The European Commission revealed the winners of the 12th edition of the prize for women innovators.
The award honours the groundbreaking contributions of women entrepreneurs whose innovations are said to be driving progress and strengthening Europe’s competitive edge.
Contributions range from pioneering advancements in healthcare and sustainability to revolutionising space technology and digital traceability.
A spokesman for the award said, “This year’s finalists exemplify the transformative power of women-led innovation.”
The prize showcases the “remarkable” achievements of winners and runners-up across three categories.
These are:
1) EIC Women Innovators, for exceptional women founders and co-founders from EU Member States and Associated Countries of Europe’s multi-billion-euro programme Horizon Europe – €100,000 prize for the winner, €70,000 and €50,000 for two runners-up respectively.
- Winner: Katerina Spranger (Ukraine/UK), founder and CEO of Oxford Heartbeat, harnessing artificial intelligence to enhance the safety and precision of brain aneurysm treatments.
- 2nd place: Elena Heber (Germany), co-founder and Managing Director of HelloBetter, expanding access to mental health care through clinically validated digital therapies and AI-driven solutions.
- 3rd place: Judit Camargo Sanromà (Spain), founder and CEO of Roka Furadada, tackling the growing threat of skin cancer with eco-friendly cosmetic ingredients that deliver high-performing UV protection while safeguarding marine ecosystems.
2) EIC Rising Innovators, for promising young women innovators under 35 – €50,000 prize for the winner, €30,000 and €20,000 for two runners-up respectively.
- Winner: Marta Oliveira (Belgium), co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Atmost Space Cargo, enabling reusable space capsules to safely return materials from orbit unlocking new research opportunities.
- 2nd place: Judit Giró Benet (Spain), founder of The Blue Box, developing a non-invasive urine-based test to improve early breast cancer detection, particularly for women underserved by traditional screening methods.
- 3rd place: Carin Lightner (Switzerland), co-founder and CEO of Enantios, accelerating drug discovery through faster and more precise analysis of complex molecules, paving the way for next-generation medicines.
3) EIT Women Leadership, for exceptional members of the EIT Community – €50,000 prize for the winner, €30,000 and €20,000 for the two runners up respectively.
- Winner: Ella Frances Cullen (Portugal), co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Minespider ,revolutionising supply chain transparency with a blockchain and AI platform delivering digital product and battery passports and promoting sustainability and compliance.
- 2nd place: Stefania Raimondo (Italy), co-founder of Navhetec, advancing plant-based nanomedicine by extracting bioactive particles from citrus juice to develop high-efficacy health products with novel functionalities.
- 3rd place: Neide Vieira (Portugal), co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of IPLEXMED , accelerating diagnosis infectious diseases diagnosis with graphene-based biosensors that enable portable, rapid, and lab-grade testing.
