"We have to look after the primary sector"

With the agri-food crisis and widespread price rises, many consumers have taken refuge in the supermarket’s own brands to save on their shopping basket. But what are the consequences of this change in our consumption habits for the local economy and the environment? How can we save money by practising conscious consumption? Núria Rambla, executive assistant at 11Onze, explains in a new episode of Estat de la Nació.

The sanitary crisis changed the shopping habits of many consumers, who showed a growing preference for local products and local shops. Rising inflation, the agri-food crisis, and the drop in purchasing power of many families are causing a new change in priorities towards price-focused purchases, replacing top-brand products with the supermarket’s own brand.

From the consumer’s point of view, the savings from buying the supermarket’s own brand at a lower price is the clear advantage of own-branded products. On the other hand, the low price of some of these products may be due to lower production costs in the country of origin and the lower price paid to the producer. As Rambla points out, “the supermarket’s own brand is the one that suffocates the farmer and the producer the most“.

Conscious consumption and the future of the primary sector

The conflict in Ukraine has highlighted the strategic value of the primary sector. It is difficult to face an agri-food crisis if we do not have local production that covers the needs of the territory or, at the very least, helps us to negotiate better conditions when buying imported products that have assumed exorbitant prices.

As Rambla points out, “the primary sector accounts for 20% of our production”. Hence, the importance of looking after it and “trying to prevent it from disappearing”. And he adds: “If we are consuming everything from abroad, we will be totally dependent on the imports and much more vulnerable. People from abroad will decide on price changes”.

The final decision on whether we opt for private labels, local products, or local trade depends on each family’s situation, but 11Onze wants to do our bit by offering advice, tools, and products to empower our community members to take control of their finances.

11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!

When we talk about the usefulness of design, it’s not just about making beautiful things, but also about responding to problems and providing added value to people. Laia Gubern, Art Director of 11Onze, and Gemma Vallet, Director of 11Onze District revisit La Plaça, La Xarxa’s radio magazine Territori 17, to talk about the latest design trends.

Design has proved to be key when it comes to creating synergies between companies and their clients. It is not enough to have a good product if it is not accompanied by a message that is aligned with the brand it represents and its target audience. As Gubern explains, “through design, creativity, and innovation we have a much broader vision of the possibilities for creating business, improving processes and, fundamentally, providing the experience we generate for the end customer”.

Every day, there are more and more companies that understand graphic design as a fundamental element of strategic value in their development, but how do you create this added value? First, you have to understand what people value, want, or need. Then you have to create the best way to deliver this value and make sure it works and is efficient,” says the Art Director of 11Onze.

The role of design in green transformation

As Vallet details, design as a tool for economic, social, and environmental transformation is more than established in some countries such as the United Kingdom. Even so, according to Gubern, “the degree of adoption of design in companies and industry in Catalonia is still less than would be optimal“.

Faced with the challenge presented by climate change, design “can play a crucial role beyond how we understand graphic design in itself, to help rethink production systems and consumption dynamics”.

Catalonia has been a benchmark in this sector, and Vallet affirms that “we still have great strength, and we will be leaders again“. Taking advantage of the rise of the Catalan ecosystem as the main start-up hub in Southern Europe is a privileged starting point that the Catalan design sector cannot afford to miss.

11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!

The documentary ‘In A Few Days’, which recounts the creation process of the Catalan fintech 11Onze, will be screened at the Casal Cultural i Recreatiu de Castellbisbal. It will take place on Thursday, 9 June, at half past seven in the evening.

Castellbisbal will be the first Catalan town to enjoy the public screening of the documentary ‘In A Few Days’. It will be held on 9 June at 7:30 p.m. at the Aula de Cultura del Casal Cultural i Recreatiu de Castellbisbal. Toni Mata, Content Director at 11Onze and director of the film, and Isaac Sène, Product Manager at 11Onze, will be in charge of the presentation and will answer questions from the audience. Access to the event will be free of charge.

Mercè Comas, founding investor of 11Onze, has been the main driving force behind this screening. “When I’m part of something, I like to take advantage of any loophole I can to contribute to its realisation”, she explains about the initiative.

