The telecommunications operator has been recognised as the best SME project for its commitment to rural Catalonia and its founding purpose of bringing fibre-optic connectivity to the entire territory. The cooperative has been awarded as the best non-profit project for its long history of generating employment opportunities for people with disabilities and those at risk of exclusion in the Anoia region. The biotechnology company has been honoured as the best start-up project for the innovative and sustainable nature of its methodology based on plant stem cell cultivation.
The first edition of the ICF Empenta Awards already has its winners. Telecommunications operator Vera has been recognised as the best SME project, the worker cooperative Àuria has been awarded as the best non-profit project, and biotechnology company Vytrus Biotech has been honoured as the best start-up project.
As part of its 40th anniversary, the Institut Català de Finances (ICF) has launched these awards to recognise recently financed Catalan projects supported by the public promotional bank that have achieved the greatest positive economic, social, and environmental impact in Catalonia.
The verdict was announced today at a ceremony held at the Llotja de Barcelona, presided over by the consellera d’Economia i Finances, Alícia Romero, who highlighted “the contribution of the Institut Català de Finances to the country’s economic development” and the “key role” it has played during times of recession or uncertainty, such as the 2008 financial crisis or the pandemic. She stressed that beyond being a counter-cyclical instrument, the institution “has always been able to drive the sectors that ultimately define the future of Catalunya.”
In her closing remarks, the consellera underlined the value of the ICF Empenta Awards, noting that they represent the talent, resilience, and values of a forward-looking Catalonia. She also called for joint efforts to continue building an economy with more opportunities—innovative and fair—and added that the country needs strong, agile public institutions committed to the common good: “The ICF is not just a financial institution; it is a public service for the country, a tool to make public policies and strategic priorities a reality so that Catalonia continues advancing.”
Vera: a project committed to the territory and Catalunya’s digital transformation
Vera has been recognised as the best SME project for its commitment to the territory—especially rural Catalunya—and for its founding mission to bring fibre-optic connectivity to the entire region, including the most remote, sparsely populated, or hard-to-reach areas.
Founded in February 2023 following the merger of Goufone (Gurb), Iguana (Igualada) and Soomfibra (Manresa), the project has quickly consolidated itself as a rooted, innovative, and country-focused business model working to drive digital transformation, connectivity, and equal opportunities across the territory.
Since then, the company has experienced solid growth in its annual turnover and has helped create stable, skilled jobs in regions such as Osona, Anoia, Bages, Gironès, Maresme and Berguedà, among others. Vera now employs 180 people, 45% of whom are women.
With more than 6,000 km of fibre-optic network deployed and coverage throughout Catalunya via its own network and third-party networks, Vera is today the Catalan operator with the most extensive proprietary infrastructure and a benchmark in proximity, service, and sustainability.
The award recognises its work in building a more connected, open, and digital Catalunya—providing economic and social value through a network that not only connects homes and businesses but also people, talent, and opportunities throughout the country.
According to Marc Mundó, CEO of Vera, “this award belongs to the entire Vera team and to all the people who have placed their trust in us. We have shown that it is possible to grow without losing our essence: staying close to the customer, understanding their needs, and building a country project that puts them at the centre.”
With the financial support of the ICF, Vera has improved its fibre-optic infrastructure, becoming one of the first Catalan operators to offer 10G technology, and has expanded its network to more than 260 municipalities. Combined with agreements with wholesale network providers, Vera now reaches 100% of the Catalan territory and provides service to more than 60,000 households and 5,000 businesses.
Àuria: a social and economic leader in the Anoia region
Worker cooperative Àuria has been awarded as the best non-profit project for its long-standing work creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities, social exclusion risk, or vulnerability in the Anoia region.
Since its founding more than 50 years ago, Àuria has promoted inclusion, autonomy, and independence for these vulnerable groups, while professionalising its organisational structure and specialising in activities that have given it a competitive advantage. As a result, it has consolidated a solid social and business project, recognised with the Creu de Sant Jordi in 2020.
