Glòria Torné Villasevil
Building
things
that matter.
Founder in construction tech and luxury design.
Economist by training, sailor by heart.
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Glòria Torné Villasevil
Founder in construction tech and luxury design.
Economist by training, sailor by heart.
Scroll
About
Running with the person who got me started
01
I grew up in Salou, on the coast of Catalonia, where I spent more time on the water than in a classroom. I started sailing at six and never really stopped. It taught me how to read conditions, stay calm under pressure, and know when to push and when to wait. I also played classical guitar for eleven years at the Conservatori de Vila-seca, which taught me something different: that mastery is slow, patient, and deeply personal (and sometimes very frustrating). Between the sea and the music, I think I learned most of what I actually know about discipline and craft.
02
I studied economics at IE University in Madrid, where I got interested in what actually happens to construction materials at the end of a project. The answer, in most of Europe, is landfill – even when the materials are perfectly reusable. In October 2022, during my second year, I founded Ectos to change that. Ectos is a circular economy startup that transforms construction waste into reusable assets through digital inventory tools. We've raised €80,000, signed letters of intent across nine countries, built a team of ten, and recently started selling across Europe. I was twenty when I started it. I'm still figuring it out every day.
03
This year I started a second project, and I'll be honest about why. Partly because if I only work on one thing I go a little crazy. But also because I wanted to learn something I didn't know: how to negotiate with physical manufacturers, manage inventory, build a luxury brand from scratch. SHŌBI is a reimagining of the Japanese wagasa umbrella – handcrafted design, 24-spoke carbon fibre frame, built to last – positioned as a fashion accessory, not a weather tool. It's backed by Pablo Garrido, who has believed in me since the first days of Ectos, and by my parents, who are my biggest believers of all.
Ventures
Venture
Circular economy · Construction tech
Construction generates billions of tonnes of waste every year. Most of it doesn't have to be waste. Ectos builds digital inventory tools that let construction companies track, reuse, and trade materials across project sites – turning waste into assets.
€80k raised · 9 countries · 10-person team · building partnerships
Venture
Luxury accessories · Physical product
The wagasa is a centuries-old Japanese craft. SHŌBI takes that heritage and builds it into something you carry every day. 24-spoke carbon fibre frame. UPF 50+ fabric. Wind-resistant architecture. A fashion object, not a weather tool.
€180 · 200-unit first drop · DTC · Launching in London & Madrid
Recognition
Founders Fight Night · Winner
2024
ESADE Shark Tank
Winner – only woman finalist from 120+ global teams including Cornell, NYU & Stanford
2024
ESADE Digital Innovation Challenge
Winner – €5k prize for most promising startup
2025
Women Taking Off · Aticco
Selected finalist – Spain's top pitch competition for women founders
2024
LSE Research Internship
Co-developed a climate sentiment macroeconomic index under Prof. Ghassane Benmir
2021
IE University Merit Award
€80k scholarship – awarded for academic excellence, ambition & communication
2023–24
IE University Honors
Top distinction in Economic Analysis and Blockchain & AI
Life
Windsurf · World Cup
Club Nàutic Cambrils
Zürich Half Marathon · Madrid
Founders Fight Night · Winner
I've been sailing since I was six – Optimist, then 29er, then windsurf. In 2017 I led Club Nàutic Cambrils to second place in the Catalan regional Optimist competition as team captain, and represented Spain at the Windsurf World Cup Techno 7.8. I still sail when I can. The sea is the one place where thinking about startups is genuinely impossible – which turns out to be exactly what I need.
I studied classical guitar at the Conservatori de Vila-seca for eleven years and graduated the 4th year of the professional music degree in 2019. I don't perform, but I still play – slowly, carefully, usually late at night.
Running
Madrid half marathon 2024, 2025 & 2026. My father got me into it. We still train together when I'm home.
Team sports
Captain of varsity volleyball and soccer in high school. Leadership looks the same on a court as in a boardroom.
Classical guitar
Professional degree, Conservatori de Vila-seca. Still play late at night. Slowly. Carefully.
Writing
After graduating with an economics degree at IE University, I was finally able to invest full time in my ventures. At Ectos, we're deepening new partnerships and expanding our pipeline across Europe and soon Africa. At SHŌBI, I'm in production for our first drop of 200 units and preparing the London and Madrid launch – coordinating influencers, finalising the Shopify store, and learning more about physical supply chains than I ever expected to. I'm also running. Always running.
Currently reading
The Hard Thing About Hard Things – Ben Horowitz
Why I started a luxury umbrella brand while running a construction tech startup
Coming soon
What sailing taught me about founding
Coming soon
3–4 essays a year of genuine thinking. No newsletter, no content strategy – just writing when something is worth saying.
Contact
I'm always open to interesting conversations – investors, collaborators, fellow founders, or anyone who cares about sustainability, craft, or building things that last.