Miura, specializing in long term business investment
Luis Seguí, Founder and CEO at Miura Private Equity
What does the company specialize in?
Miura is a private equity firm that specializes in investing in and developing medium-sized companies in the food & agribusiness, industrial, consumer, retail, and services sectors in Spain and Portugal.
When did you start to work in this company?
I founded the firm in 2007, together with Juan Leach, after several years of business experience both in family businesses and in consulting and venture capital.
What do you like most about your work?
Being able to partner with top level entrepreneurs and management teams and develop attractive investment and growth plans in the different companies in which we participate.
And what do you like least?
Not being able to invest in all the companies that we would like to. We make contact and hold discussions with more than 100 companies a year, but once we have applied our investment criteria and strategy, we finally invest in only three or four.
What do you think your company excels at?
We have a very flexible and creative approach to the business world and adapt our investment structures to meet the needs of each company. In addition, we apply a responsible and long-term vision, which enables us to focus on the key aspects of each project regardless of the market situation at any given time.
What is your main challenge?
To enable growth while also making a positive impact. The people at Miura and the companies we invest in believe we are responsible for the economic, social and environmental development of our environment and ecosystem. Companies can be powerful engines of social change.
Where is your company located? Do you know why this place was chosen?
We are based in a historic building renovated in contemporary style in the Passatge Josep Llovera in Sant Gervasi. We are the only company in this unique building, which is pleasant to work in and full of personality.
What do you like most about the neighborhood where you work?
We are in the economic and commercial heart of Barcelona, but at the same time away from the bustle of the main arteries.
How important is Barcelona for your company?
After more than 10 years in other cities like New York, Brussels, London and Madrid, we decided to found Miura in Barcelona. We wanted our city, a benchmark for so many things, to be a benchmark in the world of private equity. Barcelona is the heart of a Mediterranean region which has a solid and dynamic business community with whom we have developed some of our most successful investment projects.
With which city would you compare Barcelona to?
Comparisons are odious and, besides, I believe that Barcelona has a unique appeal in terms of lifestyle, architecture, economic and cultural dynamism, and history. There are certainly some similarities with aspects of Berlin, Sydney, Amsterdam, San Francisco and Lisbon, just to mention a few, but I would stress the uniqueness of Barcelona.
What model of city do you think Barcelona should be like?
I like to think that Barcelona can export its own approach to other cities. Cities are made up of their inhabitants and so each city has its own dynamics. We need to create a city that is committed to sustainable mobility, economic development, and intelligent, well-adapted urban design. It should enable a high standard of living, foment a diverse range of cultural and leisure programs, and offer security and social protection to its inhabitants.
Personally, I am a great fan of Copenhagen because of its public-spirited and peaceful character, its dynamism and social entrepreneurship, and its sustainable and environmentally responsible approach.
What best practices from other cities would you like Barcelona to adopt??
There are various fields in which we can make progress and this requires the commitment of both the public and the private sectors. Some cities serve as benchmarks in particular fields. Amsterdam is known for its circular economy; Singapore for being a smart city; Stockholm has a reputation as a green city; London, Paris and Tel-Aviv are entrepreneurship hubs; and Berlin is famous for its accessible housing...
What would you ask of the Barcelona of the future?
Gentrification in mega-cities is unstoppable and Barcelona has a metropolitan environment that will continue to absorb population. We must aspire to be a truly green city, with sustainable and intelligent mobility systems and urban design. We must be even more business & tech friendly, consolidate cultural programs, transform derelict areas, and make it possible for all citizens to enjoy a good standard of living. And lastly, I think there needs to be clear and decisive commitment to the Greater Barcelona Metropolitan Area, with efficient urban, industrial and technological connectivity amongst all the municipalities and the Collserola park acting as the lungs for the whole area.