Comas considers that “everyone should see the documentary because we are not used to transparency and to calling a spade a spade”. In this sense, she stresses that “it shows a project made by people who believe, who love their country“, and “the ability of the management team to find alternatives in the face of obstacles” in circumstances in which “many businesses would have closed down”. “These values must be instilled if we want to build a new, different country”, she concludes.

A success story with a lot of bumps in the road

La Plaça, 11Onze’s private social network, was launched on 22 April 2021. Its financial arm, El Canut, was scheduled to be ready shortly afterwards. But it had to be delayed until 1 October. Why? What happened?

‘In A Few Days’, which can be watched free of charge at La Plaça, reflects the effort, enthusiasm and responsibility of the team that made El Canut possible, setting up a revolutionary Catalan financial institution. But it also points out the obstacles and the foul play that had to be overcome.

The documentary, therefore, presents very positive things, such as a human team capable of rebuilding and keeping a financial institution operational when some other people tried to derail it, but it also points out dark points. For example, how is it possible for a German fintech to go back on a signed agreement at the last minute? Why is the Bank of Spain pursuing 11Onze if the entity had not applied for a banking licence in Spain? And the last unpleasant question: who infiltrated a person into 11Onze?

A revolutionary entity

11Onze is the first financial community in Catalonia and provides its customers with a digital financial institution that allows them to control their savings at all times.

Along with its digital banking services (El Canut), which are compliant with financial services standards and PSD2 (European Payment Services Directive), 11Onze fills a gap in the fintech sector with its private social network and its growing educational library, aimed at empowering people with knowledge about finance, economics and sustainability.

11Onze offers screenings of the documentary throughout Catalonia, with representatives from the organisation on hand to answer questions. Anyone who would like to organise a screening in their municipality can contact [email protected] to arrange it.

11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!

Now anyone from the European Union or the United Kingdom can open an account through El Canut. Catalonia’s first community fintech opens its doors and welcomes the diaspora of Catalans living in the rest of Europe and anyone who shares our values.

From the very beginning, 11Onze’s model was designed to be a tool that would empower the Catalan community through financial education, but without forgetting the large number of Catalans living throughout the European continent. As well as anyone who shares 11Onze’s vision.

In this sense, we have simplified the activation process of El Canut, and with the latest update, we not only make sure that you can open an account from any EU country, but we have also added the UK, where many Catalans live.

As James Sène, president and founder of 11Onze, explains, “We want to provide a service for the Catalan community, and we have 600,000 in the diaspora, many of them in the UK. Now we can say that wherever you are in Europe, you can be a customer of 11Onze”.

Universal values to be shared

Even so, this does not mean that 11Onze’s concept of community fintech has to be limited to our natural market framed by the Catalan community, “if someone from outside likes our model of transparency, service, financial education, and sense of community, it is important to have a platform that can be accessed by anyone who shares our values“, says Sène.

The revolution started in Catalonia but has gone international. Although France, Italy, Belgium, and Germany lead the ranking of countries beyond our borders where we have the most clients, it is expected that, after the latest update of El Canut, the total number of clients from the United Kingdom will move to one of the top positions.

The vision of 11Onze is a vision of the future with universal values, open to everyone who shares our idea of creating a community that has within its reach all kinds of products, tools, and services oriented towards a very specific objective: to manage both their money and the well-being of its members.

11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!

The limitation of depositing a maximum of 15,000 euros per month has disappeared. If you wish, you can now make weekly deposits. We detail the limitations and the procedures to be followed.

At 11Onze we want our financial services to be 100% secure. That is why, in compliance with current regulations, the maximum amount, without having to justify it, you can deposit to your 11Onze account is 15,000 euros every 7 calendar days.

What happens if I want to make a deposit of more than €15,000 in less than 7 days?

If a client makes a deposit of more than 15,000 euros in 7 calendar days, whether it is 15,001 euros or 25,000 euros, the whole amount will be blocked, not just the part that exceeds 15,000 euros. This amount will be withheld because our financial provider, due to money laundering regulations, needs to validate that all transactions exceeding €15,000 in 7 calendar days comply fully with Law 10/2010.

