Sodical has stakes in 155 companies

Sodical, a private equity company promoted by the Regional Government of Castilla y León, in which it acts as its lead shareholder, currently manages a portfolio of 155 companies in the region. It has allocated more than €348 million to these firms, generating over €1.112 billion in induced investment and contributing to the creation and maintenance of 19,858 jobs. The investee companies, of various sizes, operate mainly in sectors such as agri-food, construction and related services, healthcare and biotechnology, energy and environment, and metallurgy.

Founded in 1982, Sodical has accumulated a historical investment of nearly €540 million, which has generated approximately €2.495 billion in induced investment and supported the creation and maintenance of 39,325 jobs. The company is currently chaired by Carlos Martín Tobalina, Deputy Minister of Economy and Competitiveness, and managed by Carmen Sanz Bachiller. Its shareholding structure is led by the Institute for Business Competitiveness of Castilla and León (ICECYL), attached to the Regional Ministry of Economy and Finance, with 42.5%, making it its main shareholder. The remainder is distributed among financial institutions (43.1%) and other companies and entities (14.4%). Its board of directors is professionalised and combines senior regional government officials with representatives of highly reputed companies such as Iberdrola, Antolín, and Grupo Nicolás Correa, as well as financial institutions.

According to its managers, the Regional Government consolidates Sodical as a strategic instrument to support the economic development of Castilla and León, acting as a reference partner and providing financial resources. In this framework, the venture capital company focuses its activity on boosting business competitiveness, supporting company growth and consolidation, fostering new entrepreneurial projects, promoting expansion and reindustrialisation processes, and enhancing endogenous resources as drivers of wealth and territorial development. In this context, Sodical’s mission, as part of the financial platform of the Regional Government of Castilla and León, is to contribute to strengthening the region’s productive fabric and generating quality employment.

Product portfolio

With a team of 10 professionals and more than 80 annual contacts with companies to assess investment operations—originating from ICECYL, its network of contacts, and its client portfolio—Sodical offers a broad range of financial products to support the regional business ecosystem, prioritising projects located in Castilla and León and ensuring they are viable and profitable.

Among these products, the Innovative Growth Plan for SMEs and midcaps stands out. Promoted by ICECYL and endowed with €260 million from the European Investment Bank (EIB), it provides participatory loans to support company growth in terms of competitiveness, innovation, and internationalisation. To date, this programme has supported 111 business growth projects worth €250.6 million, generating €767.4 million in induced investment.

In addition, the financial instrument for the capitalisation of business innovation, co-financed by ICECYL and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), aims to facilitate access to finance for innovative and/or technology-based companies. It supports R&D&I projects, productive or innovation investments, and business plans. Meanwhile, the Reindustrialisation programme has a total of €111 million allocated to equity participation and participatory loans for projects linked to the reindustrialisation of the productive sector.

Endogenous resources

Within the Endogenous Resources line, endowed with €33.7 million, projects that enhance local resources are financed. The Innovative Entrepreneurship Plan provides participatory loans and equity participation to support the creation and acceleration of high-growth innovative start-ups. Additionally, the programme for revitalising areas affected by wildfires finances investment and working capital needs of businesses impacted by the devastating fires of summer 2025.

Finally, Sodical also offers Internationalisation lines to support companies expanding into foreign markets, and Cybersecurity support for firms developing applications or services in this field.

Participatory loans

Sodical’s main financial instrument is participatory loans, a hybrid between traditional debt and venture capital. This instrument is better adapted to business needs, as it allows founders to avoid excessive dilution when bringing in new investors, strengthens the company’s working capital, and creates a leverage effect that helps attract additional funding from business angels, venture capital funds, and banks.