18 Women Are in the Running for the 2026 European Prize for Women Innovators

The European Commission has announced the semi-finalists for the 2026 European Prize for Women Innovators, recognising outstanding women entrepreneurs who are driving innovation across Europe.

Selected by an independent jury of innovation experts, the semi-finalists reflect the diversity and strength of Europe’s innovation ecosystem, addressing major societal and economic challenges. The winners will be announced at the European Innovation Council Summit in June 2026.

A Prize Jointly Presented by the EIT and the EIC

The European Prize for Women Innovators is a flagship Horizon Europe initiative supporting the European Innovation Agenda’s objective of strengthening inclusiveness and excellence in innovation. The prize is jointly presented by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and the European Innovation Council (EIC).

The competition includes three categories: the EIC Women Innovators Prize, open to women entrepreneurs who have founded a successful company in an EU Member State or an Associated Country; the EIC Rising Innovators Prize, for outstanding innovators under 35; and the EIT Women Leadership Prize, recognising exceptional women from the EIT Community.

By joining forces, the EIT and the EIC are expanding the visibility of women innovators across Europe, increasing opportunities and showcasing a broader range of role models.

Beyond recognition, the prize aims to inspire the next generation of women to turn innovative ideas into market-ready solutions.

Meet Our Semi-Finalists

In the Rising Innovators category: 

• Carin Lightner (Switzerland), co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Enantios, is modernising how new medicines are developed by introducing faster and more precise ways to analyse complex molecules. Her company is helping pharmaceutical firms cut costs, speed up development and bring safer drugs to market.
• Maria Majellaro (Italy), co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of Celtarys, is simplifying drug discovery with a platform that replaces slow and hazardous techniques with safer, faster alternatives. Her work is gaining attention from major pharmaceutical players while also championing women and young talent in science.
• Dominique Cirkel (the Netherlands), co-founder of Spheer, has made environmental monitoring easier and more accessible through a digital platform that turns satellite data into clear, practical maps. Her solution helps policymakers and planners better track biodiversity and respond to environmental change.
• Judit Giró Benet (Spain), founder of The Blue Box, is tackling gaps in breast cancer screening with a simple urine-based test designed to catch cases that traditional screenings often miss. Her approach aims to improve early detection, particularly for women underserved by current methods.
• Marta Oliveira (Belgium), co-founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of ATMOS Space Cargo, is helping reshape the space economy with reusable capsules that bring materials safely back to Earth. The technology opens new opportunities for research and innovation carried out in orbit.
• Montserrat Vilarrubí Porta (Spain), co-founder and COO of UniSCool, is addressing one of tech’s biggest challenges: overheating electronics. Her company’s cooling solution boosts performance while using less energy, supporting the next generation of computing and clean technologies.

In the Women Innovators category: 

• Judit Camargo Sanromà (Spain), founder and CEO of Roka Furadada, is addressing the rise in skin cancer while reducing the environmental impact of sun protection products. Her company has developed eco-friendly cosmetic ingredients that deliver stronger UV protection without harming marine ecosystems.
• Sónia Ferreira (Portugal), founder of BestHealth4U (BH4U), is developing skin-interacting medical technologies that improve patient safety and comfort. Her company’s flagship product is a bio-based medical adhesive designed to replace conventional glues that often cause skin irritation, particularly in long-term or sensitive care treatments.
• Elena Heber (Germany), co-founder and Managing Director of HelloBetter, is expanding access to mental health care through digital therapies. Under her leadership, the company delivers clinically validated online treatments and is developing new artificial intelligence (AI)-supported tools to help patients manage mental health challenges.
• Hanne Callewaert (Belgium), co-founder and CEO of AstriVax Therapeutics, is advancing next-generation vaccine solutions. Her company is working on technologies that aim to make vaccines more effective, affordable and accessible for both prevention and treatment. 
• Katerina Spranger (Moldova/UK), founder and CEO of Oxford Heartbeat, is using AI to make complex surgeries safer. Her company’s technology supports doctors in treating brain aneurysms more accurately, reducing risks for patients and healthcare systems alike.
• Susana Sanchez (Spain), CSO and co-founder of Moa Food Tech, is turning food by-products into sustainable ingredients. Her work helps reduce waste while creating new solutions for the food industry, supporting a more circular and resilient food system.

In the EIT Women Leadership category:

• Ella Frances Cullen (Portugal), co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Minespider, is pioneering digital traceability of products across supply chains. Her company's blockchain and AI platform provides digital product and battery passports for supply chain traceability, increasing transparency, sustainability, and compliance.
• Madeleine Gielens (Netherlands), founder of MaGie Creations, is harnessing agrifood industry by-products to create useful ingredients. Her company develops and produces a natural emulsifier made entirely from brewer's spent grains, with a wide range of practical applications and higher nutritional value than other more costly alternatives. 
• Neide Vieira (Portugal), co-founder and COO of IPLEXMED, is accelerating the diagnosis of infectious diseases through the use of graphene-based biosensors. Her company has created a portable, rapid, and connected diagnostic platform that delivers lab-grade results by harnessing the superior electronic properties of graphene biosensors. 
• Sorina Uleia (Romania), founder and CEO of Recycllux, is restoring marine ecosystems while enabling companies and coastal authorities to demonstrate verifiable, climate-smart impact. Her company provides an integrated AI-driven system that transforms satellite observations into proactive, community-led cleanup missions.
• Stefania Raimondo (Italy), co-founder of Navhetec, is advancing plant-based nanomedicine by extracting particles with biomedical potential from citrus juice. Her company has developed and patented a method that allows the extraction and use of these particles to formulate health products with superior efficacy and novel functionalities.
• Tali Feldman Sivan (Israel), co-founder of Meala FoodTech, is redefining the plant-based protein landscape by developing proprietary, clean-label functional proteins in plant-based meats and eggs. Her company's innovations deliver simpler ingredient lists, stable supply chains, reduced costs, and healthier, more sustainable foods.

Background

Launched in 2011, the European Prize for Women Innovators recognises outstanding women entrepreneurs and promotes gender equality in the innovation landscape. Over the years, the prize has featured hundreds of innovators whose work is delivering lasting economic and societal impact, while inspiring women and girls to pursue leadership roles in innovation.

Learn more about the previous winners and their inspiring projects