Narrowing down the 30 most visionary startups of the year to just five finalists was no easy feat. VivaTech’s Innovation of the Year attracted an extraordinary pool of applicants—startups tackling massive global challenges with bold, technically sophisticated, and scalable solutions. From redefining human-machine interaction to revolutionizing healthcare, climate, and infrastructure, each company brought something unique to the table. The selection process was intense, and every startup that made it to the top 30 should be incredibly proud of what they’ve built.
VivaTech Innovation of the Year is debuting this year to celebrate and spotlight the trailblazing startups that are reshaping the future. This prestigious award is open to all exhibiting startups at VivaTech 2025 and recognizes one startup that has demonstrated exceptional creativity, technological ingenuity, and the potential to transform its industry.
Now, we’re excited to reveal the five finalists who will take the stage live at VivaTech 2025:
: the world’s first generative physics platform, replacing slow, expensive simulations with real-time, AI-powered physics. Engineers can run 1000x faster simulations, test thousands of designs instantly, and cut time, cost, and complexity.
: building the first light, low-cost MRI using ultra-low magnetic fields without sacrificing image quality. Their goal: make MRI 100x more accessible and enable early, large-scale screening—like a blood test for everyone.
: offers the world’s first non-invasive geothermal panels that transform underground spaces—like car parks and tunnels—into renewable heating and cooling sources, enabling fast, low-carbon retrofits without drilling in dense urban environments.
: an automated microfluidic platform integrating a nanostructured semiconductor biochip, multiplex fluorescence staining, and AI analysis to precisely capture, identify, and analyze rare circulating cells for cancer diagnostics.
: data centers to synchronize their data flow at the speed of light with the world’s 1st 100% photonic oscillator to reduce their latency and energy consumption by 1000x.
These standout companies will pitch their solutions during the on , live on the . Each pitch will be followed by a Q&A session with a panel of expert judges including TechCrunch’s own Jeff Taylor, Jaja Liao of 25madison, Shabir Vasram of Daphni and Howard Wright of NVIDIA.
The winner of Innovation of the Year 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 spotlight the four other VivaTech Awards and announce the winners of each.
Stay tuned—we can’t wait to see these groundbreaking founders take the spotlight.
