Andorran biotechnologist and serial entrepreneur honoured for taking the country’s name to the forefront of global life sciences
Andorra la Vella, 18 September 2026
Andorran biotechnology pioneer Magda Marquet has been named recipient of the Marca Andorra recognition at the sixth edition of the CEA Awards, the business gala organised by the Andorran Business Confederation (Confederació Empresarial Andorrana, CEA). The ceremony took place on Thursday 17 September 2026 at the Andorra la Vella Congress Centre. Marquet, who has spent most of her career in San Diego, California, was unable to attend in person, according to Diari d’Andorra.
The award recognises individuals who promote the country’s image abroad. Its 2026 recipient is a scientist who founded and helped scale some of the most recognisable companies in San Diego’s life sciences cluster.
What happened at the 2026 CEA Awards
The gala, supported by Creand Crèdit Andorrà, coincided with the 20th anniversary of the CEA. It distinguished ten companies, projects and individuals from an initial field of roughly one hundred candidacies, which had been narrowed to 30 finalists.
The Marca Andorra category works differently from the others. Its three finalists represented very different fields: paddler Mònica Doria in sport, Magda Marquet in science, and Joan Anton Rechi in the performing arts. Local media reported that, unlike the other categories, this winner was chosen through an electronic vote among CEA members during the ceremony. The other nine awards were decided by a jury that included CEA members, sponsor representatives, the president of the Chamber of Commerce, the dean of the Association of Economists and the Minister for the Presidency, Labour and Housing.
Andorran media described the recognition as going to the “researcher” or “scientist” Magda Marquet, reflecting the scientific dimension of her candidacy. According to the finalists announcement, the three nominees shared a strong international profile and a contribution to spreading Andorra’s name beyond its borders.
Who is Magda Marquet?
Marquet was born in Canillo, Andorra, in 1958. She holds a Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering from the INSA engineering school in Toulouse, France, and built her professional career in biotechnology across the United States and Europe.
Her résumé includes senior roles at several life sciences companies before she went on to found her own. She co-founded Althea Technologies, a San Diego contract development and manufacturing company that later became part of Japan’s Ajinomoto group as Ajinomoto Althea, and she spun off AltheaDx, a companion diagnostics company later acquired by Castle Biosciences. In 2005 she won the regional Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in the life sciences category.
According to her profile at Acurion, she is also co-CEO of ALMA Life Sciences, an investment firm supporting early-stage healthcare companies, and has served on the boards of listed biotechnology companies including Arcturus Therapeutics, AnaptysBio, Transcode Therapeutics and Immix BioPharma. The same profile notes that she was the first woman inducted into the CONNECT entrepreneur hall of fame in San Diego, and that she has played a leading role in local organisations such as BIOCOM and the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. She has also served as honorary consul of Andorra in California.
A recent focus: AI and precision oncology
Marquet’s most recent ventures sit at the intersection of artificial intelligence and cancer care. She is co-founder and board chair of Acurion (formerly io9), a company developing OncoGaze, an AI platform designed to identify clinically actionable biomarkers from routine tumour biopsy slides. The aim is to shorten the time between diagnosis and the selection of a first-line therapy.
In July 2024, the company announced the publication of a validation study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology on DeepHRD, OncoGaze’s first biomarker test. The company reported that DeepHRD identified between 1.8 and 3.1 times more patients with homologous recombination deficiency than standard sequencing in ovarian and metastatic breast cancers, respectively. In April 2025, io9 rebranded as Acurion, appointed a new leadership team and announced the launch of a Series A fundraising round. These are company-reported results, and the technology’s commercial progress should be assessed through the company’s own updates.
Her connection with Andorra
Marquet’s link with her homeland has deepened in recent years. In October 2024, the University of Andorra awarded her its medal and invited her to deliver the inaugural lecture of the 2024-2025 academic year. In an interview with El Periòdic d’Andorra around that time, she argued that biotechnology could help diversify the Andorran economy and create opportunities for young people, since modern biotech does not require large infrastructure. She suggested that Andorra should collaborate with established hubs such as Barcelona and Toulouse and that the University of Andorra could play a key role in training future scientists.
That message resonates with the theme of the 2026 gala. In his opening remarks, CEA president Gerard Cadena said the organisation should defend its members’ interests while also serving as a tool to look beyond them. Head of Government Xavier Espot congratulated the CEA on its two decades of activity and described it as a demanding but constructive interlocutor for the business sector.
Why this award matters
For a country of Andorra’s size, few figures have built a comparable international reputation in science and enterprise. Recognising Marquet under the “Marca Andorra” banner highlights a broader idea: national branding is shaped not only by tourism and finance, but also by research, innovation and entrepreneurship carried out by Andorrans abroad.
