There are moments that invite us to pause. To step back from the day-to-day and look at the journey with perspective, seeing everything that has happened since it all began. Our CEO and founder, Santiago González Izard, has just been honored with the Cum Laude Empresas Amigas Alumni-USAL Award in the Technological Sector category.

The award is presented by Alumni Universidad de Salamanca and recognizes entrepreneurs and executives connected to the institution who have stood out for their leadership, their commitment to their environment, and their real impact within their sectors. The ceremony will take place on February 25, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., at CaixaForum Madrid (P.º del Prado, 36), during the official Cum Laude Empresas Amigas Alumni Universidad de Salamanca Awards ceremony.

A recognition that tells a long-term story

When Santiago founded ARSOFT in 2013, Augmented and Virtual Reality were technologies most people associated with science fiction or laboratory projects without immediate practical application. Betting on them as the core of a business model required a certain willingness to swim against the tide — or at least to do so before the tide even existed.

More than a decade later, ARSOFT has developed over 500 projects for highly demanding sectors such as industry, defense, and medicine. The immersive technologies that once represented a bold bet are now an essential part of how many organizations train their teams, design their processes, and communicate their value proposition.

In this sense, the Cum Laude Empresas Amigas Alumni-USAL Award in the Technological Sector category arrives at a particularly meaningful moment: when it is finally possible to look back and clearly see the path traveled.

What the Cum Laude Empresas Amigas Alumni-USAL award truly means for ARSOFT

“This award is not only a personal recognition, but also a recognition of the work of an entire team that has believed in innovation as a driver of transformation,” said Santiago González. “Entrepreneurship in technology means always looking several years ahead. Our responsibility is to continue generating impact from Salamanca to the world.”

In that statement lies something that defines how we understand our way of working: the combination of a global outlook and a local commitment we have never wanted to abandon. Our commitment to talent trained at the University of Salamanca, our collaboration with regional institutions, and our desire to contribute to the innovative ecosystem of the region are not merely strategic decisions. They are part of who we are and where we come from.

Permanent innovation: The real challenge after the award

Receiving the Cum Laude Empresas Amigas Alumni-USAL Award in the Technological Sector category is a genuine satisfaction. But it is also, in a way, a question. What comes after such recognition? How do you maintain momentum when the environment changes at a pace that leaves no room for complacency?

The technology sector in which we operate is experiencing a period of accelerated transformation. Artificial Intelligence, advanced industrial digitalization, and immersive technologies are redefining not only what is possible, but also what organizations expect from their providers and partners. In this context, standing still is not a neutral option — it means falling behind.

At ARSOFT, we understand innovation as a continuous process, not as a project that ends when the product is delivered. It requires constant investment in R&D, real openness to new markets, and, above all, an internal culture that does not settle for the answers that once worked. Curiosity cannot be a decorative value in a technology company; it must be the engine that drives everyday decisions.

That is why this recognition fills us with energy to keep moving forward with the same mindset we had at the beginning: knowing that the most important milestone is not the one we have already achieved, but the one we do not yet know we will achieve.

We celebrate this award with pride and receive it for what it truly is: a starting point. Because in technology, the future does not wait.