Armilar welcomes Darío Villena

We are thrilled to announce a key addition to the Armilar team: Darío Villena has joined us as Principal to strengthen our presence and support for founders across Spain.

Darío brings a rare combination of technical depth, investment track record, and ecosystem knowledge that will enhance our ability to back the best technology-driven founders in the Spanish market.

“What attracted me to Armilar is the combination of world-class returns and genuine founder care. They’ve been backing visionary entrepreneurs for over 25 years with a hands-on, long-term approach. That’s the model that builds generational companies and the platform Spanish founders deserve.”

— Darío Villena

Darío’s journey into venture capital began in R&D, giving him a deep technical foundation for evaluating technology-driven startups. This technical background has proven invaluable throughout his investment career.

He spent years investing across international funds including Seedstars and Swanlaab, and was selected as a Kauffman Fellow in 2022 — one of the most selective programs for venture investors globally. Most recently, Darío led a retail innovation lab for a family office, collaborating with major retailers to identify and implement cutting-edge solutions

Beyond investing, Darío runs the Venture Capital Archive, a weekly research project sharing data-driven insights and ecosystem trends — reflecting the analytical rigor that defines Armilar’s approach.

Based in Barcelona, Darío will deepen Armilar’s presence across Spain and strengthen our connections with the European venture capital ecosystem.

“At Armilar, we strive to work very closely with the talented founders that we choose to back. As we expand our investment activity in Iberia, particularly through our recently-announced Armilar IV fund, we want to deepen our roots in the Spanish ecosystem, where we see exceptional talent and ambitious founders building world-class companies. With his experience, his passion for entrepreneurship and investment and also his deep connections in the industry, Darío and Armilar made for an irresistible match! We’re thrilled to have him join our investment team.”

— Pedro Ribeiro Santos, Partner, Armilar