Sanifit, Ysios Capital, Splice Bio and MOA foodtech recognised at first AseBio – PwC Awards
- The ceremony to award these 6 prizes to Spanish biotechnology took place at AseBio Investor Day 2022, which brought together over 260 participants from all over Europe
- Sanifit has received three awards, positioning itself as the biotech company of the year 2021
This Thursday at AseBio Investor Day 2002, the Spanish Bioindustry Association (AseBio) and PwC gave out the first ever AseBio-PwC Awards, which aim to “raise awareness of the excellent work, progress and efforts of the Spanish biotechnology sector in bringing innovative solutions to market,” explains AseBio CEO, Ion Arocena.
The award for Biotechnology Company of the Year (companies over three years old) went to Sanifit. This company, which has been around for over 15 years and focuses on rare diseases, also won the Acquisition Award after being acquired by Vifor Pharma for €375 million last November: a historic milestone in Spanish biotechnology. Company founder Joan Perelló was also named Best CEO of 2021.
Company founder Joan Perelló was also named Best CEO of 2021. When asked about the principles and values of a good entrepreneur, the expert highlights the role his parents played in teaching him that anything is possible if you put in the hard work. “That culture of working hard and being resilient is in my blood and that of the whole Sanifit team.”
“Sanifit, a three-time winner at this year’s awards, is clearly proof that the Spanish biotechnology sector has all the ingredients to become an economic driver for the country: exceptional quality teams, cutting-edge science and international support,” notes Joël Jean-Mairet, managing partner of Ysios Capital, which won Venture Capital Fund of the Year.
The award for the most significant funding operation of the year by a biotechnology company went to Splice Bio, a company working in gene therapy that also has ties to Ysios Capital. “We believe operations like Sanifit or the mega round secured by Splice Bio would be unthinkable without specialised venture capital,” he adds. For the Spanish venture capital firm, receiving this award is a recognition of its “intense investment activity, the fruit of years supporting emerging companies, fostering entrepreneurship and scientific innovation both in Spain and abroad.”
MOA foodtech, a company seeking to turn subproducts from the agrifood industry into new sources of protein, won the award for Best Start-up of the Year (companies under three years old). “Our goal is to help make agrifood a sustainable industry, through a combination of artificial intelligence and biotechnology, and it’s a complicated path. This type of recognition helps us get further faster, attracting partners, clients and investors,” explained Bosco Emparanza, CEO and co-founder of the company.
For Leticia Rodriguez Vadillo, PwC Spain partner for Pharma and Healthcare, this recognition is an opportunity to promote the strategic sector of biotechnology. “With this initiative, we hope to accompany innovation in the life sciences and the exemplary work and potential of this highly particular and significant industry,” she concludes.
Who we are
AseBio brings together more than 290 entities and represents the Spanish biotechnology sector as a whole. Its mission is to lead the transformation of the country, positioning science, innovation and especially biotechnology as an engine of economic growth and social welfare. Its members include companies, associations, foundations, universities, technology and research centres that carry out their activities directly or indirectly related to biotechnology in Spain.