Selecting just five finalists from the 30 most innovative startups of the year was a formidable task. The Innovation of the Year at VivaTech welcomed a captivating array of applications, showcasing startups addressing critical global issues with bold, advanced, and scalable solutions. From transforming healthcare and climate to reinventing human-machine interactions and infrastructure, each of these companies offered something distinct. The selection process was meticulous, and every startup in the top 30 should feel immense pride in their achievements.
This year marks the inaugural VivaTech Innovation of the Year, initiated to acknowledge and spotlight groundbreaking startups that are shaping the future. This esteemed award is open to all exhibiting startups at VivaTech 2025, identifying one startup that has exhibited remarkable creativity, technological progress, and the potential to transform its industry.
We are thrilled to unveil the five finalists who will present live at VivaTech 2025:
: the world’s first generative physics platform, replacing slow, costly simulations with real-time, AI-driven physics. Engineers can conduct simulations 1000 times faster, assess thousands of designs instantly, and reduce time, costs, and complexity.
: pioneering the first lightweight, affordable MRI that uses ultra-low magnetic fields without sacrificing image quality. Their mission is to make MRI scans 100 times more accessible, enabling extensive early screenings akin to a blood test.
: introduces the globe’s first non-invasive geothermal panels that transform underground spaces—like parking lots and tunnels—into renewable heating and cooling sources, facilitating quick, low-carbon retrofits without drilling in densely populated urban areas.
: presents an automated microfluidic platform that integrates a nanostructured semiconductor biochip, multiplex fluorescence staining, and AI analysis for meticulously capturing, identifying, and analyzing rare circulating cells used in cancer diagnostics.
: revolutionizes data centers by enabling them to synchronize data flows at light speed using the world’s first 100% photonic oscillator, significantly reducing latency and energy consumption by 1000 times.
These outstanding companies will showcase their innovations during the on , live on the . Each presentation will be succeeded by a Q&A session with a panel of expert judges, including Jeff Taylor from TechCrunch, Jaja Liao of 25madison, Shabir Vasram of Daphni, and Howard Wright of NVIDIA.
The winner of the Innovation of the Year will be revealed the following day at the VivaTech Global Awards Ceremony on Thursday, June 12th at 5:45 PM on Stage 1. Beyond the accolade, the victorious startup will also earn a complimentary Startup Corner at VivaTech 2026 and a sought-after spot in the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200.
The Ceremony will also include the other four VivaTech Awards, announcing each of their respective winners.
Stay tuned—we are eager to witness these innovative founders shine on stage.
