Zymvol wins the Innovation Radar Prize 2023
Zymvol, a pioneering green chemistry startup that harnesses the power of enzymes to speed up industrial processes, founded and led by Portuguese entrepreneur Maria Fátima Lucas, won the Innovation Radar Prize. The initiative, organized by the European Commission and Dealflow.eu culminates this year for the first time, with the Innovation Radar Summit event. The Summit rewards high-potential innovations and entrepreneurs within the scope of research and innovation projects funded by the European Union (EU), subsequently exposing them to an influential community of European investors.
Zymvol develops and optimizes enzymes through computer simulations for industries such as food, animal feed, personal care and pharmaceuticals. “I’m very happy to receive this award, especially because the Summit took place here in Lisbon and because this innovation award is highly recognized at the European level” says Maria Fátima Lucas, the company’s founder and CEO. The entrepreneur adds that the event is important for her startup: “We’ve already proven our technology, we know it works. Now we want to make sure that the computational model we’ve developed allows us to expand the technology to any company anywhere in the world. This event provided a valuable opportunity to engage with intriguing investors and foster meaningful connections.”
The initiative also rewarded the best and most innovative startups funded by the European Union (EU). Carbon Waters, a French startup, won the Sustainability Tech award. The Italian InSilicoTrials technologies was recognized as the most innovative companies in the field of AI & Smart Devices. The Spanish mjn was also awarded as the best company in the category Female-Led innovation. Finally, the Swiss company Pharmista, which develops reusable pregnancy tests, received the People Choice award.
Eoghan O’Neill, Senior Policy Officer at the European Commission’s DG Connect, highlights that the European Union is home to the world’s largest public funded research and innovation programme – Horizon Europe, making it a rich source of tech- and science-driven investment opportunities. As Eoghan O’Neill points out, “Discovery is key and the Innovation Radar uncovers cutting-edge EU-funded innovators, in particular those who have market ambition ‘beyond the lab’. Investors often hold the key to unlock such market potential and, with over 100 investors attending the inaugural Innovation Radar Summit, the word is getting out. There is clear growing awareness of these great investment opportunities and tools that facilitate their discovery.”
Thijs Povel, Managing Partner of Dealflow.eu, gives a positive assessment of the first edition of the Innovation Radar Summit. “It was the first time we have combined the Innovation Radar Prize with panels and keynote in a physical event and we’re very happy with the turnout. Apart from the impressive caliber of participants, including both entrepreneurs and investors, the event also fostered significant discussions on pivotal topics such as the Digital Markets Act, funding dynamics within the European startup ecosystem, and the broader landscape of innovation in Europe.”
The event, which preceded the start of another edition of the Web Summit, was organized by the European Commission and Dealflow.eu, in partnership with Eura AG, Dealroom.co, the European Startup Nations Alliance (ESNA), Startup Lisboa and Microsoft, welcomed more than 200 participants, including startups and national and international investors.
More about the Innovation Radar
The Innovation Radar is a European Commission initiative to identify high potential innovations and innovators in EU-funded research and innovation projects. Its goal is to allow every citizen, public official, professional and businessperson to discover the outputs of EU innovation funding and give them a chance to seek out innovators who could follow in the footsteps of companies such as Skype, TomTom, ARM Holdings, all of whom received EU funding in their early days.
To learn more about the Innovation Radar, visit https://www.innoradar.eu/
More about Dealflow.eu
Supported by the European Commission, Dealflow.eu discovers and supports the most promising EU-funded startups and connects them with relevant investors and corporates. The initiative was launched to help groundbreaking innovations secure the funding needed for their future commercialisation by offering them tailored support and matchmaking services.
To learn more about Dealflow.eu, visit https://dealflow.eu
