Selecting the top five finalists from the 30 most visionary startups of the year was a challenging task. The VivaTech Innovation of the Year award attracted a remarkable pool of applicants, with startups tackling significant global challenges through innovative, technically advanced, and scalable solutions. Each company presented a unique approach, ranging from revolutionizing human-machine interaction to transforming healthcare, climate, and infrastructure. The selection process was rigorous, and every startup that made it to the top 30 should be commended for their achievements.

The VivaTech Innovation of the Year award is being introduced this year to recognize and celebrate trailblazing startups that are reshaping the future. This prestigious award is open to all exhibiting startups at VivaTech 2025 and acknowledges one startup that has demonstrated exceptional creativity, technological ingenuity, and the potential to transform its industry.

We are excited to announce the five finalists who will present their solutions live at VivaTech 2025:

BeyondMath: the world’s first generative physics platform, which replaces slow and expensive simulations with real-time, AI-powered physics. This enables engineers to run simulations 1000 times faster, test thousands of designs instantly, and reduce time, cost, and complexity.

Chipiron: a company developing the first lightweight, low-cost MRI using ultra-low magnetic fields without compromising image quality. Their goal is to make MRI 100 times more accessible and enable large-scale, early screening – similar to a blood test for everyone.

Enerdrape: offers the world’s first non-invasive geothermal panels that convert underground spaces, such as car parks and tunnels, into renewable heating and cooling sources. This enables fast, low-carbon retrofits without drilling in dense urban environments.

Hua Tech International: an automated microfluidic platform that integrates a nanostructured semiconductor biochip, multiplex fluorescence staining, and AI analysis to precisely capture, identify, and analyze rare circulating cells for cancer diagnostics.

Lumisync: a company that helps data centers synchronize their data flow at the speed of light using the world’s first 100% photonic oscillator, reducing latency and energy consumption by 1000 times.

These outstanding companies will present their solutions during the Final of the VivaTech Innovation of the Year on Wednesday, June 11th at 1:35 PM, live on the Pitch Studio Stage. Each presentation will be followed by a Q&A session with a panel of expert judges, including TechCrunch’s Jeff Taylor, Jaja Liao of 25madison, Shabir Vasram of Daphni, and Howard Wright of NVIDIA.

The winner of the Innovation of the Year award will be announced the following day at the VivaTech Global Awards Ceremony on Thursday, June 12th at 5:45 PM on Stage 1. In addition to the title, the winning startup will receive a free Startup Corner at VivaTech 2026 and a coveted spot in the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200.

The Ceremony will also highlight the four other VivaTech Awards and announce the winners of each.

• The Female Founder Challenge, which celebrates women leading innovative startups that drive disruptive technologies shaping the future.
• The Africatech Awards, a pan-African initiative recognizing and supporting startups that make a positive impact in areas like GreenTech, HealthTech, and E-commerce/FinTech.
• The Next Startupper Challenge, an inter-school and university award for the new generation of entrepreneurs working on impactful projects.
• The Tech For Change Award, launched alongside VivaTech Innovation of the Year, recognizing startups that place positive impact at the heart of their business model.

Stay tuned – we look forward to seeing these groundbreaking founders take the spotlight.