Top 10 Highlights of GPAINNOVA in 2021
As the new year just begun, GPAINNOVA is announcing some of its outstanding accomplishments in 2021. Even though last year was especially challenging and demanding for companies due to the coronavirus pandemic, out-of-stocks and logistic mishaps and higher energy and raw material prices, this technology group managed to meet its goals and faces the coming months as one of the leading players in its sector. A remarkable growth in terms of income and staff, the inauguration of new facilities in Barcelona and the launching of new, innovative products and technologies are some of its principal milestones.
1. Annual Turnover of €23.2 million, 47% More than the Previous Year
Although restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly during the first quarter, GPAINNOVA increased its annual turnover from €15.8 million in 2020 to €23.2 million in 2021, which means €7.4 million and 47% more than the year before. Portfolio diversification, the fact of tripling the number of sold machines and a higher sales volume in larger and complex electropolishing machinery explains this upturn.
2. GPAINNOVA’s Workforce Increased by 55% and New Executive Team Members
In 2021 GPAINNOVA maintained its job creation commitment. The group hired last year 65 new professionals. New recruits increased group’s staff from 117 to 182 people, which means an annual growth of 55.5%. This figure is higher than in 2020, when 46 new employees joined the organization.
In order to consolidate GPAINNOVA’s growth, the group recruited in 2021 some of the most talented managers in its field. The first to get involved was Anna N. Schlegel, named the Most Influential Women in Technology by the prestigious US magazine Analytics Insight in 2020, and featured in 2021 as the Most Admired Woman Leader in Business by the international business magazine CIO Look. Schlegel was hired in September as Chief Strategy Advisor. In the autumn, the group named David Cosculluela, former NINCO’s CEO, as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) to grow its international business, and Francesc Guitart, PhD in Automation Technologies, as Chief Technology Officer (CTO), and Ernest Quingles, Vice President at Epson Europe, as Corporate Growth Advisor.
3. Opening of New Corporate Headquarters in Barcelona
In response to company’s growth in recent years, GPAINNOVA inaugurated its new headquarters in Barcelona City. In operation since April 2021, these facilities exceed 6,000 sqm, ten times more than that of the previous ones. The new sheds count on a test laboratory with the most advanced analysis equipment, pool for testing marine drones, showroom and prototyping workshop, and flexible office spaces to boost interaction among departments.
On October 21st, GPAINNOVA held the opening cerimony of its headquarters. The event brought together more than 200 guests, including authorities, partners and global companies, and included the announcement of GPAINNOVA’s latest technological innovations.
4. Launching of New Products and Technologies
GPAINNOVA closed 2021 with a wide range of new, innovative and disruptive products and technologies in the fields of surface finishing and marine robotics. These are some of the most important developments launched during the last twelve months:
DLyte Desktop Series
Presented in April, it is the smallest dry electropolishing machine on the market. This device is currently available in two versions: The DLyte Desktop Dental, aimed at small dental laboratories needing to automate its polishing processes and suitable for dental pieces made of cobalt chrome (CoCr), and the DLyte Desktop PRO, ready to polish CoCr, titanium and stainless steel. With an optional software update, it is also possible to treat copper, brass, nickel alloys and other hard metals. Due to its small dimensions, its low price and the fact of not requiring a special pre-existing electrical or compressed air installation, this machine is affordable to any company.
DLyte PRO500 Automated Cell
This new equipment, shown for the first time on October 4 at the trade fair EMO 2021 in Milan (Italy), consists in an advanced work cell for all kinds of industries requiring full automation —or a multi-level DLyte process automation— to integrate surface finishing in mass production lines. This machinery is especially aimed at large manufacturing companies needing to optimize or reduce their production times, thus achieving cost savings and a quick, efficient return on investment.
DLyte PRO500 Automated Cell has been developed with the support of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 grant for research and development of the DLytePRO range, aimed at mass production.
eBlast
Presented in November 2021 at Formnext, it is patented electro-blasting system based on projected electropolishing. It has been especially designed to surface finish large or heavy parts, or with complex geometries which are difficult to polish by immersion or that require a localized finishing, like welded areas. The new electro-blasting technology is recommended for blind holes, slots, occluded areas and inner channels.
eBlue Series
5. Pau Sarsanedas and Anna N. Schlegel, recognized as outstanding entrepreneurs in Catalonia
Two members of GPAINNOVA’s management team were acknowledged last year for their professional achievements. In December, GPAINNOVA’s CEO and co-founder, Pau Sarsanedas, was selected as one of the three finalists of the Young Entrepreneur Award, promoted by the AIJEC Joves Empresaris de Catalunya (Young Entrepreneurs of Catalonia), competing with the most successful Catalan entrepreneurs: The winner, Wallbox Chargers’ CEO and co-founder, Enric Asunción, and OCA GLOBAL’s CEO, Josep Fajula.
