The Valencian startup Kämpe expects to double its revenue to 3 million euros by 2026 and train 2,500 students in trades such as electricity and plumbing, in response to the unmet demand for skilled workers.
The Valencian startup Kämpe has already trained around 1,500 people in electricity, plumbing, and air conditioning since its founding in 2023, and aims to finish 2026 with 2,500 trained students. The company, which was born in the venture builder Zubi Labs, expects to generate around 1.5 million euros in revenue this year and hopes to double that figure in the next financial year, according to its CEO, Fernando Marzal.
Kämpe has reached agreements with 700 companies across Spain to facilitate the employment of its students. Its training model is based on intensive courses lasting between one and two months, designed according to the real needs of companies in the sector. “Every time we launch a course, we first go to the companies and ask them what the minimum a worker must know to start working is,” Marzal noted.
The proposal revives the apprentice model, but adapted to the 21st century: students acquire basic skills in a short time and begin working as assistants, with a salary from day one. Additionally, Kämpe offers support to obtain official certifications from the Ministry of Industry while the student is already employed.
“Not everyone has the opportunity to be two years without earning money, without paying bills,” Marzal stated, referring to the duration of regulated Vocational Training. The startup presents itself as a complement, not as a competitor to Vocational Training. “Our model is not based on internships; it is based on them starting to work directly,” he clarified.
The profile of the students is varied: although the program is specifically designed for those under 35 with low-skilled and high-turnover jobs, they have also welcomed individuals with university degrees in Computer Science, Marketing, and even Nursing. “You can take a quick course, start working, and only pay for it once you have a job,” the executive explained.
When asked about job guarantees, Marzal was emphatic: “We don’t need to provide guarantees because we are in a market with an employment rate close to 100%.” According to data from the Professional Association of Electrical and Telecommunications Installers of Madrid (APIEM), Spain is short of 70,000 electricians, while Vocational Training only graduates about 15,000 students a year. “There is not enough supply to meet the demand,” he warned.
For Kämpe's CEO, the underlying problem is cultural. “There is a very ingrained ‘degreeitis’ in this society and a stigma around manual jobs, as if they were second-class,” he denounced. “We have always heard that ‘those who don’t succeed should go to Vocational Training,’ when today the world of trades has changed and it is no longer about getting your hands dirty as it used to be,” he added.
Marzal also pointed out that many SMEs in the sector are “so overwhelmed with work that they don’t have time to hire properly or plan.” Therefore, Kämpe also acts as an intermediary: it contacts companies, defines the profiles they need, and sends them trained candidates tailored to their needs.
In order to attract Generation Z, the executive believes that collective agreements need to be updated. “Electricians are governed by the metal agreement, which sets minimum wages that perhaps need to be improved to be more attractive,” he noted. But he also urged realism from young people: “This is a career plan; you cannot expect the same salary on the first day as someone with ten years of experience.”
In a context of uncertainty about the impact of artificial intelligence on employment, Marzal argues that manual trades are a safe bet. “All experts tell us that AI will replace many professions. Who will hire a programmer or a junior lawyer when an AI can do the same?” he asks. “The physical world is still far from being replaced. Moreover, AI will demand more electricity, more installations, more maintenance,” he concludes.
Kämpe expects to add a thousand new students before the end of 2026 and double its revenue to 3 million euros. To achieve this, it will continue to expand its course catalogue and its network of collaborating companies, with the aim of consolidating itself as a real alternative for training and employment in the most in-demand trades.
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