- The organization has presented the awards to the projects for their contributions to fostering a fair ecological transition and creating a positive impact on people. 120,000 euros have been distributed among the initiatives as support to continue their work, and in addition, they will have a specialized advisory service
- This first call received 143 applications from startups, SMEs, foundations, associations, and cooperatives, from all over Spain
These Awards align with one of the strategic pillars of Fundación Cepsa—Social Innovation—and contribute to reinforcing its role as an agent of social transformation and a creator of future opportunities. In this first call, 143 applications were received from across Spain, representing 31 provinces and a diverse range of organizations, including startups, SMEs, foundations, associations, and cooperatives.
At the award ceremony, Maarten Wetselaar, president of Fundación Cepsa, stated: "At Fundación Cepsa, we’re committed to addressing the challenges of the ecological transition by ensuring it’s balanced and inclusive, creating opportunities and leaving no one behind. These Awards were established with this purpose in mind, and both the winning projects and the finalists exemplify their commitment to improving society in areas such as education, environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and technological innovation. They serve as examples that, with determination, creativity, and collaboration, we can be agents of change and build a more sustainable world."
For his part, José Moisés Martín Carretero, Director of the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI), highlighted: "Entrepreneurship not only generates a necessary social and economic impact due to its ability to develop new paths and new models. In the current context, especially, its main value is its transformative capacity, to cause changes that improve and multiply the positive impact that innovation, of all profiles, is deployed in society, in the well-being of citizens and in the consolidation of an active and coordinated society ecosystem, consolidated and that matrix multiplies the country's capabilities to project itself into the future with more and better guarantees and conditions. Responsible initiatives that integrate business projects committed to a necessary ecological transition and with values that make people's lives better through projects whose objectives are to help advance societies towards a sustainable, environmentally friendly model that welcomes us and relies on technology to provide value are essential.Technological innovation and entrepreneurship, walking hand in hand, are the formula for the best possible future."
For the final selection of winners, the representatives from the finalist entities—AIPC Pandora, Digital Earth Solutions, ECODES, Gravity Wave, Nou Verd, Persiskin, Phytobatea, PlanetAI Space, Sekond Brand, and Showee Smart Wellness—presented their projects in a three-minute pitch format. Following the joint deliberation of the jury, which included members of Fundación Cepsa's Advisory Board and José Manuel Martínez, Cepsa's Director of Technology, Projects, and Services, the trophies and a prize of 40,000 euros have been awarded to each winner:
- Gravity Wave for its initiative to reduce plastic pollution in the oceans, transforming them into durable products for the interior design and architecture industries, among others.
- Phytobatea for La Pisondera, a project in wich they develop cutting-edge technology based on phytopurification, to create floating ecosystems that manage to purify contaminated waters.
- Ecology and Development Foundation (ECODES) for its initiative Not a Home Without Energy (NUHSE), which offers personalized advice to vulnerable homes to reduce their energy bills and promote responsible consumption habits.