In November, Anna N. Schlegel, GPAINNOVA’s Chief Strategy Advisor, was awarded the Creu de Sant Jordi (St George’s Cross), one of the highest distinctions that an individual can receive from the Government of Catalonia. It distinguishes individuals or companies that, thanks to their merits, have provided outstanding services to Catalonia. The former NBA player Pau Gasol was another of the Creu de Sant Jordi’s winners last year.
By the end of January 2022, GPAINNOVA will be announced as the winner of two European awards for their 2021’s edition.
6. Among the Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies for the Second Year, According to Financial Times
GPAINNOVA appeared for the second time in the Europe’s 1,000 Fastest Growing Companies list, compiled by Financial Times —the world’s leading global business publication— and the research company Statista. This annual ranking shows European organizations that achieved the highest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in revenue between 2016 and 2019 (114.2%). GPAINNOVA ranked 158th in Europe and 13th in Spain, being among the 7 better European companies and the first in Spain in the industrial goods sector.
In June, GPAINNOVA ranked among the 101 Top Manufacturing Startups and Companies in Spain, according to Best Start Up EU. In addition, some months later, POWER INNOTECH, GPAINNOVA’s spin-off specializing in power electronics, was selected among the 101 Most Innovative Spain Based Electrical Distribution Companies & Startups by Futurology Life.
7. ISO 9001 for DLyte Chemicals
In September 2021, DLyte Chemicals became the first GPAINNOVA’s company to be awarded the ISO 9001:2015 certification by Bureau Veritas Group. ISO 9001 sets out the criteria for a quality management system and is the only standard that can be certified to.
DLyte Chemicals develops and manufactures the consumables of the DryLyte Technology used in the DLyte machines. It also plans future production resources based on the group’s growth plans.
8. Strategic Collaboration Agreements with Two Key Partners: Oliva Torras and TEG
GPAINNOVA reached in 2021 partnership agreements with two leading companies in the technology sector. This is a step forward that will allow the group to scale up its manufacturing processes without restrictions, increase its production, avoid bottlenecks and implement new products in a fastest and more efficient way. Thus, GPAINNOVA will be able to focus on innovation and additional value-added actions.
The first alliance was subscribed with the Barcelonian company Oliva Torras. Thanks to this partnership, this organization will be in charge of machine and component assembly processes. Headquartered in Manresa (Barcelona), Oliva Torras has over 30,000 sqm of high production capacity at its facilities which are equipped with state-of-the-art technology for the manufacture of metal-based products in short and medium-length production runs. Its size and equipment make it one of the leading manufacturing centers in Europe in its category.
The second agreement involved Tecno-elèctric Girona (TEG), a company specializing in machinery and industrial processes automation that supports GPAINNOVA with its manufacturing tasks since 2022. TEG is currently carrying out the assembly of electrical control panels.
9. GPAINNOVA Joins Three Technology Clusters
As part of its growth strategy, GPAINNOVA succeed in creating synergies in terms of knowledge sharing and internationalization, as well and projects linked to sustainability, environmental preservation and labor insertion of people at risk of social exclusion.
For this reason, GPAINNOVA and two of its spin-offs (GPASEABOTS and POWER INNOTECH) became a member of the Energy Efficiency Cluster of Catalonia, a business association of companies which offer, promote or develop products or services related to energy efficiency; the SEPCHO Cluster, specializing in deep tech, and the Catalan Water Partnership (CWP), the Catalan Cluster of water treatment and solutions for the sustainable use of water.
10. Attending More than 40 Trade Fairs Worldwide
Despite the pandemic and COVID-19-related mobility restrictions, GPAINNOVA succeeded in attending more than 40 international trade shows related to the dental, healthcare and industrial sector. Some of the most important events in which the group took part as exhibitor (with its own booth or through local distributors) are Formnext, the main trade fair for additive manufacturing (AM) and industrial 3D printing, held in Frankfurt am Main; EMO Milano, the world’s principal trade show for machine tools and metal; Global Industry Lyon, the largest industrial exhibition in France; Rapid+TCT, in Chicago, North America’s most important and largest additive manufacturing event, and TCT Asia, in Shanghai, one of the leading design-to-manufacturing events worldwide.
About GPAINNOVA
GPAINNOVA is a technology group born in 2013 in Barcelona, with subsidiaries in Sunrise (Florida, USA), Hong Kong and Shenzhen (Mainland China) and specializing in surface metal finishing machinery, with DLyte and MURUA; medical devices with GPAMEDICAL, naval robotics with GPASEABOTS, high-performance power electronics with POWER INNOTECH and industrial adhesives with SARSCH. GPAINNOVA has a team of more than 180 professionals on staff and more than 40 engineers, 55 distributors and more than 600 clients worldwide.
For further information:
GPAINNOVA
C/ Maracaibo, 1, sheds 2-6.08030 Barcelona
Telephone: (+34) 931 256 536
info@gpainnova.com
