Who won the 2025 European Prize for Women Innovators and what it means for EU deep tech

Brussels, April 3rd 2025

Summary

›The European Commission announced the winners of the 11th European Prize for Women Innovators at the EIC Summit in Brussels on 3 April 2025.
›The awards span three categories with cash prizes up to EUR 100,000 and recognise founders who brought innovations to market.
›Winners include Agnès Arbat (Oxolife) for fertility drugs, Camille Bouget (Scienta Lab) for AI in immunology, and Débora Andreia Campelo Campos (AgroGrin Tech) for valorising fruit waste.
›The prize is jointly managed by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), and is intended to boost visibility and role modelling rather than guarantee commercial success.
›Eligibility and evaluation rules remain those set by the EIC work programme with an independent expert jury selecting winners based on breakthrough innovation, impact and inspiration.

2025 European Prize for Women Innovators: winners, technologies and what the award actually achieves

On 3 April 2025 the European Commission announced the winners and runners-up of the 11th European Prize for Women Innovators during the European Innovation Council (EIC) Summit in Brussels. The prize recognises female founders from EU Member States and countries associated to Horizon Europe who have founded companies that brought innovations to market. The awards are managed jointly by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).

How the prize is structured and administered

The 2025 edition followed the format introduced in recent years where three categories are awarded: Women Innovators, Rising Innovators for founders under 35, and the EIT Women Leadership award for outstanding leaders from the EIT Community. Each category awards three ranked prizes with cash amounts ranging from EUR 20,000 to EUR 100,000. Winners are chosen by an independent expert jury. Since 2023 the prize has been run by EISMEA together with the EIT, which is intended to broaden outreach across innovation networks and leverage EIT community support.

Category	Prize (EUR)	Winner (Country)	Organisation	Core innovation
Women Innovators	100,000	Agnès Arbat (Spain)	Oxolife	Drugs to improve embryo implantation and simplify infertility treatments
Women Innovators - Runner-up	70,000	Rhona Togher (Ireland)	Lios	SoundBounce smart acoustic material for compact noise reduction
Women Innovators - Runner-up	50,000	Fanny Bardé (France/Belgium)	SOLiTHOR	Next generation solid-state batteries with non-flammable solid electrolyte
Rising Innovators	50,000	Camille Bouget (France)	Scienta Lab	AI platform for precision approaches in immuno-inflammatory disease therapeutics
Rising Innovators - Runner-up	30,000	Claudine Adeyemi-Adams (United Kingdom)	Earlybird	AI and voice platform to improve delivery of employment support services
Rising Innovators - Runner-up	20,000	Héloïse Mailhac (France)	STH BIOTECH	SATIVITRO in vitro bioproduction platform to produce rare cannabinoids
EIT Women Leadership	50,000	Débora Andreia Campelo Campos (Portugal)	AgroGrin Tech	Process to convert industrial fruit waste into functional food ingredients
EIT Women Leadership - Runner-up	30,000	Olesja Bondarenko (Estonia)	Nanordica Medical	Nanotechnology-based wound care products that prevent infection and support healing
EIT Women Leadership - Runner-up	20,000	Elizabeth McGloughlin (Ireland)	Tympany Medical	Variable angle endoscopy technology to improve ENT surgical outcomes

Winners and their technologies in context

Women Innovators category

The main Women Innovators prize recognises founders with proven market outcomes. The winner and two runners-up this year show a range of life science and deep tech solutions.

Agnès Arbat and Oxolife:Agnès Arbat, co-founder of Oxolife from Spain, received the EUR 100,000 top prize for a business developing pharmacological approaches to enhance embryo implantation and to simplify infertility treatments. Arbat has a medical degree and a background in clinical pharmacology and brings industry experience from Organon and Bayer. Oxolife’s focus sits at the intersection of reproductive medicine and therapeutics where clinical development pathways, regulatory approval and long clinical timelines can be significant barriers to commercialisation.

Rhona Togher and Lios (SoundBounce):Rhona Togher is co-founder of Lios and one of the runners-up. Lios developed SoundBounce, a smart acoustic material claimed to deliver substantially better noise reduction in a smaller size and weight footprint than conventional materials. The technology targets industrial and consumer sectors such as construction, automotive and aerospace where acoustic performance, weight and thickness are important design constraints.

