Zaindari, a company based in Hirugarrena, has won the EmprendeXXI Awards in Navarre as the startup with the greatest potential

The startup Zaindari, based in Hirugarrena, has been recognized at the EmprendeXXI Awards as the innovative company with the greatest potential and impact in Navarre. These awards, sponsored by CaixaBank through DayOne—its division specializing in technology companies and their investors—and the Ministry of Industry and Tourism through ENISA, are celebrating their 19th edition this year. The regional ceremony for these awards in Navarre is supported by the European Business and Innovation Center of Navarre (CEIN).

In this year's edition, the awards have focused on identifying and recognizing projects that create value through technology, improve people's lives, and protect the planet with technological solutions. 

Zaindari is a company that develops network-based technology (fiber and mobile) to protect two vulnerable groups: minors, through parental controls, and seniors, through the detection of telephone scams. Its project has been selected from among the entries submitted for the latest edition of the awards in the region. The EmprendeXXI Awards have established themselves as a key benchmark for the entrepreneurial ecosystem at both the national and regional levels.

The event featured remarks by Isabel Moreno, CaixaBank’s Regional Director for the Ebro region; Mikel Irujo, Navarre’s Minister of Industry and Ecological and Digital Business Transition; and Pedro da Silva, Enisa’s Director of Accounting and Finance.

In addition, a discussion was held during the event in which Jessika Valero, Head of Business Development at Mimo Bioscience—last year’s winner in Navarre—discussed the progress of her business project and the significance of the award with Javier Larrañaga, Director of DayOne for CaixaBank’s Ebro region.

The jury responsible for selecting the winning company was composed of prominent figures from the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem. Representing the business sector were Grupo APEX, Amixalan Business Group, CINFANext, Tutti Pasta, Nafarco, Eosol, Crea Inversión, Clave Mayor, BeePlanet, Iunctio, Uraphex, Telum Therapeutics, and Nucaps. From the academic sphere, the University of Navarra and the Public University of Navarra each had representatives; and from the associative and institutional sectors, the jury included CEIN, Sodena, the Navarra Industrial Foundation, CNTA, CEIN, CEN, AJE, and Amedna.

Recognition of Innovation

Thanks to this recognition, ZAINDARI has received a cash prize of 6,000 euros. In addition, the company will have access to an international mentorship program, which includes various training sessions and opportunities to connect with international partners over several days in Berlin, in collaboration with ESADE. ZAINDARI will also have the opportunity to participate in the EmprendeXXI Investors Day, an event during which it will be able to network with the investment community and companies interested in collaborating with the startup.

At the same time, the company will become part of the AlumniXXI community, which has established itself as a hub for the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and experiences among the founders of the companies that have won awards throughout the history of the EmprendeXXI Awards. This initiative combines a virtual community with in-person meetings, fostering connections and creating synergies between award recipients and the entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem.

The most innovative companies with the greatest potential in Navarre

In addition to ZAINDARI, the event was attended by the other finalist startups from the region, which had the opportunity to present their projects:

• MRC Engineering & Project: specializing in the automation of logistics processes and intralogistics. They design, develop, install, and maintain intralogistics automation projects across all industries.
• Nanogrow Biotech: a biotechnology company dedicated to the development of next-generation biological therapies based on nanoantibodies (VHHs) for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
• Opportunity Health: develops an innovative, automatic, and self-administered medical device specifically designed to be used in cases of complete airway obstruction.
• Ysium Medical: A solution that provides high-fidelity physical simulators integrated with digital and immersive environments, offering realistic, self-paced learning that is accessible from anywhere.

Boosting the entrepreneurial ecosystem

Since their inception in 2007, the EmprendeXXI Awards have distributed nearly 10 million euros in prize money and support initiatives that have benefited more than 560 companies. This year, 19 regional awards will be presented to the companies with the greatest impact in their respective regions (one per autonomous community and two in Portugal); as a new feature, eight Tomorrow’s Challenges Awards will be given to startups offering the best solutions in Business Transformation, Human & Wellbeing, and Living Planet; two cross-cutting runner-up prizes focused on Social Impact and Disruptive Innovation; as well as an AlumniXXI Scalability Recognition Award to the company from the DayOne AlumniXXI community with a track record distinguished by its growth and global impact. 

