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The Santander X Global Challenge | Circular Economy Revolution has crowned six companies for their stand-out digital solutions that promote the circular economy. Over 500 startups and scaleups from 11 countries took part for the chance to share EUR 120,000 in prize money.
Climate change is one of the biggest challenges society is facing. Mitigating the impact this has on the planet and the people who live on it must be a shared responsibility between individuals and both public and private organizations.
For several years, the circular economy model has been a key ally, owing to its aim to maximize the value of resources and reduce waste. This is possible through the so-called 3 Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle.
in prizes, as well as access to Santander X 100 and other benefits
in prizes, as well as access to Santander X 100 and other benefits
At Santander, we’re firmly committed to sustainability. On top of global and local measures and initiatives in the markets where we operate, we also help our customers go green and seek to boost the impact of startups and scaleups with disruptive ideas to drive the circular economy.
One example is the Santander X Global Challenge I Circular Economy Revolution, whose closing ceremony took place on 25 June 2025 in Barcelona (Spain), where the winners were announced.
Winners of the Santander X Global Challenge | Circular Economy Revolution
“Startups”
- Metalchemy (UK)– Produces anti-microbe and biodegradable food packaging with green-manufactured colloidal silver, which reduces waste and prolongs the containers’ shelf life.
- PulpaTronics (UK) – Creates smart, chipless tags made of paper and that use RFID technology to track products without generating electronic waste.
- Radical Dot GmbH (Germany) – Converts mixed plastic waste into high-quality chemical precursors to reduce fossil fuel use and emissions.
“Scaleups”
- Catalyxx Procesos Catalíticos, S.L. (Spain) – Turns waste into renewable alcohols to offer an alternative to fossil resources in many industrial sectors.
- LAIN TECHNOLOGIES S.L. (Spain) – Extracts metals sustainably using electrochemical technologies to reduce environmental impact.
- Kelpi (UK): Creates recyclable, seaweed-based coating to replace the plastic in packaging.
An expert panel of senior leaders from Santander and other prestigious international organizations poured over the submissions before selecting the six winners.
The winners collected a share of the EUR 120,000 prize money for this global challenge, as well as international visibility for their projects and access to Santander X 100, the global community that brings together Santander X’s most successful companies. Through that community, they can connect with other entrepreneurs, as well as mentors, experts, investors and customers, and get access to free resources, support and exclusive events.
This latest challenge, as with the other global challenges we run each year, has sparked the interest of the business world, with 500 companies from 11 countries taking part.
