The European Commission is proud to unveil the semi-finalists for the prestigious 2025 European Prize for Women Innovators, celebrating exceptional women entrepreneurs driving innovation and shaping the future of Europe. The winners will be revealed at the European Innovation Council Summit on 3 April 2025.
The semi-finalists, selected by an independent jury of innovation experts, represent a vibrant community of women innovators who are tackling today’s most pressing challenges while creating economic opportunities and societal impact.
A prize jointly presented by the EIT and the EIC
The Women Innovators Prize, funded under the Horizon Europe framework programme, is a key initiative supporting the European Innovation Agenda’s goal of fostering inclusivity and excellence in innovation. It is presented jointly by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and the European Innovation Council (EIC).
The competition features three categories: the Women Innovators Prize, open to women of all nationalities based in EU Member States and Associated Countries who have founded a successful company; the Rising Innovators Prize, which celebrates exceptional women under 35; and the EIT Women leadership prize, for exceptional women of the EIT Community.
The finalists will be announced later this year, and the winners will be revealed during an official award ceremony at the EIC Summit. Together, the EIT and EIC, are giving visibility to an even larger pool of women candidates, offering more opportunities to more innovators and more inspiring role models for women and girls everywhere.
The prize not only brings recognition to the winners but also inspires the next generation of women to turn bold ideas into impactful realities.
Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Start-Ups, Research & Innovation said:
In 1906, Finland became the first European country to grant women’s citizens the right to vote. Today it is perfectly normal for women to be executives, politicians, bank managers, founders and owners of successful businesses! My message to the inspiring women that we honor today: Be an example! Dream with ambition and lead with conviction!
Meet our semi-finalists:
In the Rising Innovators category:
- Aline Muylaert (Belgium), co-Founder Go Vocal, a civic tech company that modernises participatory democracy through its digital engagement platform, enabling governments and public institutions to involve citizens in decision-making processes more effectively.
- Ann-Mia Ambjerg (Denmark), co-founder of ARIS Robotics, developing an AI-powered waste sorting system that enhances efficiency and adaptability in waste management while promoting sustainability and environmental impact.
- Camille Bouget (France), co-founder of Scienta Lab, an AI-powered platform developed to address the therapeutic needs of immuno-inflammatory diseases.
- Claudine Adeyemi-Adams (United Kingdom), founder of Earlybird, an AI-powered platform that enhances employment support by engaging participants in voice-powered conversations, providing advisors with insights and recommendations to deliver more personalized assistance.
- Héloïse Mailhac (France), co-founder of STH BIOTECH, a company that has developed SATIVITRO®, an in vitro bio-production platform that enhances the yield and accessibility of rare cannabinoids for pharmaceutical research through controlled bioreactor cultivation.
- Laura Koivusalo (Finland), co-founder of StemSight, a regenerative medicine company aiming to cure blindness with off-the-shelf cell therapies
In the Women Innovators category:
- Agnès Arbat (Spain), co-founder of Oxolife, a company developing innovative drugs to enhance fertility, with a focus on improving embryo implantation and simplifying infertility treatments.
- Avencia Sánchez-Mejías (Spain), co-founder of Integra Therapeutics, which develops the FiCAT gene-writing platform, for integration of DNA fragments into the human genome.
- Fanny Bardé (France), founder of SOLiTHOR, that develops next-generation solid-state batteries using a non-flammable, environmentally-friendly solid electrolyte.
- Fanny Giannou (Germany), founder of Alithea Biotechnology, specialised in precision immunotherapy, using immunopeptidomics, AI, and high-sensitivity mass spectrometry to develop novel cancer drugs and companion diagnostics.
- Henriette Maass (Germany), co-founder of NanoStruct, which provides an innovative analysis system that allows to detect bacteria within minutes and has the potential to identify antimicrobial resistances at the same time.
- Irina Kavounovski (Israel), founder of Vigor Medical Technologies, developing life-saving devices and AI-driven solutions for chest trauma and thoracic/abdominal drainage.
- Rhona Togher (Ireland), co-founder with Eimear O’Carroll of Lios, a company that has developed SoundBounce, a smart acoustic material that offers up to 4x more effective noise reduction in less space, being 40% lighter and 4 times thinner, with versatile applications across industries like construction, automotive, aerospace, and home appliances.
In the EIT Women Leadership category:
- Débora Andreia Campelo Campos (Portugal), Founder and CEO of AgroGrin Tech, which developed an innovative and eco-friendly process to transform the industrial fruit waste into functional food ingredients.
- Elizabeth McGloughlin (Ireland), Co-Founder and CEO of Tympany Medical, whose variable angle endoscopy technology improves patient and healthcare system outcomes.
- Megi Mejdrechova (Czechia), Co-Founder and CTO of Robo Twin, which develops innovative robot teaching tools that allow workers to directly teach robots by simple demonstration.
- Olesja Bondarenko (Estonia), Co-Founder and CEO of Nanordica Medical, which develops nanotechnology-based wound care products that help prevent infections and promote wound healing.
- Thais Maria Glod Nuñez (Spain), Founder of Innobound, an innovation agency that supports ecological and socially innovative initiatives that help cities become greener.
- Zara Ransley (United Kingdom), Co-Founder and Co-CEO of MyPocketSkill, a platform that connects young people aged 13 to 24 with paid opportunities to earn, save and learn about money in an engaging and supportive environment.