Nationwide, the awards ceremony—now in its 19th year and established as the longest-running and most prestigious awards in the country—will take place on May 27 at a gala in Barcelona.

The awards are supported by various companies within the group, as well as business areas and divisions of CaixaBank: AgroBank, imagin, VidaCaixa, CaixaBank Séniors, MicroBank, CaixaBank Real Estate & Homes, CaixaBank Payments & Consumer, CaixaBank Hotels & Tourism, CaixaBank Food&Drinks, CaixaBank Tech, Sustainability, Private Banking, Corporate Banking, Innovation, and CaixaBank Dualiza.

About CaixaBank DayOne

DayOne is the division of CaixaBank that specializes in technology companies and their investors. Its goal is to support technology-based, fast-growing companies with a global reach that provide value-added services through specialized solutions throughout all stages of their growth. 

DayOne has expanded its value proposition with a venture debt facility, featuring an initial allocation of 150 million euros aimed at driving the growth of established technology-basedscale-ups and startupsin Spain and Portugal. It also offers specialized services for investors who support the growth of the ecosystem (Business Angels, Venture Capital, and Corporates). Additionally, it engages in relationship-based banking with the various players in the ecosystem, fostering relationships, synergies, knowledge, and innovation through strategic alliances.

To support the development of innovative young companies with high growth potential, the organization has presented the EmprendeXXI Awards every year since its founding in 2007. These awards have become a well-established recognition in the region and a benchmark for startups in Spain and Portugal. In addition, it offers an open innovation program to support startups.

DayOne currently has physical locations in Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Zaragoza, Bilbao, Málaga, and Girona, and has business managers in Murcia, Castile and León, the Canary Islands, Seville, Galicia, and Catalonia. It currently provides specialized services in 14 autonomous communities. DayOne centers are designed as hubs where talent and capital meet. Their primary function is to serve as a meeting point for tech company founders, partners who help them grow their businesses, and investors interested in innovative companies with growth potential. 

About ENISA

The National Innovation Agency is a public corporation under the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, whose mission is to help viable and innovative projects—led by Spanish startups and small and medium-sized enterprises—secure the necessary funding to develop and compete in a global market. 

This financial support takes the form of equity-linked loans ranging from €25,000 to €1.5 million. It is a financing option that is particularly well-suited to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises and requires no collateral or guarantees other than a solid business plan and the professional credibility of its management team.

In addition, ENISA serves as the certifying body for startups seeking to take advantage of the tax benefits and special provisions of the so-called Startup Act, a pioneering piece of legislation in Europe that creates a favorable legal environment for the growth and success of startups.

Since Enisa began offering equity-linked loans, it has invested more than 1.4 billion euros in over 9,600 loans to finance more than 8,300 companies.

About CEIN

The European Business and Innovation Center of Navarra (CEIN) is a public corporation under the Government of Navarra and part of the Public Business Corporation of Navarra (CPEN). Its mission is to promote the economic development of the region by fostering entrepreneurship, supporting the creation of new businesses, and driving business growth. 

CEIN supports anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit in starting their own business. To this end, it has developed various acceleration and scaling programs aligned with Navarre’s Smart Specialization Strategy (S4). Key thematic priorities include health, digitalization, and the agri-food sector. 

In addition, CEIN has innovation incubators at its facilities that can host innovative startups from Navarre. Specifically, there are three incubators: one located at its headquarters in Noáin, in the Pamplona region; another in the Tudela Agri-Food City, specializing in the agri-food sector; and a space near the UPNA called Hirugarrena. Currently, there are 42 companies located in its innovation incubators.

In 2025, CEIN supported nearly 500 business projects and helped launch 90 companies, resulting in a total of 110 jobs created.