The biotechnology startup installed in the Science Park of the University of Valencia has competed representing Spain in this international university entrepreneurship competition.

The innovative activity of Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence, a startup located in the Science Park of the University of Valencia (PCUV), dedicated to on-demand microbial solutions applicable to food, human and animal health or energy and the environment, adds new recognition. The company has just won third prize in the Santander X Global Award, Santander Bank's most outstanding university entrepreneurship competition internationally. The award corresponds to the Accelerate category, in which high-impact, technology-based startups with a high potential for accelerated and sustainable growth participate. 

“We are very excited to have received this international recognition, especially because the jury has made the decision by evaluating criteria such as the business's ability to grow and expand internationally, the impact that the company can have on society or that the solutions presented are not only local, but can be extended globally. This highlights the work we do daily in Darwin and shows that we are going in the right direction,” acknowledges Cristina Vilanova, Darwin's chief scientist.

The prize in theAcceleratecategory amounts to 20,000 euros for the winning project, and 10,000 euros for the initiatives recognized in second and third position. In addition to becoming part of the Santander who can end up becoming workers of the company, and participation in an ecosystem where the public and the private coexist in a very fruitful way”, Manuel Porcar, CEO of Darwin

The "best university startup" of Spain

Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence was the winning company in the category Accelerate of the Santander Of the 18 proposals, the jury made a selection based on economic, business and future strategy criteria, of which only ten projects were able to compete in the final, in which Darwin was among the top three. data-hs-cos-type="rich_text" id="hs_cos_wrapper_post_body">The biotechnology company has been located in the PCUV since 2016, the year of its creation. For Manuel Porcar, CEO and founder of Darwin and researcher at the Institute of Integrative Systems Biology (i2SysBio), “being located in the PCUV gives us great benefits, such as access to the services of the University of València, to the critical mass, to the talent of students who may end up becoming employees of the company, and, ultimately, participation in an ecosystem where the public and the private coexist in a very fruitful way.” In November 2021, the UV recognized Darwin as a spin-off, which enhances the collaboration model between both entities.

"The jury has valued the business's ability to grow and expand internationally, the impact that the company can have on society or that the solutions presented are not only local, but can be extensible globally", Cristina Vilanova, scientific director of Darwin

Source: PCUV