Piqué and Ibai lead a €3.75 million funding round to boost Plesh

Catalan company Plesh has raised €3.75 million in a funding round led by Gerard Piqué and Ibai Llanos. Both are joining the project as co-founders and, according to the company and its executives, will take an active part in developing the brand. The deal also included investors who were already shareholders, although not all the participants have been disclosed.

From investors to brand champions

Piqué had already invested in Plesh in an earlier funding round. This new phase expands his role and brings Llanos onto the shareholder register. Co-founder and CEO Jaume Betrian explained that the pair would be involved in areas such as product, branding, content and community.

The strategy aims to tie the new partners to the project, going beyond a one-off advertising collaboration. Betrian says the company wants to compete with established brands in the sweet snack category and that building brand recognition is one of its main challenges. Piqué, for his part, said his goal is to contribute his experience and help accelerate Plesh’s growth. These statements express the participants’ expectations, not guaranteed results.

Commercial expansion and production capacity

The company plans to use the funding to expand its presence in Spanish retail and prepare to enter other markets. Plesh says its products are already sold in more than 3,000 points of sale, including Carrefour, Alcampo, Bonpreu, Ametller Origen and Cal Fruitós stores, as well as outlets operated by the Areas group. It is also considering expanding distribution to other retailers, although it has not provided a timetable for that expansion.

To support its growth, Plesh works with external manufacturers. Production has moved from a bakery in Taradell to facilities in Vilafranca del Penedès and a larger plant in Zaragoza. According to information published about the deal, the company is also in the process of qualifying a third factory. The company has fewer than ten employees, and its management plans to expand the team; the future figure mentioned by Betrian is a forecast, not a hiring target already achieved.

Product and available financial data

Plesh sells chocolate snacks that it describes as made without added sugars. The company attributes their sweetness to ingredients such as plant fibres and stevia. Recent launches include chocolate-coated protein balls in hazelnut or biscuit varieties. Betrian estimated that these products could increase current revenue fivefold, but the company has not published that figure, and the forecast should not be interpreted as a confirmed result.

The latest available figures cited by La Vanguardia, sourced from the Mercantile Registry, indicate that Plesh generated revenue of €147,000 in 2025 and recorded losses of €601,000. These are historical figures and, on their own, do not show how the business will perform following this funding round. The company has not disclosed how the €3.75 million will be allocated among its expansion, production and product development plans.