Grupo Carinsa, an industrial group specialized in the creation and commercialization of aromas for human and animal food, and fragrances and encapsulated ingredients for perfumery, detergency and cosmetics, announced on Wednesday, September 24, at the emblematic Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, the winners of the Entrepreneurship Awards of the Alberto Martinez Institute, created in honor and tribute to the company's founder, Mr. Alberto Martínez. The event brought together some 150 representatives of the Carinsa ecosystem, mainly entrepreneurs and institutions.
During the gala, the winning startups of the ALMA Awards were unveiled in the following three categories:
- ALMA Award in the Nutrition, Wellness and Health category – Gimme Sabor: Startup specialized in flavorings and vegetable proteins that replicate the taste of animal products such as tuna, bacon or sobrasada, with 100% plant-based ingredients.
- ALMA Award in the category of Sustainability, Regeneration and Impact – Sheets Innovations – Sustainability, Regeneration and Impact: Startup that develops and manufactures detergents in sheet format, offering effective, sustainable and plastic-free cleaning solutions.
- ALMA Award in the category of Disruption, Technology and Emotions – Yenxa: Startup that has created a household appliance capable of transforming used cooking oil into liquid soap, using biodegradable capsules.
Each startup will receive an award of 3,000 euros and comprehensive support in the ESENCIA Carinsa space for one year.
In total, 47 startups were submitted and 9 of them were selected as finalists, three in each category. A jury made up of 10 professionals from the sector determined the three final winners, after meeting on June 5.
A program with high value content
The gala began with a welcome from the patrons of the Alberto Martínez Institute, Vanesa and Denia Martínez, followed by an emotional video tribute to the founder. Next, the round table “Present and future of the ALMA Awards: The Legacy” was held, moderated by Eduardo Sicilia, strategic advisor of Carinsa, with the participation of the patrons (Isabel Chamorro, Vanesa and Denia Martínez) and an interview with AB-Biotics, which was the first startup promoted by Grupo Carinsa more than 20 years ago and which today is a leading biotechnology company.
Each category of the awards was preceded by a thematic round table:
- Nutrition, Wellness and Health: moderated by Jess Padilla (FATE), with the participation of Alejandro Arranz (Mahou San Miguel), Rubén Hidalgo (Capsa) and Vanesa Martínez (Grupo Carinsa).
- Sustainability, Regeneration and Impact: moderated by Mireia Mir (INDPULS), with Mariano Oto (Nucaps), Víctor Manuel Sánchez (Sorbos) and David Ventura (Grupo Carinsa).
- Disruption, Technology and Emotions: a disruptive dialogue with Andrés José Román Vieiros (Barcelona Supercomputing Center), Mónica de Mier (Nextmol) and Denia Martínez.
Each table concluded with the presentation of the corresponding award by institutional representatives such as Mauricio García de Quevedo (FIAB), who presented the award to the Nutrition, Wellness and Health category; Jordi Carbonell (PERTE Agroalimentario), who presented the award to the Sustainability, Regeneration and Impact category, and Val Díez (Stanpa), who presented the award to the Disruption, Technology and Emotions category.
The ceremony ended with the closing of the day by the CEO of ICEX, Elisa Carbonell, who highlighted the importance of the internationalization of Spanish companies, such as the example of Grupo Carinsa.
At the end, Vanesa and Denia Martínez paid tribute to their mother, Isabel Chamorro, president and patron of the Alberto Martínez Institute, as the group's first entrepreneur.
The perfume of Madrid: sensory innovation
One of the most special moments was the presentation of the Perfume of Madrid by Carinsa, an exclusive creation of the Carinsa perfumers team. Inspired by the urban landscape, nature, history and climate of the city, the perfume combines green, fresh, floral, lavender and wood notes, capturing the essence of Madrid in a unique olfactory experience. Grupo Carinsa will also present the Perfume of Barcelona in New York on November 13, commissioned by Barcelona & Partners.
Grupo Carinsa: three decades of innovation
With more than 32 years of experience, Grupo Carinsa is a multinational industrial company present in 60 international markets spread over four continents. Its activity focuses on the development, manufacture and commercialization of aromas, functional ingredients and technological solutions for human and animal food, as well as fragrances for perfumery, detergency and cosmetics.
The company's strategy revolves around three fundamental pillars: internationalization, specialized diversification that incorporates it each year into a new sector of activity and a firm commitment to R&D&I, to which it allocates 20% of its profits annually.
For its part, the Alberto Martínez Ortega Institute seeks to continue the vision of its founder: to work on health and promote the well-being of people through the resources offered by the planet to research and innovate, while taking care to care for and protect it.