Trocalia, a neighbourhood economy app designed to connect local residents for sharing services and objects, has been crowned the Best Utilities App at the prestigious 2025 Catalunya Mobile Awards. The recognition highlights the growing importance of community-focused technology in Barcelona’s vibrant startup ecosystem.

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The app, which operates as a digital network for the hyper-local exchange of goods and skills, aims to strengthen community ties and promote a more sustainable, circular economy. Users can borrow a power drill from a neighbour, find a local dog-sitter, or offer their own skills to others in their immediate vicinity, all within a trusted community framework.

The Significance of the Catalunya Mobile Awards

Organised by the Associació Catalunya Mobile, the annual awards ceremony serves as a key showcase for the region’s thriving digital sector. The event celebrates the most innovative and impactful applications developed by Catalan companies, providing them with a significant platform for visibility and validation. The awards are a pillar of the local tech calendar, which is globally headlined by the annual MWC Barcelona conference.

The awards cover a diverse range of categories, reflecting the breadth of Catalonia’s app development scene. In addition to the Best Utilities App, prizes recognise excellence in Health, Education, Sports, Business, and Security. There is also a dedicated award for the Best App in Catalan, underscoring the regional government’s commitment to technological development in the local language, a topic that gained attention recently with Google’s addition of Catalan voice support to its Gemini app.

Fostering a Hyper-Local Economy

Trocalia’s victory places it at the forefront of the sharing economy, a model that has found fertile ground in Barcelona. According to a report in Diari Catalunya, the company expressed that the award was a significant endorsement of its mission.

“This recognition is a great motivation to continue developing Trocalia with the goal of connecting people and strengthening the local economy. The award validates the work we’ve done and encourages us to keep innovating to offer an increasingly useful tool for the community.”

The company behind the app, Trocalia Digital S.L., is based on Carrer del Paixalet in the Nou Barris district, rooting its operations firmly within the type of community it aims to serve. This focus on local culture and utility is a common theme among successful regional apps, such as the recently launched digital guide for Catalonia’s beloved calçotada tradition.

Barcelona’s Booming App Scene

The award for Trocalia is not just a win for one company, but a reflection of a broader trend in Barcelona. The city has become a hub for startups focused on what industry analysts call “collaborative consumption,” a movement noted by local tech media for nearly a decade. Platforms like Tracxn list dozens of sharing economy startups in the city, spanning transportation, accommodation, and services.

City-wide events frequently celebrate this success in the tech industry. The recognition Trocalia received at the Mobile Awards echoes the prestige of other local honours, such as when brewer Damm was named Company of the Year at the Barcelona Business Awards. Such accolades, supported by institutions like the Generalitat de Catalunya and ecosystem builders like Tech Barcelona, help cement the city’s reputation as a leading European centre for innovation.