GoodNews was born from a group of five friends led by Jan Barthe Cuatrecasas, who helped guide the startup from its early funding rounds into a growing chain. The company has raised 15 million euros with support from notable investors, including Thomas Meyer, the founder of Desigual, and Javier Rubió, founder of Barlon Capital.
At the crossroads of Carrer de Balmes and Avenida Diagonal in Barcelona, the original newsstand transformed into the first of thirty coffee and snack stalls. The founders acquired the concession from the previous operator for 30,000 euros. He once bought a motorcycle and rode across the Iberian Peninsula and into Morocco, planning to retire from the newsstand business because he believed people no longer shopped at newsagents in the 21st century. That story is part of the journey shared by Jan Barthe Cuatrecasas, the CEO and co-founder of GoodNews.
Barthe and his four partners—Fernando Conde, Alexander Catasus, Ignacio Campos, and Lucas Gispert—decided to launch their own venture in September 2020 after being involved in a separate project that stalled due to the pandemic. Their aim was to modernize traditional newsstands by centering each location around fast, takeout coffee. The idea appeals to young, busy pedestrians who want a fresh cup on the go, delivered in a simple cardboard cup.
At the first Barcelona kiosk, the five founders spent a month offering coffee in exchange for listening to customers share good news, a clever marketing move that helped define the brand. The notion of information access being a fundamental right added an authentic purpose to the project, and the name GoodNews became a symbol of the mission.
first level
The launch was about more than buying a license for a kiosk. The company undertook three investment rounds to build the brand, establishing a footprint in Barcelona, Madrid, and Paris and ultimately raising 15 million euros, with 11 million raised in the final round in 2022. Investors included the Desigual founder and a European venture fund led by Javier Rubió. Other notable supporters from the business and health sectors joined as well, helping to propel growth across markets.
Key figures linked to the venture include Manuel Puig of Puig, Antonio Gallardo of Almirall Laboratories, and Rafael Esteve, a director at Danone, all of whom have supported the GoodNews team as it expanded. Barthe, who carries the Cuatrecasas surname, has ties to the Cuatrecasas law firm, a name well known in the legal world. The firm closed the 2022 fiscal year with strong revenue figures and continued momentum into the following year.
According to the CEO, GoodNews competes with major coffee brands on price and positioning, but the company emphasizes its own identity and a strong appeal to younger customers who feel a closer kinship with the GoodNews brand than with larger chains. The coffee sourced for the menu comes from Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, and Costa Rica. In addition to brewed coffee, the Stations offer beans, other beverages, light foods, and multivitamins. Across sourcing regions, the company notes higher costs, around a 35 to 45 percent premium over common benchmarks, reflecting a focus on sustainable practice. The team has stated a commitment to avoid child labor in supply chains by paying fair wages and employing local workers directly, aided by smaller store formats and a lean staffing model with one worker per shift. This approach supports a takeout-focused operation that minimizes on-site labor while maintaining product quality.
epidemic memories
The five founders started by selling coffee themselves for four months before bringing on their first employee in December. They recall how the locals responded to the simple gesture of sharing good news in exchange for a cup of coffee, a reminder of the social value embedded in their business. The broader context shows a period of rapid growth and adaptation, with early milestones marking a transition from a bootstrapped project to a recognized brand. A related venture, launched in 2021, reported annual turnover but has not publicly disclosed its figures for the most recent year.
Looking ahead, the company has a clear growth plan. In the near term, it aims to become the leading brand for takeaway coffee across Paris while also establishing a presence in Amsterdam. In the midterm horizon, around 2026, the plan envisions a broader European footprint in major cities. The leadership emphasizes becoming a reference brand for newer generations within the European market, underscoring a long-term commitment to scale with purpose and sustainability in every market they enter.