize on what the company sees as a market ripe for advanced technology adoption. With a dedicated regional team of around thirty professionals and a portfolio of nearly one hundred local clients—including well-known brands like Bodeboca, Conforama, and Piazza Italia—the foundation is firmly in place. The new leadership structure aims to build on this, positioning the company to capture a larger share of the evolving CRM landscape.

The AI-First Advantage

At the heart of Splio's strategy is its new AI-first CRM, a platform designed to move beyond traditional customer relationship management. Powered by the technology from its 2023 acquisition of Tinyclues, the system integrates predictive, generative, and agentic AI to transform how marketing teams operate. The platform’s core strength lies in its ability to predict customer purchase intent with high accuracy, allowing brands to automate the creation of highly relevant audience segments for campaigns.

This predictive engine is complemented by "Ask My CRM," an intelligent copilot that acts as an in-house data analyst for marketers. The agent can answer natural language queries, diagnose performance drops, identify new campaign opportunities, and generate action plans directly from customer data. This automation aims to free up marketing teams from manual analysis, enabling them to focus on strategy and creativity. The company has set an ambitious goal to generate 50% of its revenue from these AI capabilities by 2027, a significant jump from the current 30%.

"Southern Europe is a dynamic market, where AI usage is evolving quickly," said Antoine Parizot, co-CEO of Splio. He emphasized that the region requires a new breed of tools, stating, "We see Southern Europe as much more than a region where we have a long-standing presence... We want to strengthen this proximity with an organization, teams and a value proposition aligned with this new phase of the market."

Barcelona: A True Center of Gravity for AI

Splio's decision to anchor its Southern European ambitions in Barcelona is no coincidence. Parizot described the city as a "true center of gravity for supporting companies as closely as possible to their business challenges," a sentiment echoed by a growing number of international tech firms. Barcelona has meticulously cultivated a reputation as one of Europe's premier hubs for technology and artificial intelligence.

The city's ecosystem is supported by world-class infrastructure and research institutions. The Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) is a cornerstone, housing the MareNostrum 5 supercomputer, one of Europe's most powerful. The BSC is currently undergoing a €129 million AI-focused upgrade and will manage an "AI Factory" selected by the European Commission, aiming to solidify the city's leadership role and support small and medium-sized enterprises in adopting AI.

Furthermore, Barcelona is home to a dense network of specialized research centers like the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (IIIA-CSIC) and the Intelligent Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Research Center (IDEAI-UPC), alongside top-tier universities. This academic firepower produces a steady stream of highly skilled talent. The city's 22@ Innovation District has become a magnet for startups and established companies alike, fostering a collaborative environment that fuels innovation and attracts significant venture capital. Splio's move joins others, such as Symrise's recent launch of its global Data & AI Hub in the city, confirming Barcelona's appeal for companies building their future on data science.

Local Leadership for Global Technology

Splio’s strategy is not merely about parachuting in advanced technology. The company is pairing its AI platform with a deeply localized operational model. The appointment of Donald Pontabry, a COO who has been based in Spain for over eight years, to lead the Southern Europe division ensures that regional nuances and market-specific challenges are understood at the highest level.

This approach acknowledges a critical reality for businesses in the region. "Companies in the region need to make new AI-driven usage coexist with activities that remain deeply rooted in the real world," explained Donald Pontabry. "Our role is to provide them with a CRM capable of connecting these two realities with fluidity and consistency."

This philosophy is executed on the ground by the local team, which covers business development, customer success, and partnerships. Splio is also leaning on a network of regional partner agencies, including Jakala, CSengine, and CleverStrategy, to extend its reach and provide integrated solutions. This combination of global AI innovation and localized expertise is designed to differentiate Splio from larger, more monolithic competitors, offering a more tailored and responsive service to clients like GoodNews, Gocco, and Lola Casademunt.

The impact of Splio's predictive AI is already being felt by its clients. For instance, French organic cosmetics retailer Mademoiselle Bio reported a threefold increase in its average conversion rate after implementing the platform's predictive audience targeting. By identifying customers with the highest purchase probability for specific products, the company was able to refine its campaigns and achieve significantly better results. It is this tangible return on investment that Splio aims to replicate across its growing client base in Spain, Portugal, and Italy, proving that AI is not just a futuristic concept but a practical tool for driving business growth today.