Entrepreneurship awards announced by Fundación CajaCanarias and Banco Santander

Fundación CajaCanarias has opened applications for its 30th annual Entrepreneurship Awards 2026. The initiative aims to identify and support innovative business projects in the Canary Islands, with a particular emphasis on those incorporating Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Residents of the archipelago can submit individual or team projects launched between January 1, 2023, and June 30, 2026. The winner will receive 5,000 euros for business development, while the five finalists will receive communication training to prepare elevator pitches for the jury.

Separately, Banco Santander announced the nine winners of the Santander X Spain Awards 2026 during the Valencia Digital Summit. These winners, selected from thirty finalists across University, Startup, and Scaleup categories, will share a total prize pool of 75,000 euros. The winning projects will advance to compete in the Santander X Global Award against top entrepreneurs from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay.

Notable winners include Lincath, a CSIC project developing lithium-6 nanoparticles for cancer therapy, and Cooling Photonics, a startup creating passive radiative cooling materials that dissipate heat without electricity or water.