The new office will be led by Cristina Pitarch, who takes on the responsibility for the company in Spain after a career spanning over 15 years at tech firms like Google and Salesforce.
Anthropic's opening in Madrid responds to the significant growth in artificial intelligence demand within the Spanish market. According to Anthropic's Economic Index, the adoption of its Claude model in Spain is 2.7 times higher than would be expected based on population size. The company is already collaborating with major Spanish corporate groups such as Santander, Telefónica, Amadeus, BBVA, CaixaBank, Ferrovial, Indra, and Konecta, many of which have significant decision-making centers and operations in the capital.
Anthropic has begun expanding its local team in Madrid, maintaining, among other positions, an opening for an Applied AI Architect. This move underscores Madrid's importance as a hub for technological activity in Spain, hosting over 345,000 ICT professionals and more than 2,600 tech companies.
The Madrid region accounts for 63% of the business spending dedicated to incorporating artificial intelligence in Spain, exceeding 360 million euros. These figures provide companies like Anthropic with access to both specialized talent and a broad base of potential corporate clients.
Anthropic's arrival follows closely on the heels of OpenAI's June announcement of plans to establish its first Spanish office also in Madrid. OpenAI cited the rapid growth in AI adoption in the country, with weekly active users increasing by over 40% year-on-year. OpenAI continues to recruit technical profiles in Madrid for deploying AI systems with enterprise clients.
The establishment of two major US artificial intelligence companies within months reinforces Madrid's integration into the transatlantic tech sector. The combination of corporate clients, specialized professionals, AI investment, and an expanding tech ecosystem offers a strong foundation for US companies to develop their operations in Spain and broaden their presence in the European market.
