Winners of the EU Prize for Women Innovators 2021

At the European Innovation Council Summit in Brussels, the European Commission announced the winners of this year's EU Prize for Women Innovators. The prize is awarded to the most talented women entrepreneurs from across the EU and Horizon Europe partner countries who have founded a successful company and brought innovation to the market. The award is funded by Horizon Europe and managed by the Executive Agency for the European Innovation Council and SMEs (Eismea).

The winners, chosen by a jury of independent experts, are:

• Merel Boers from the Netherlands: co-founder and CEO of NICO-LAB, a company that offers cutting-edge technology to help doctors improve emergency care.
• Mathilde Jakobsen from Denmark: Co-founder and CEO of Land, a digital platform that shortens and digitises the food supply chain, facilitating access to good quality food.
• Daphne Haim Langford from Israel: Founder and CEO of Tarsier Pharma, a company developing revolutionary medical solutions for the treatment and cure of autoimmune and inflammatory eye diseases.

Each winner will receive a cash prize of 100.000€.

In addition, the "Emerging Innovator 2021" award, given to innovators under the age of 30, has been awarded to Ailbhe and Isabel Keane from Ireland, founders of Izzy Wheels. Their company creates designer wheelchair hubcaps. Ailbhe and Isabel Keane will receive a cash prize of 50.000€.

Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for a Digital Europe, said: "Today's prize goes to three amazing women who are using technologies to bring positive change to the world we live in. It shows the extent to which innovation is the answer to the most pressing challenges of our future. It also sends a clear signal that we need more women in the technology sector - congratulations to the winners.

Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: "It is a great privilege to award this prize to such exceptional innovators. This year's winners represent the hope of changing the face of innovation and paving the way for more women entrepreneurs in the future".

Context

Achieving an Equality Union that promotes gender equality in all areas of life is one of the Commission's top priorities. The Commission is working with Member States and Horizon Europe partner countries to overcome the barriers faced by women entrepreneurs and to promote the creation of fair, inclusive and thriving innovation ecosystems in Europe.

The EU Prize for Women Innovators, first launched in 2011, honours women entrepreneurs behind ground-breaking innovations. In doing so, the EU aims to raise awareness of the need to increase the presence of women innovators and to create role models for women and girls around the world.