To unblock the amount, the client will have 5 calendar days to present a series of documents to validate the origin of this money. Once the documents presented by the client are validated by our provider, the money is no longer withheld and becomes available to the client immediately. If this documentation is not presented in due time, the transfer will be returned to the account of origin.

How to accelerate deposits of above €15.000

• You can make a deposit of just under €15,000, wait 7 calendar days and then deposit an amount of up to another €15,000. This saves you the paperwork and the temporary withholding of the money. You can make as many deposits as you wish, up to a maximum account balance of €50,000. If a customer with a balance of €50,000 on the account makes a new deposit, which exceeds the balance, this deposit will be returned to the account of origin once the relevant validations have been carried out.
• Notify the 11Onze Back Office team of your wish by sending an email to [email protected]. This will enable us to move forward with the procedures for each specific case and, therefore, speed up the waiting time for the unblocking of the balance that has been withheld. Or, if we have the documentation ready before the transfer, we can even inform our supplier in advance and justify the transfer that is about to be made. In this way, we will certainly be able to reduce the period of time the amount is withheld.
• These limits of €15,000 per deposit, and a maximum balance of €50,000, are under review, and we will let you know as soon as there are changes. For now, we are improving the process to make it as painless as possible for the customer, and to expedite the approval from our provider.

11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!

On October 1, 2021 our app, El Canut, was born, since then we have been updating it regularly and adding new features to improve the user experience. Here are the latest news and updates that we have implemented in the last few days.

The road has not been easy, but El Canut is improving and adding new features step by step. Customer feedback has been key in identifying issues to improve the user experience of an intuitive and agile application, allowing us to achieve our goal of offering a super app, a wallet of wallets from where you can manage all your bank accounts and financial services.

As Iu Alemany, Back Office and Customer Service Manager at 11Onze explains, “from day one we have involved users to help us through the process of improving the application. Feedback from our customers is essential to detect problems and improve processes”. Therefore, from 11Onze, “we want to thank all our community for their collaboration“.

Clearer and simpler transfers

Sometimes a lot of information can be too much information. This was the case with the internal and external transfers, as well as with the list of movements, where the same transfer was shown in duplicate, as both, the transfer pending internal approval and the transfer already approved were indicated, which confused some users.

We have eliminated the visual duplication of the transfers and in the list of movements so that now the information is clearer and easier to understand. With this update, transactions are only reflected at the actual time when they become effective. We have also made an update to solve the incidences reported by several users, in which some transfers appeared and disappeared from the list of movements.

To make it easier to identify transfers, a box has been added to describe the “concept” of the transfer, both to and from external entities. You should be aware that this is an optional field, and that its purpose is to provide information to the recipient of the transfer so that he/she understands what the amount deposited is for.

Automatic updates

It is important to remember that users do not have to do anything to update El Canut, their mobile phone will update our app automatically whenever new updates are available.

The 11Onze team is not standing still, and remains dedicated to expanding the functionalities of the application and improving the user experience for our customers. El Canut will continue to evolve throughout 2022, and we will keep you informed of all the news and updates from La Plaça.

11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!

Do you want to wash your clothes without polluting the planet? All you need to do is take part in our Instagram competition and get a bit lucky. You can win the supply of Natulim detergent to do the laundry of a family of four for a year.

At 11Onze we want to help you do your laundry without polluting the planet. That’s why we’d like to give you a year’s supply of Natulim, our favourite ecological detergent. All you have to do is enter our competition and keep your fingers crossed. We will announce two winners every Tuesday during the first three weeks of June.

Each winner will receive 12 packs of Natulim, the equivalent of a year’s worth of product for a family of four. The pack is valued at 143.40 euros and will be sent to the winner’s home address.

To participate, you have to follow @11onzecat and @natulim‘s Instagram profile, like the contest’s publication and mention at least one person in the comment section (you can comment as many times as you want). You can find the legal terms and conditions of the competition here.

Why is it ecological?

