Methinks AI, the technology company that develops artificial intelligence software for rapid and accurate stroke diagnosis using non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT), has been named the winner of the Círculo Ecuestre Relevant Young Award 2025. The award was presented to its CEO, Pau Rodríguez, this Thursday at the gala dinner for the 9th edition of this social and business initiative promoted by the club, which aims to showcase the talent of young entrepreneurs.
The event brought together more than 100 members and featured the distinguished presence of Círculo Ecuestre's president, Enrique Lacalle, who praised the significant value of the award for recognizing and promoting young talent once again this year.
The Círculo Ecuestre Relevant Young Award is an initiative that emerged from the work of the club's youngest members, through the New Initiatives Commission (CNI), and seeks to recognize and distinguish an individual or team under the age of 40 that has developed or is developing a project with a social impact. This award, a benchmark of social and business interest in the city of Barcelona, is supported by CaixaBank, PwC, IESE Business School, Savills, and UIC Barcelona as sponsors, and La Vanguardia as a collaborator.
In this edition, Methinks AI was selected for its social purpose and its ambition to transform stroke diagnosis, using artificial intelligence to rapidly detect cases and thus save more lives. This technology company has developed MethinksLVO, the first CE-marked tool capable of identifying large vessel occlusions, both hyperdense and non-hyperdense, as well as intracerebral hemorrhages, using only NCCT, a technique widely available in hospitals around the world. Its solution enables early assessment and efficient medical coordination thanks to its integration with Microsoft Teams, and has been validated in hospitals in Europe and the US, demonstrating high levels of diagnostic accuracy.
As prizes, the winner and runners-up received various gifts from the institution and the event's main sponsors. Thus, the winner received one year of membership in the Círculo Ecuestre, a free course in IESE's Enfocados program (with a 50% discount for the second and third runners-up), and access to a course in the Master's in Entrepreneurship at UIC Barcelona (also free for the winner and with a 50% discount for the other two finalists). In addition, Dapibus was chosen by PwC to receive specialized pro bono advice from the company, valued at up to €20,000 in working hours.
The other two finalist projects were In3ator and Dapibus, in second and third place, respectively. Second place went to the low-cost, open-source neonatal incubator, In3ator, designed by Pablo Sánchez to offer an affordable solution for hospitals with limited resources. Each unit costs approximately €350, compared to the €35,000 that a conventional incubator can cost. Since its creation in 2019, In3ator has been distributed in more than 30 countries, helping to save the lives of numerous premature babies. The project has been recognized with the 2025 Princess of Girona Social Award for its social impact and innovative approach to neonatal healthcare.
In third place, Dapibus, represented by its co-founder and CFO, Arturo Almazor, achieved third place as a Catalan biotechnology company specializing in the sustainable production of protein from insects, primarily for animal feed. Its innovative process involves feeding insect larvae with byproducts from the agri-food industry, transforming them into protein meal, fat, and organic fertilizer. These solutions not only offer an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional protein sources but also find applications in sectors such as biofuels, aquaculture, nutrition, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.
The winning initiative was chosen at the gala dinner held last night at the Círculo Ecuestre facilities, where members were responsible for selecting the winning project through a vote.
This year, the competition featured approximately 30 projects that provide a benefit to society in the areas of culture, business, social work, environmental protection, or R&D promotion. Of these, six were chosen by the Organizing Committee and the Nomination Committee to advance to the next phase. After this initial selection, a jury composed of figures from the Catalan business sector and civil society selected the three finalists, who presented their work at the final dinner yesterday, Thursday, May 15.