AItheroscope, the winning project in the grand final

“When we use innovation to benefit people, applying new ideas or approaches to solve real problems in an effective, viable, and scalable way, thereby improving people’s quality of life, that is Social Innovation. And that is exactly what the projects here today represent.” These words from Elvira Vega, General Manager of Fundación Mapfre, which opened the grand final, aptly define the spirit of our awards and the driving force behind the four shortlisted projects in this 9th edition.

In an emotionally charged ceremony, AItheroscope, by Horus ML, emerged as the winner. This Spanish project has developed an AI-based tool that, through the retina, can detect atherosclerosis—the narrowing and hardening of arteries—the leading cause of cardiovascular disease. Its main innovation is that primary care professionals can identify hidden cardiovascular risk using equipment already available in many healthcare centers, avoiding the need for referrals to specialized cardiology units.

Its founder and CEO, Jesús Prada, who received the €100,000 prize, explained the ongoing challenge for the early detection of cardiovascular diseases: “This is what we want to change: ensuring that this population group is also properly monitored by the healthcare system. This award will give us the momentum to further expand the reach and impact of our solution and continue advancing toward our goal of improving early detection and cardiovascular prevention.”

The three shortlisted projects—the Brazilian Livox, which gives a voice to people with disabilities who cannot communicate through traditional means; the Mexican Duppla, which uses technology to help prevent and diagnose cancer early; and the American MindMuscle, which has developed headphones to improve attention and self-regulation in children with ADHD and autism, will each receive a prize of 10,000 euros.

During his closing remarks, Antonio Huertas, president of Fundación Mapfre, emphasized that “Corporate foundations, companies, and institutions in general are facing a particularly challenging time.  Today, society expects more than just good intentions. It demands clarity, consistency, and, above all, a real and demonstrable impact. It is not just about doing things, but about questioning ourselves and verifying what actually changes as a result of our actions.”

The four projects that have a clear vision of this path know from their own experience that they must test, press on and keep persevering to reach more people and ensure that their initiative is effective and addresses a reality that can be improved. Today, we recognize their initiatives and through Red Innova, our Social Innovation ecosystem that fosters the exchange of expert knowledge, we will continue to stand by them to help them achieve their goals.

Congratulations to the winner and all the award recipients. We invite you to follow us in the next edition of our Fundación Mapfre Awards for Social Innovation.