Well, partner, the Innovation of the Year Award at VivaTech 2025 is a-hoofin’ to celebrate the boldest and most visionary young guns in the startup rodeo. Open to all the tech trailblazers struttin' their stuff at the show, this here award tips its hat to those who ain't afraid to push the boundaries and stir up the dust in their respective industries. Them startups were judged on Innovation & Creativity, Market Disruption, and Scalability. Outta hundreds of applicants, 30 of ‘em made the cut.
The Final Showdown
On June 11, the top five contenders will step into the ring to pitch live at VivaTech, and come June 12, the victorious cowboy or cowgirl will be crowned at the VivaTech Global Awards Ceremony. What's at stake, you ask? Well, the winner gets a spot to pitch at the ceremony, a free Startup Corner at VivaTech 2026, and a prized spot in the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200. This award ain't just about good ideas; it’s about them fine folks turnin' bold visions into game-changin' realities.
Trailblazers of 2025
This year's applicants sure knocked our boots off. Imagine turnin' spectacles into self-drivin’ guide dogs, or buildin’ photonic chips that could alter the course of computing, and even transformin' mine waste into carbon sinks. This here shortlist is chock-full of innovative reckonin's with real stakes in the world. We laid our eyes on microrobot swarms for space explorin’, AI that reads your mind to steer gadgets, and bioelectronic implants fightin’ brain cancer.
The Wild Frontier
These startups are breakin’ new ground in science, design, and engineerin’, especially in fields like sustainability, human-machine couplings, advanced diagnostics, and makin’ healthcare more within reach. What struck us most was their sheer boldness. These teams ain't just fixin' troubles—they’re buildin’ the future right from the get-go. Choosin’ five finalists—or a lone victor—will be a task corset-tight tough. Each and every startup in this top 30 has already earned serious rights to boast.
Meet the Mavericks
Here are the VivaTech 2025 Innovation of the Year Award top 30 trailblazers, as picked by VivaTech in cahoots with TechCrunch:
Chipiron: France, health Virtuosis AI: Switzerland, info tech Enerdrape SA: Switzerland, energy snap DISCOVERY: Germany, deep tech, BCI NunoX Technologies: Taiwan, software/cloud services Phigi: France, industry Noxon: Germany, health .lumen: Romania, mobility/transportation HUA TEC International: Taiwan, health Video Analytics for Safety: Singapore, info tech Geolinks Services: France, energy Moonlite Labs: Canada, media/entertainment/culture Stellaria: France, energy Mendo: France, software/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, info tech 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, info tech Kumulus: France, industry FireTracking: New Caledonia, software/cloud services
If y’are plannin’ on moseying over to Paris come July 11-12, saddle up and make sure you get ahold of your VivaTech pass today!