Natulim are small biodegradable strips of eco-friendly detergent, which you simply put in the washing machine with your clothes. Each strip has ultra-concentrated cleaning power, leaving clothes clean, soft and smelling great without the need for fabric softener. Its low foam formulation targets and dissolves stains in both hot and cold water and in all types of washing machines.

It is suitable for the most delicate skins because it is hypoallergenic. Moreover, it does not contain phosphates, parabens, chlorine, dioxane or added colouring agents. All this makes Natulim a biodegradable detergent, which does not generate waste that pollutes the planet.

If you want to wash your clothes without polluting the planet, 11Onze Recommends Natulim.

In a context of global geopolitical and economic pessimism, world leaders met last week at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. Mireia Cano, Team Leader at 11Onze, summarises the highlights in a new episode of Estat de la Nació.

The atmosphere was as gloomy as the clouds hovering over the Swiss Alps. During this year’s geopolitically dominated talks, some foresaw regional pockets of recession in countries – especially on the European continent – directly exposed to the Ukrainian conflict and global supply chain problems, while others painted an equally grim global picture.

The Ukrainian war, added to other factors such as runaway inflation and an agri-food crisis that may have global repercussions, are rightly worrying business leaders. As Cano explains, “the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, warned that the coming situation is one of the most critical since the Second World War“.

Default rate could slow down the recovery in Spain

The Spanish President, Pedro Sánchez, went out of his way to give an optimistic view of the strength of the Spanish economy. In this sense, he enthusiastically detailed the keys to the recovery, answering the question of the forum’s president, Børge Brende, on the recipe for success for the restart of the Spanish economy.

Even so, there are still challenges to be resolved that could jeopardise this recovery. As Cano explains, despite the fact that “Spain has been given credit for good economic management, because unemployment has fallen and investments and reforms have been made”, one cannot lose sight of the fact that “a few weeks ago the Bank of Spain itself warned of a more than likely increase in default risk because companies and families will not be able to repay the loans”. Therefore, Mireia Cano points out that “perhaps they want to see the glass as half full”.

If you want to discover the best option to protect your savings, enter Preciosos 11Onze. We will help you buy at the best price the safe-haven asset par excellence: physical gold.

La Plaça of 11Onze is one of the finalists for the prestigious ADG Laus awards in the category of responsive design for mobile devices. This recognition comes just a few weeks after being selected Official Honoree at the Webby Awards, considered the most important awards for excellence on the Internet.

11Onze has been chosen as a finalist in the ADG Laus Graphic Design and Visual Communication Awards in the category of responsive design for mobile devices. These international awards recognise each year the best projects in more than 50 sections in five categories: graphic design, digital, advertising, audiovisual and students. The ceremony will be held in June. Gold, Silver, Bronze and Grand Laus awards will be distributed among the finalists according to the quality of each project.

According to Dermot O’Shea, founder of Wondr, the digital product development agency that collaborated in the creation of La Plaça of 11Onze, the recognition comes because the website is “an example of creativity and innovation”. He adds that “from the seamless user experience through to the depth of immersive and engaging content, this is clearly a brand of substance with a deep community connection”. In fact, O’Shea notes that “the best industry experts are constantly benchmarking 11Onze as a unique and innovative proposition“.

A long history

The ADG Laus awards, given by the Association of Art Directors and Graphic Designers (ADG-FAD), one of the most active professional associations of graphic design and visual communication in Spain, were created in 1964. They were the first awards in Spain to recognise the quality and graphic creativity of the elements used in visual advertising communication.

57 years later, the ADG Laus awards are fully consolidated and serve as a barometer of design and art direction in Spain. That is why Laia Gubern, Art Director of 11Onze, is particularly satisfied, as this award will help to increase “visibility among the people we address at 11Onze” and will ensure that “we are also valued from here”.

The six criteria of the Laus Awards

The jury of the ADG Laus is made up of 13 renowned professionals, who are specialists in the different disciplines of graphic design and its environment.

When awarding the prizes, the jury values the idea, execution, functionality, contribution, consistency and sustainability of each of the projects. In other words, in addition to the conceptual and aesthetic quality of the pieces presented, aspects such as the extent to which the client’s needs have been taken into account or the environmental problems associated with the production are also considered.