Fanny Bardé and SOLiTHOR (solid-state batteries):Fanny Bardé, founder and CTO of SOLiTHOR, took the third prize in this category. SOLiTHOR works on solid-state batteries that replace flammable liquid electrolytes with a solid electrolyte that the company says is non-flammable and environmentally friendlier. Bardé’s background includes leading solid-state battery programmes in industrial and research settings including Toyota Motor Europe and imec. Solid-state batteries are heavily researched as a route to safer, higher energy density cells but scaling and cost remain major industry challenges.

Rising Innovators category

The Rising Innovators category is reserved for promising founders under the age of 35. Winners here tend to combine new software models with biomedical or social impact aims.

Camille Bouget and Scienta Lab:Camille Bouget won the EUR 50,000 Rising Innovators prize for Scienta Lab, an AI-powered platform targeting therapeutic needs in immuno-inflammatory diseases. The company uses machine learning to accelerate precision medicine workflows. AI can help with candidate selection and predictive models but it is important to distinguish platform promise from validated clinical outcomes. Translating AI outputs into regulatory and clinical adoption requires rigorous validation and evidence generation.

Claudine Adeyemi-Adams and Earlybird:Claudine Adeyemi-Adams was runner-up for Earlybird, an AI and voice-driven platform designed to improve employment support services. The product intends to give advisors better insights and personalised recommendations for users in public employment programmes. Earlybird already has backing from a mix of investors and public bodies. For digital public services, integration with procurement and evidence of outcomes dictates how quickly pilot projects scale.

Héloïse Mailhac and STH BIOTECH (SATIVITRO):Héloïse Mailhac is co-founder of STH BIOTECH and a runner-up for developing SATIVITRO, an in vitro bioproduction platform intended to produce rare cannabinoids at scale in bioreactors for pharmaceutical research. Producing biologically derived compounds with consistent quality is a real bottleneck for certain therapeutic R&D pathways. Commercialisation will depend on reproducibility, regulatory clarity around cannabinoids and the ability to undercut or outperform plant extraction at scale.

EIT Women Leadership category

This award recognises outstanding leaders from the EIT community. Winners are expected to demonstrate impact, scale-up potential and leadership that inspires other women in innovation.

Débora Andreia Campelo Campos and AgroGrin Tech:Débora Andreia Campelo Campos won the EIT Women Leadership award for AgroGrin Tech, which developed a process to convert industrial fruit waste into functional food ingredients. The approach sits within circular bioeconomy trends that the EU has been promoting. Tech transfer from lab to scaled processing and commercial routes into food ingredient markets remain the main issues to watch.

Olesja Bondarenko and Nanordica Medical:Olesja Bondarenko took second place for Nanordica Medical, a company developing nanotechnology-based wound care products. Nanoparticle-enabled antimicrobial or healing-promoting dressings are an active research area. Safety, regulatory allowances for new materials in wound care, and manufacturing reproducibility will determine uptake in clinical settings.

Elizabeth McGloughlin and Tympany Medical:Elizabeth McGloughlin was runner-up for Tympany Medical. The company develops variable angle endoscopy technology intended to expand visualization in ENT procedures and to improve cleaning and usability. Surgical device adoption hinges on clinical evidence, reimbursement pathways and the ability of hospitals to integrate new tools into operating workflows.

Eligibility, evaluation and prize rules

The competition is open to women who are founders or co-founders and whose company or organisation is legally established in an EU Member State including overseas countries and territories or a country associated to Horizon Europe. Companies must have been registered at least two years before the call year which for the 2025 prizes means incorporation before 1 January 2023. Rising Innovators must be under 35 at the start of the call year. Applicants may apply to only one category. Winners are chosen by an independent jury and awards are paid as lump sums.

Award criteria:Applications are judged on three criteria. Breakthrough innovation assesses whether the company offers genuine disruptive technology or deep tech in STEM areas. Impact looks at benefits for people or the planet and the scale of the problem addressed. Inspiration evaluates the applicant’s leadership and role modelling for other women and girls.

Who organises and funds the prize and why it matters

The prize is managed by EISMEA in collaboration with the EIT as part of the EIC work programme. The European Innovation Council is the EU instrument focused on supporting breakthrough technologies and scaling companies across Europe. The prize is primarily a visibility and recognition vehicle. It also provides cash awards that can help recipients with growth or proof of concept but does not replace the deeper financing needed for scale. The Commission’s communications frame the awards as part of broader efforts to increase women's participation in innovation ecosystems.

What the award does and what it does not do:The prize raises the public profile of winners, connects them with EIC and EIT networks and offers modest non-dilutive funding. It does not guarantee market success, follow-on investment, regulatory approvals or large scale procurement contracts. For deep tech and medtech winners, additional capital, clinical trials and regulatory milestones remain the decisive steps to scale.

