Innovation of the Year Award to Highlight Groundbreaking Startups at VivaTech 2025
The Innovation of the Year Award is set to recognize the most audacious and inventive startups participating in VivaTech 2025. This prestigious accolade, open to all exhibiting firms, aims to honor companies that are boldly navigating new frontiers and transforming industries.
Award Criteria and Selection Process
Competing startups were evaluated based on three key criteria: Innovation & Creativity, Market Disruption, and Scalability. From a pool of hundreds of applicants, a select group of 30 innovative companies was shortlisted.
The top five finalists will have the opportunity to present their ideas live at VivaTech on June 11, with the overall winner announced during the VivaTech Global Awards Ceremony scheduled for June 12. The victorious startup will receive a coveted prize package, which includes a pitching opportunity at the awards ceremony, a complimentary Startup Corner at VivaTech 2026, and a prestigious spot in the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200. This award not only celebrates innovative ideas but also the dedicated teams that are making transformative visions a reality.
A Showcase of Revolutionary Ideas
This year’s applicants showcased an impressive array of groundbreaking concepts. Notable innovations include self-driving guide dogs crafted from transformed glasses, photonic chips that promise to revolutionize computing, and technologies that convert mining waste into effective carbon sinks. Other remarkable entries feature microrobot swarms aimed at space exploration, an artificial intelligence capable of interpreting thoughts to operate devices, and bioelectronic implants designed to combat brain cancer.
These pioneering startups are advancing the fields of science, design, and engineering, particularly in critical areas such as sustainability, human-machine interaction, advanced diagnostic tools, and accessible healthcare. The boldness and ambition demonstrated by these teams are evident, as they not only address existing challenges but also shape the future landscape of technology. Selecting just five finalists—let alone one winner—presents a formidable task, given the exceptional caliber of all 30 shortlisted startups.
Celebrating the Top 30 Startups at VivaTech 2025
The following startups have been recognized as the top 30 applicants by VivaTech, in collaboration with TechCrunch:
- Chipiron (France, Health)
- Virtuosis AI (Switzerland, Information Technologies)
- Enerdrape SA (Switzerland, Energy)
- snap DISCOVERY (Germany, Deep Tech, Brain-Computer Interface)
- NunoX Technologies (Taiwan, Software Development/Cloud Services)
- Phigi (France, Industry)
- Noxon (Germany, Health)
- .lumen (Romania, Mobility/Transportation)
- HUA TEC International (Taiwan, Health)
- Video Analytics for Safety (Singapore, Information Technologies)
- Geolinks Services (France, Energy)
- Moonlite Labs (Canada, Media/Entertainment/Culture)
- Stellaria (France, Energy)
- Mendo (France, Software Development/Cloud Services)
- NeuralTeks (France, Health)
- Vita325 (Ukraine, Health)
- Blue Skies Minerals GmbH (Canada, Industry)
- Anivance AI (Taiwan, Health)
- La Touche Musicale (France, Media/Entertainment/Culture)
- InSimili (Italy, Health)
- Nellow (France, Information Technologies)
- Oncoelectronics (France, Health)
- Zeeh Africa (Nigeria, Banking/Finance/Insurance/Legal)
- LumiSync (France, Telecom/Connectivity)
- Onkos Molecular Diagnostics (Spain, Health)
- Wisp Solutions (France, Mobility/Transportation)
- Werover (United Kingdom, Energy)
- BeyondMath (United Kingdom, Information Technologies)
- Kumulus (France, Industry)
- FireTracking (New Caledonia, Software Development/Cloud Services)
For those planning to attend, ensure to secure your VivaTech pass for July 11-12 to witness the cutting-edge innovations shaping the future of technology.
