ERIA nace de Estabanell, una compañía energética y de telecomunicaciones con 125 años de historia marcada por el espíritu pionero de su fundador, Francesc Estabanell. A comienzos del siglo XX, el empresario envió a su hijo al norte de Italia para conocer de primera mano una tecnología que despertaba curiosidad y prometía transformar la industria: la corriente eléctrica. Aquel viaje fue el punto de partida de la electrificación de las fábricas textiles de Estabanell. El excedente de energía permitió iluminar las calles y viviendas de Granollers, y la compañía se convirtió en una de las impulsoras de la modernización del territorio. Con el tiempo, y tras dejar atrás su origen textil, Estabanell centró su actividad en el sector energético. Hoy, ya en su quinta generación, abarca generación, distribución y comercialización, y se ha consolidado como un referente en innovación y sostenibilidad en Cataluña.

ERIA, finalist in the DISRUPTORS Innovation Awards 2025: a recognition of the drive for innovation

ERIA’s nomination reinforces its commitment to technology, talent, and collaboration as drivers of transformation.
ERIA, Estabanell’s corporate venturing vehicle, has been selected as one of the five finalists in the category “Best acceleration initiative of the year” in the DISRUPTORS Innovation Awards 2025. These awards recognize the most transformative initiatives in the Spanish entrepreneurial ecosystem and are organized by El Español-Invertia, one of the most widely read media in Spain. The winner will be announced on October 23rd during the gala to be held at the Palacio Neptuno in Madrid.
An acceleration model with real impact
In just two years since its inception, ERIA has accelerated eight startups -Zenit, Clever Solar Devices, Atom H2, Ahyres, Wattium, eRoots, 4BlueTech and Clevergy-, and is already a benchmark within the innovative ecosystem. The companies that participate in its program especially highlight the high level of mentoring: a combination of experts from the Áticco network and Estabanell professionals who provide both strategic vision and technical and business knowledge.
In addition to support in areas such as planning, finance and partner relations, the ERIA program encourages open collaboration and knowledge exchange between startups, mentors and the corporation itself.
ERIA’s mission goes beyond accelerating startups: it seeks to generate innovation with purpose, and to promote technologies that contribute to a more sustainable economic model. In a global context marked by energy transition and digitalization, the role of initiatives such as ERIA is key to building solutions that respond to major environmental and social challenges.
Innovation with roots
With this same spirit, ERIA was born, a space where corporations and startups collaborate to develop solutions to the energy, technological and environmental challenges of the present. Its acceleration model combines the search for startups that develop real solutions for Estabanell’s business units with personalized support to help them scale and validate their technologies.
Boost to continue growing
ERIA’s nomination to the DISRUPTORS Innovation Awards 2025 reinforces its role as a relevant player in the Spanish entrepreneurial ecosystem and represents a motivation to the work of connecting talent, technology and sustainability. “Being among the finalists is already a recognition of our way of understanding innovation: collaborative, open and with real impact. This achievement encourages us to continue betting on open innovation and entrepreneurial talent as drivers of change,” says Josep Solé, director of ERIA.

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Clevergy: smart energy for sustainable homes and more competitive retailers
4BlueTech: clean and traceable technology to capture industrial emissions
ERIA, engine of disruption: recognition by ACCIÓ in Estabanell as one of the most innovative companies in Catalonia
eRoots: intelligent software for more efficient power grids
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