EIT announces finalists for 2025 EIT Innovation Awards

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology has announced the nine finalists for the EIT Innovation Awards. The EIT Awards spotlight the achievements of EIT-supported innovators, changemakers and entrepreneurs across Europe addressing global challenges in climate, energy, digitalisation, food, health, manufacturing, urban mobility, culture and creativity, and raw materials. The finalists will compete for the top prize on 25 November in Budapest at the EIT Innovation Awards event.

The finalists for the EIT Awards in four categories are the following:

EIT Changemaker Award: recognising standout leaders and role models whose impactful activities have the power to create significant social impact:

• Farnaz Baksh (Estonia), nominated by EIT Manufacturing, for developing the open-source Robot Study Companion to support students emotionally and academically.
• Laura Laringe (Germany), nominated by InnoEnergy, for co-founding reLi Energy, which improves battery performance and lifespan through smart software.
• Laurie Lancee (Netherlands), nominated by EIT Food, for founding AtVenture Platform, which trains and supports new angel investors and connects them with underrepresented founders to help close gender funding gaps.

EIT Innovation Team Award: spotlighting diverse groups from across the education, research, and business fields pioneering a transformative product or service.

• AI Automated Industrial Analytics (Italy), nominated by EIT Manufacturing, for creating a human-centric AI platform that supports early issue detection and data-driven decisions on the factory floor.
• BRIGHT Project Innovation Team (Estonia), nominated by EIT Health, for developing a personalised, risk-based breast cancer prevention and screening approach using genetic testing.
• VoiceMed (Italy), nominated by 28Digital (formerly EIT Digital), for software that analyses voice or breath recordings to detect abnormal vocal biomarkers within seconds.

EIT Venture Award: acknowledging emerging startups within the EIT Community demonstrating exceptional promise and growth potential.

• ABLE Human Motion (Spain), nominated by EIT Health, for developing accessible, affordable motorised exoskeletons that support mobility and gait rehabilitation.
• Digiclean Solutions AB (Sweden), nominated by EIT Manufacturing, for smart sensor technology that reduces chemical use and stabilises industrial fluid systems.
• Sofi Alchemist (Finland), nominated by EIT RawMaterials, for technology that recovers ultrafine mineral concentrate from process waters to increase output at mineral-processing plants.

The fourth category is the EIT Public Award with one winner. It is a recognition prize decided entirely by public vote.

Finalists in each of the three main prize categories will compete for the top spot on the podium and the following monetary prizes:

• First place: €50,000
• Second place: €30,000
• Third place: €20,000.

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