In total, the Àuria group employs more than 800 people, over 400 of whom are individuals with disabilities, making it a social and economic cornerstone in the region. The cooperative’s activity is centred at its plant in Igualada, covering over 9,000 m², where it carries out the entire production and handling chain of perfumes and other cosmetic products for various brands.
According to its manager, Albert Piñol, “for Àuria, having the support of the ICF has been essential in enabling us to innovate and implement improvements in our facilities, which translate into more job opportunities and better working conditions for our teams. Strategically, it has become a key ally to face all the future challenges ahead, and we rely on them to fulfil our mission and continue creating opportunities for everyone.”
Àuria also operates an industrial services division and provides gardening, cleaning, and urban and road maintenance services for companies, organisations, and public administrations. Additionally, through its foundation, it offers support services, psychological care, residential accommodation, and employment guidance for people with disabilities or at risk of exclusion.
The history of Àuria and the ICF has been closely linked since the early days of the public promotional bank. The first financing operation was approved in 1988, just three years after the institution was founded. Since then, Àuria has received ICF support at key stages to carry out various improvement, expansion, and adaptation projects, including the purchase of new equipment.
Most recently, the cooperative has invested in improvements to establish a new production line for solid and sustainable fragrances—an innovative milestone that positions Àuria among leading companies in the cosmetics sector while preserving its mission of social transformation and labour inclusion.
Vytrus Biotech: innovative and sustainable technology for skin care
Vytrus Biotech has been recognised as the best start-up project for the innovative and sustainable nature of its technology. The biotechnology company develops, produces, and markets active ingredients for skin and hair care based on plant stem cells cultivated in its own laboratories.
The Terrassa-based company has achieved industrial-scale production and commercialisation of high-value natural active ingredients thanks to a technology that saves up to 99% of water and cultivable land compared to traditional plant extracts used in cosmetics.
According to Albert Jané, CEO and co-founder of Vytrus Biotech, “receiving this recognition from the ICF makes us very proud because it symbolises a relationship of trust and support that goes back many years. Since our beginnings, the ICF has been a key ally that believed in the potential of our technology and helped drive our growth and internationalisation. This award not only acknowledges Vytrus’ innovation and sustainability but also the commitment of the Catalan ecosystem to developing an industry rooted in science, talent and sustainability.”
Vytrus Biotech was founded in 2009 by scientists Albert Jané and Òscar Expósito at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Barcelona and has since become a consolidated business project with sales in 49 countries across five continents. The company has been listed on the BME Growth stock market since 2022.
The biotechnology company has also been recognised for its contribution to generating highly skilled jobs and its commitment to female talent: its 45-person team includes numerous scientific and technical profiles, and more than 60% of its workforce are women.
Vytrus Biotech and the ICF have been connected since 2018, when the public promotional bank formalised a participatory loan. The ICF entered the company’s capital in 2019 through its venture fund ICF Venture Tech II to support its growth and international expansion plan.
The decision was made by an eight-member professional jury
Candidates for the first edition of the ICF Empenta Awards were proposed by ICF staff from among all projects recently financed by the Generalitat de Catalunya’s public promotional bank.
The award guidelines established three categories—best SME project, best non-profit project, and best start-up project—evaluated based on criteria such as social, economic, and environmental impact; innovation; creation of quality jobs; growth and financial soundness; professionalism; and strategic sovereignty.
The ICF opened an internal call for nominations so that any employee could propose the most suitable projects for each category according to these criteria. This approach reflects that ICF professionals are those who know financed companies and organisations most closely, maintaining ongoing direct contact and following their activities and development.
The final decision was made by a professional jury of eight members: four representatives of the ICF Board of Governors and four journalists specialising in economic reporting. The jury consisted of the president of the Board of Governors and secretari general d’Economia i Finances, Juli Fernández; independent members Pilar Soldevila and Xavier Puig; and secretary Joan Roca.
The other jury members were economic journalists: José Orihuel, Chief Editor of Expansión in Catalunya; Gemma Martínez, Deputy Director of El Periódico; Elisenda Vallejo, Chief Economics Editor at La Vanguardia; and Carlos Rojas, Deputy Director at VIA Empresa.