In this sense, Laia Gubern emphasises that in the design of 11Onze she worked together with the agency Wondr “so that the users of La Plaça have the best experience from both mobile and computer”. This way, “our community can enjoy all the content from wherever it is most comfortable and optimal for them, which is the key in the field of user experience and user interface,” says Gubern.

More recognition for a job well done

In April, La Plaça de 11Onze was selected Official Honoree at the Webby Awards, considered the most important awards for excellence on the Internet. This recognition placed it among the best financial services and banking websites in the world, a category in which giants such as Apple, Citibank, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America were also distinguished.

The Webby Awards had received more than 14,300 nominations, including Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Laverne Cox, Gucci, Megan Thee Stallion and NASA. Dermot O’Shea believes that this international recognition already proved “what a special and unique brand that 11Onze is, it recognises that it’s a brand with a sense of purpose that cares for the community.”

A revolutionary model

11Onze is the first fintech community in Europe offering financial literacy and wealth creation services to its members. 

Its innovative model hinges on a private social network (La Plaça), a digital currency (Les Peles), a universal banking super app (El Canut) and an expansive educational library, which provides content on finance, economics, well-being and sustainability. To date, 11Onze has published nearly 1,200 videos and 1,100 articles online in three languages (English, Catalan and Spanish).

11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!

11Onze has completed the second collective purchase of gold from our community. The data confirms that the success of the first round was no fluke, and Preciosos 11Onze continues to exceed expectations. The third round is already underway!

More than 270 ingots in weights ranging from 2.5 g to 100 g, with a total quantity of almost 8 kg, underline how well received the second round of collective gold buying has been by customers in our community. If we add the first round, the total amount of gold purchased is 19 kg. As Raul Casado, head of marketing and sales at 11Onze (CMSO) explains, “the success continues thanks to the good execution of the first purchase, which has been noted in the confidence that our customers have given us in this second round“.

The good reception of Preciosos 11Onze is certainly to be celebrated, but it cannot be an excuse for complacency. Being pioneers by offering a unique product on the market entails a constantly evolving process of learning and improvement. “We have improved the whole process of communication with the client. We already had proactivity, but we have increased the speed of response to people who might have any doubts,” Casado points out.

A market saturated by demand

Economic uncertainty and runaway inflation have spurred many people to convert part of their savings into gold, the ultimate safe-haven asset. The boom in gold buying has been so great that the funnel of buyers has collapsed refinery production, so that refineries are unable to supply the growing demand.

In this context, collective purchases of large quantities of gold are key to being able to negotiate a better purchase price and streamline transactions. This is where the power of the community makes a difference and empowers individuals to compete head-to-head with large investors.

As Isaac Sène, product manager at 11Onze, explains, “we are currently working to offer more competitive formulas for our clients”, given that the stock and availability of suppliers is very scarce and, therefore, we are working on “formulas to make our services even cheaper, adding new actors in our supply chain“.

When an uncertain future is good news

The geopolitical tensions, the sovereign debt crisis of the States, and the rise in the price of money by the central banks in order to reduce inflation make us think that the economy is reaching the end of a cycle where big economic powers, such as the United States, could enter into recession in 2023. These dire growth forecasts augur an increase in demand for precious metals.

“I think the background noise of a potential recession in the next two years marks a potential buying opportunity right now. Big banks, especially in the US, are warning that the Fed’s anti-inflationary policy could drag us into a recession,” says Sène.

He continues, “we have to keep an eye on the figures of retail-oriented companies, an interesting thermometer or indicator to assess the state of perception of the economy by the public. Big names have already started to announce margin squeezes due to the current situation and considerable downgrades in some key product categories for their business models, which is not very good news.

Time will tell whether this is a transitory economic crisis, or, as many financial analysts say, one that is here to stay. In the meantime, for the general population, diversifying savings by buying gold continues to be one of the best options for protecting one’s assets in the face of economic uncertainty. At 11Onze we provide the tools to make this possible, and we are already working on the third gold purchase for our community.

If you want to discover the best option to protect your savings, enter Preciosos 11Onze. We will help you buy at the best price the safe-haven asset par excellence: physical gold.