The founding partner and CEO of Columbus Venture Partners began his career at the Science Park of the University of Valencia in the company Bioncotech Therapeutics. The jury of the Jaume I Awards has valued his career as an entrepreneurial scientist who has built bridges between research and society through the creation of companies in the field of the biopharmaceutical industry and health
The jury of the Rei Jaume I Prize for Business Revelation 2025 has unanimously decided to award the prize to Damià Tormo Carulla. The jury valued his career as an entrepreneurial scientist who has built bridges between research and society through business creation. As an entrepreneur, he has acted as a catalyst for many other projects, boosting quality jobs, attracting foreign investment and positioning Spain as an international reference.
Specifically, Tormo began his career as an entrepreneur in the Science Park of the University of Valencia (PCUV) between 2010 and 2013 with Bioncotech Therapeutics, a company focused on the development of drugs for clinical oncology states. Since then, it has been focusing on the biopharmaceutical and health industry as well as venture capital investment in the life sciences sector for the past 15 years. Thus, it has founded a dozen companies with the aim of building bridges between scientific research and the actual delivery of solutions to society, especially patients suffering from serious diseases. In total, it has led to the creation of more than 1000 jobs, attracted 400M€ of investment and generated more than 5000M€ in returns.
Tormo started his career as an entrepreneur in the Science Park of the University of Valencia (PCUV) between 2010 and 2013 with Bioncotech Therapeutics, a company focused on developing drugs for oncology clinical states
Currently, the biologist is a founding partner and CEO of Columbus Venture Partners, a partnership made up of about 40-50 biotechnology companies that seeks to contribute to advancing the health of the population through investments in different projects. This society is also involved in different projects related to incurable diseases and very majority, as well as other actions with a more philanthropic aspect to try to help children with rare diseases. In fact, Columbus Venture Partners participated in the report "15 years of Business Innovation at the University of Valencia" of 2024, prepared by the Science Park University of Valencia Foundation (FPCUV).
The entrepreneur studied biology at the University of Valencia and a doctorate in Bonn (Germany), and then began his career as a researcher at the University of Michigan and the National Centre for Cancer Research, publishing his work in the best scientific journals such as Nature Medicine or Cancer Cell. MBA in 2010, at the Business Institute.
He has also been a member of the Social Council of the University of Valencia since 2024. In relation to this institution, Tormo is also vice-president of the Adeit Foundation of the University of Valencia. 
Damià Tormo, in a news archive of UV News
This award was announced on 3 June at the 37th edition of the Jaume I Awards in the Palau de la Generalitat’s Saló de Corts. The Jaume I Awards are the greatest awards for Spanish talent in science, technology and entrepreneurship as each of the seven gold medals is accompanied by a bag of 100,000 euros. It is also the only event in Europe to bring together 20 Nobel laureates among its hundred members.
Source: AVE, Europa Press and own elaboration
See again the 2023 Innotransfer conference on innovation in biotechnology, with Damià Tormo (minute 2:17:19)