The startups that won the EIT Jumpstarter accelerator program, established by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), headquartered in Budapest and established to strengthen the European Union’s (EU) innovation ecosystem, were recognized at a ceremony.

The Institute held the EIT Innovation Awards 2025 at the Budapest Congress Center. At the EIT Jumpstarter Grand Finale held as part of the event, 21 startups were awarded prestigious awards and a total of €132,500 in early-stage funding. Three teams from Turkey won the Grand Final: Polium Scientific won first place in the “Food and Agricultural Technologies” category, Beaver Nexus won second place in the “Energy and Renewable Resources” category, and Chitolastic took third place in the “Raw Materials” category.

At the Grand Finale of the EIT Jumpstarter program, which aims to transform scientific results into viable businesses and strengthen the innovation ecosystem in Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe, 42 teams, selected from 908 applications from over 20 countries, competed for a total prize of €132,500. Representatives from 17 countries made it to the finals, where applicants presented their projects in live presentations across seven different categories. Three winners were selected in each category, and the category winners received a €10,000 prize.

At the event, Ukrainian women who continue to support innovation in war-affected countries were also recognized as part of the EIT Red Kalyna program. The EIT Awards recognize innovative businesses within the EIT ecosystem, while select members and teams of the EIT community were supported in their international expansion through EIT Jumpstarter Next.

Kristina Lovrek, RIS Project Coordinator: “This year’s finalists have the potential to make a real impact in their sectors.”

Kristina Lovrek, Project Coordinator of the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS), stated that it is inspiring to see the EIT Jumpstarter program attract stronger and more innovative ideas every year. “This year’s finalists have demonstrated that they have the potential to make a real impact in their sectors. We are proud to support them on their journey from early-stage concepts to scalable solutions. We admire their passion and hard work. I am confident that they will shape the future of innovation in Europe with their work.”

Since 2017, the EIT Jumpstarter program has helped create 140 startups, trained more than 1,200 participants, created more than 2,000 new jobs, and attracted approximately €150 million in foreign investment.

This year’s EIT Jumpstarter winners are as follows:

• Healthcare: MYLeukaemia, Runners-Up: Prospect Biotech, CheMOnitor
• Food and Agricultural Technologies: Polium Scientific, Runners-Up: BOREAL CACAO Ltd, AquaBoostNano
• Energy and Renewable Resources: RenU Fuel Solutions, Runners-Up: Beaver Nexus, ARKai
• New European Design Initiative: MycoNest, Runners-Up: Groundwork, Virtual Sound Media
• Raw Material: ProSpec, Runners-Up: OPS Technologies, Chitolastic
• Rebuilding Ukraine: Mindship, Runners-Up: VR Revive, OMG Tetra
• Smart Cities and Mobility: SmartRoads, Runners-Up: BridgeAID, SignalWings
• Western Balkans Special Award: AquaBoostNano
• Mediterranean Member States Special Award: RenU Fuel Solutions
• Remote Regions (OMR) Special Award: MYLeukaemia

Special awards: It was awarded to the best projects from the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo), the Mediterranean Member States (Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Spain, Turkey, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania) and the Remote Regions (OMR: France: Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion, Martinique, Mayotte, Saint-Martin; Portugal: Azores, Madeira; Spain: Canary Islands).