BNEW 2026 honours the startups transforming strategic sectors of the new economy

• Alongside (Gaming), TORCH (Energy), NoctuRNA Therapeutics (Science), Altum Sequencing (Health), Timbal AI (AI), POTS (Agrofood), UVNÉ (Talent) and H2 Dron Energy (Aviation & Space) have been recognised as the best startups at BNEW 2026.

• The winning projects provide innovative solutions in Gaming, Energy, Science, Health, AI, Agrofood, Talent and Aviation & Space.

• The Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, presided over last night’s ceremony, accompanied by Pere Navarro, Special State Delegate at the CZFB, and Blanca Sorigué, General Manager of the CZFB.

Barcelona, 6 October 2026.- Barcelona New Economy Week, BNEW 2026, organised by the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB), last night recognised the eight best startups of this edition for their ability to deliver innovative solutions to major economic, technological and social challenges. The awards honoured the most outstanding project in each of the event’s eight verticals: Gaming, Energy, Science, Health, AI, Agrofood, Talent and Aviation & Space.

The ceremony was presided over by the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, accompanied by Pere Navarro, Special State Delegate at the CZFB, and Blanca Sorigué, General Manager of the CZFB. It concluded with a cocktail reception attended by more than 250 chairpersons, CEOs and leading professionals from the economic and industrial sectors.

More than 100 emerging companies submitted applications for these awards through the BNEW Startup Innovation Hub, a unique meeting point for sharing the latest technological advances in the new economy and connecting companies with potential partners and investors. From all the applications, the jury selected 40 finalists, assessing factors such as the impact of these innovations on industry, the capabilities of the management teams and the high-value technological solutions offering sustainable competitive advantages. The jury also considered their potential for sustainable growth, their capacity to influence the economy and society, and their innovative component.

Eight projects driving the new economy

BNEW 2026 Award for Best Gaming Startup: Alongside

Alongside was recognised as the best BNEW Gaming startup for developing a digital emotional-support tool for children undergoing cancer treatment. The solution uses a narrative and symbolic universe to turn medical, self-care and emotional-expression routines into small adventure missions based on positive reinforcement. Its aim is to help paediatric patients feel supported, participate actively and gain a greater sense of control during treatment.

The proposal brings together humanised care, patient experience and emotional wellbeing through an interactive narrative designed specifically for paediatric oncology, without competitive dynamics, penalties or elements that could generate feelings of guilt.

BNEW 2026 Award for Best Energy Startup: TORCH

The BNEW 2026 Award for Best Energy Startup went to TORCH, a company that develops and licenses a patented Green AI device capable of operating autonomously using solar energy, without a connection to the electricity grid or the internet. The system enables voice interaction with artificial intelligence in different languages, helping people who face barriers in using technology to access information and knowledge.

Its technology is applied, among other areas, to smart bus stops and autonomous solar-powered traffic lights. Local processing reduces dependence on data centres and communications networks while strengthening privacy, data control and technological sovereignty.

BNEW 2026 Award for Best Science Startup: NoctuRNA Therapeutics

NoctuRNA Therapeutics received the BNEW 2026 Award for Best Science Startup. Founded in 2022 as a spin-off from Pompeu Fabra University, it develops circular RNA-based therapies to address rare neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases, as well as infectious diseases for which no effective treatments currently exist.

The company combines artificial intelligence and molecular biology to identify new therapeutic targets and design molecules capable of modulating them specifically. It is currently working on programmes related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, myotonic dystrophy type 1 and Huntington’s disease, while also researching candidates targeting viruses with a major impact on public health.

BNEW 2026 Award for Best Health Startup: Altum Sequencing

The BNEW Health award went to Altum Sequencing, which uses next-generation DNA sequencing and artificial intelligence to detect minimal tumour signals from a blood sample. Its technology can identify one tumour cell among one million healthy cells, with the aim of enabling earlier, more accurate, personalised and non-invasive cancer monitoring.

BNEW 2026 Award for Best AI Startup: Timbal AI

Timbal AI was named the best BNEW AI startup for developing a comprehensive technology ecosystem that enables companies to create, run, govern and use artificial intelligence applications tailored to their business.

The platform brings together AI development and execution, the knowledge bases that power it, and the interfaces through which users interact, all within a single environment. It also integrates enterprise governance, reliability and data-management tools, while the client retains ownership of the generated code.

BNEW 2026 Award for Best Agrofood Startup: POTS

The BNEW Agrofood award went to POTS, a startup promoting a consumption model based on reusable packaging. The company collects used containers, transports them to its washing facility and, after hygiene and quality-control processes, returns them to producers and packers so they can be reintroduced into the consumption cycle.

Compared with manufacturing new glass containers, the process developed by POTS can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 86%. The company reports that it has already reused more than 400,000 containers, generating savings of over 292 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent.

BNEW 2026 Award for Best Talent Startup: UVNÉ

UVNÉ received the BNEW Talent award for its proposal to support the professional development of Latin American immigrants in Spain. The platform turns each person’s previous career path and professional objective into a reasoned learning pathway, connecting them with the available education and training offer and facilitating its implementation and monitoring.

The project acts as a guidance and decision-making layer between users’ previous professional experience and the training opportunities that can help them develop their careers in Spain.

BNEW 2026 Award for Best Aviation & Space Startup: H2 Dron Energy

The BNEW Aviation & Space award went to H2 Dron Energy, a deep-tech startup developing hydrogen propulsion systems for professional drones. Its technology aims to extend the flight endurance of these aircraft and enable long-duration missions in areas such as emergency response, infrastructure inspection, security and logistics.

The company is developing a complete hydrogen-propulsion solution for unmanned aerial vehicles capable of achieving up to three hours of flight endurance, removing some of the complexity associated with integrating this technology into aircraft.

STATEMENTS:

During his address, Pere Navarro, Special State Delegate at the CZFB, said: “DFactory Barcelona and BNEW were born from the same vision: to anticipate the changes of an economy undergoing profound transformation and to establish Barcelona as a benchmark for the new economy.” Navarro stressed that, since its first edition in 2020, “BNEW has consolidated its position as a space where knowledge becomes connections and ideas become real opportunities for growth.” He also highlighted “collaboration among institutions, companies and entrepreneurs as an essential driver of innovation, because the future is not something we wait for, but something we build through talent, technology and projects capable of transforming society.”

During her address, Blanca Sorigué, General Manager of the CZFB, said that “the BNEW Awards showcase entrepreneurial talent and people’s ability to turn innovative ideas into solutions with real impact.” Sorigué stressed that “major economic transformations are born from technology, but they advance thanks to the talent, experience and vision of those who make them possible. BNEW is a unique showcase for bringing innovation closer to the market, generating opportunities and opening doors for the initiatives that will help build the economy of the future.”

The Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, highlighted BNEW’s journey since its inception, recalling that “it was born at a time of great uncertainty as a bold initiative by the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona to generate confidence, economic activity and innovation.” He emphasized that “the success and consolidation of BNEW have demonstrated the sound vision behind that pioneering initiative,” while also underscoring “the talent, intuition and entrepreneurial spirit of people as irreplaceable elements, even in the era of artificial intelligence.” He also stressed “the need to bring innovation closer to startups and small and medium-sized enterprises so that it can be translated into real opportunities for economic growth.” Finally, he defended public-private collaboration “as a driving force for attracting and retaining business projects in Barcelona, fostering a new urban industry capable of generating jobs, wealth and opportunities for the city as a whole.”