The jury and selection process

An independent panel of experts drawn from business, academia, investment and sector specialists evaluated shortlisted candidates. The jury roster published by EIC includes a broad mix of profiles from creative media strategists and ecosystem builders to pharmaceutical and engineering experts. Selection involved remote assessments and, where applicable, interviews or pitch sessions at the EIC Summit.

Notable jury members and their roles:The published list included Josine Bakkes, Kave Bulambo, Brian Cahill, Marta Echarri, Maria Engonga, Gianluca Galletto, Valentina Milanova, Elena Poughia, Rui Serapicos, Christopher Trunk Black, Simone Vecchi and Stephanie von Behr among others. Jurors bring expertise in startup ecosystems, finance, deep tech, health and ecosystem building.

Why this prize fits into the EU innovation landscape

The Prize for Women Innovators is one small instrument among many that the EU deploys to broaden participation in research and innovation. It complements funding streams under Horizon Europe and EIC instruments including grants and equity investment. By highlighting women founders in deep tech and life sciences the award aims to create role models and encourage more female entrepreneurs to pursue venture creation and scale-up paths. The EIC and EIT partnership is designed to leverage EIT’s educational and innovation community connections with EIC’s funding and acceleration capabilities.

At the same time the EU ecosystem faces persistent challenges. Gender gaps in VC funding and board representation are not solved by prizes alone. Structural barriers such as access to follow-on capital, investor networks, and procurement pipelines remain decisive for scaling high capital intensity technologies.

Practical details and next steps

The 2026 edition of the prize was launched on 17 June 2025 with a deadline for applications set in September 2025. Interested applicants should consult the EIC Work Programme, the rules of contest and the Funding and Tenders Portal. For queries EISMEA maintains a specific mailbox for this prize.

Contacts and supporting resources:Further information and materials including the winners and jury list, press releases and a recording of the EIT information webinar were published on the EIC and Commission sites. Media contacts listed in the press material include Thomas Regnier and Nika Blazevic. For applicants and stakeholders the EISMEA address EISMEA-WIP@ec.europa.eu remains the reference point.

Bottom line

The 2025 European Prize for Women Innovators highlighted a diverse set of female founders working in pharmaceuticals, materials, batteries, AI for health, biotech, circular food ingredients and medical devices. These recognitions boost visibility and can help with early growth. Observers should treat prize announcements as a signal of recognition and networking value rather than as proof of commercial traction. For the most capital intensive projects, such as solid-state batteries or new therapeutics, the real test remains the ability to secure follow-on funding, pass regulatory gates and reach customers at scale.

Explanation of technical terms

Solid-state battery (brief):A solid-state battery replaces the liquid electrolyte used in lithium-ion cells with a solid conductor. The theoretical advantages include higher energy density and improved safety because solid electrolytes are not flammable. Practical challenges include finding solid electrolytes with sufficient ionic conductivity, stability at interfaces with electrodes, and manufacturability at competitive cost.

Smart acoustic materials (brief):Smart acoustic materials combine engineered structures and advanced materials to provide sound absorption or reflection using less thickness or weight than traditional foams. They are useful where space and weight are constrained, such as in vehicles and aerospace. Performance claims should be checked against standardised acoustic testing protocols.

SATIVITRO bioproduction platform (brief):Bioproduction platforms such as SATIVITRO aim to produce target molecules in controlled bioreactors using cell cultures or engineered microorganisms. This approach can deliver higher purity and consistency than plant extraction, but it requires robust upstream cultivation, downstream purification and regulatory pathways suited to pharmaceutical-grade material.

AI for immuno-inflammatory disease (brief):Applying AI in immunology typically means using machine learning to analyse large datasets such as omics data, patient records or high content screening to prioritise drug targets, stratify patients or predict responses. The value depends on the quality and relevance of training data and the clinical validation of model outputs.

Nanotechnology in wound care (brief):Nanoparticle-based wound dressings can provide antimicrobial activity, controlled release of actives or enhanced tissue interactions. Regulatory and safety testing for new nanomaterials in medical devices is more demanding than for ordinary dressings and firms need to show both efficacy and biocompatibility.

Variable angle endoscopy (brief):Variable angle endoscopes allow surgeons to change viewing angles without swapping instruments. This can improve visualization in confined anatomical spaces, potentially reducing procedure time and improving outcomes. Adoption requires convincing clinical studies and training for surgeons.