The distinction also fits the wider direction of this year’s ceremony, which honoured innovation, sustainability, inclusion and international projection alongside traditional business achievement.
Other 2026 CEA Award winners
- Business Trajectory: Patrimoine Assegurances
- Sustainability (FEDA Award): De Bon Gra
- International Projection: Soadco
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Andorra Recerca+Innovació Award): CityXerpa
- Senior Management: Enclar Carburants Andorrans
- Self-Employed and Micro-Enterprise: Ergoconcepte
- Outstanding Female Entrepreneur: Mercè Betriu (Grup Galeno)
- Inclusive Company: PIME
- Andorran Pioneers: Josep M. Cosan and Joan Santamaria (Santamaria & Cosan)
- Marca Andorra: Magda Marquet
Frequently asked questions
Who is Magda Marquet? Magda Marquet is an Andorran biotechnologist and entrepreneur born in Canillo who built her career in San Diego, California. She co-founded Althea Technologies and AltheaDx and is co-founder and board chair of the AI oncology company Acurion.
What award did Magda Marquet receive in 2026? She received the Marca Andorra recognition at the sixth CEA Awards, held on 17 September 2026 in Andorra la Vella.
What is the Marca Andorra recognition? It is a CEA award given to a person who promotes Andorra’s image internationally. In 2026 the finalists were Magda Marquet (science), Mònica Doria (sport) and Joan Anton Rechi (performing arts), and the winner was chosen by a vote of CEA members.
What are the CEA Awards? The CEA Awards are held by the Andorran Business Confederation to recognise companies, projects and careers that contribute to the country’s economic development. The 2026 edition, supported by Creand Crèdit Andorrà, marked the CEA’s 20th anniversary.
What companies has Magda Marquet founded? She co-founded Althea Technologies (later Ajinomoto Althea), AltheaDx and, more recently, Acurion (formerly io9). She is also co-CEO of the investment firm ALMA Life Sciences.
Sources
- Diari d’Andorra, “Premis CEA: reconeixement al teixit empresarial divers d’Andorra”, 18 Sept 2026: https://www.diariandorra.ad/nacional/260918/premis-cea-teixit-empresarial-divers_204532.html
- Diari d’Andorra, “Les imatges de la sisena edició dels premis CEA”, 17 Sept 2026: https://www.diariandorra.ad/nacional/260917/les-millors-imatges-sisena-edicio-dels-premis-cea_204508.html
- Diari d’Andorra, “Patrimoine Assegurances, De Bon Gra, Soadco i CityXerpa, entre els premiats de la sisena edició dels Premis CEA”: https://www.diariandorra.ad/nacional/260917/patrimoine-assegurances-bon-gra-soadco-i-cityxerpa-els-premiats-sisena-edicio-dels-premis-cea_204506.html
- Bondia, “Santamaria i Cosan reben el premi Pioners de la CEA”, 18 Sept 2026: https://www.bondia.ad/economia/santamaria-i-cosan-reben-el-premi-pioners-de-la-cea
- Bondia, “La CEA otorga 10 premis a 30 finalistes”: https://www.bondia.ad/economia/la-cea-otorga-10-premis-a-30-finalistes
- Altaveu, “Deu reconeixements al múscul empresarial d’Andorra”: https://www.altaveu.com/actualitat/economia/deu-reconeixements-muscul-empresarial-andorra_79548_102.html
- Diari d’Andorra, “Els Premis CEA 2026 d’Andorra reben un centenar de candidatures”, 2 Sept 2026: https://www.diariandorra.ad/nacional/260902/els-premis-cea-2026-reben-centenar-candidatures_203527.html
- Alto, “Andorran Business Confederation Unveils 30 Finalists for 2026 Awards Gala”: https://www.alto.ad/business/2026/09/andorran-business-awards-finalists-cea-gala
- Acurion, “Magda Marquet” leadership profile: https://acurionhealth.com/about-us/leadership-team/magda-marquet/
- El Periòdic d’Andorra, interview with Magda Marquet, October 2024: https://elperiodic.ad/entrevista/magda-marquet-08-10-2024/
- Business Wire, “io9 Announces Publication in the Journal of Clinical Oncology…”, 31 July 2024: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240731419790/en/
- PR Newswire / Fox 5 San Diego, “Acurion Unveils Rebrand, New Leadership Team, and Series A Fundraising Launch”, 9 April 2025: https://fox5sandiego.com/business/press-releases/cision/20250409LA61446/acurion-unveils-rebrand-new-leadership-team-and-series-a-fundraising-launch/
- Sente, Inc. press release (GlobeNewswire), 24 May 2013, background on career and Ernst & Young award: https://sentelabs.com/blogs/press-releases/sente-inc-appoints-magda-marquet-ph-d-to-its-board-of-directors
- Wikipedia, “Magda Marquet” (biographical background): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magda_Marquet
