The annual Female Innovation Forum, held on February 19th at the BMW Group Brand Experience Center, brought together over 260 women and a handful of men for a day of inspiration, collaboration, and recognition. The forum kicked off with a series of inspirational keynotes, setting the tone for a day filled with knowledge-sharing and empowerment. Attendees participated in five impulse workshops, providing five promising startups with the opportunity to collect ideas and insights to address their current business challenges head-on. A key aspect of the event is the networking which allowed for connecting with like-minded professionals, potential mentors, and investors.
The highlight of the event was the awards ceremony, recognizing outstanding achievements in various categories. The coveted "Female Innovator of the Year" award went to Nicole Kleger, co-founder of Sallea, an ETH spinoff developing edible scaffolds for cultivating highly structured meat products. This award goes to a founder, whose innovation has the potential to sustainably strengthen the Swiss economy through job creation and creating competition. Sallea has already manufactured and tested the first scaffolds and is now raising funding to scale the business and expand the team.
Margaux Peltier, co-founder and CEO of Enerdrape received the "Recognition Award," which recognizes a founder’s contribution to sustainability. The EPFL spinoff developed the world's first modular, prefabricated geothermal panel technology, allowing for the conversion of underground infrastructures into renewable heating and cooling sources without the need for drilling. The company’s solutions are already deployed by customers across Switzerland.
Four additional awards were presented in partnership with leading organizations.
- Olga Miler, founder of Smartpurse, was recognized with the Digital Innovation Award for her financial platform that aims to empower women through financial literacy and tools.
- Sara Taubman-Hildebrand's children's app, Tara and Pips, earned her the Social Innovation Award from Kanton Zurich. This educational app aims to help children overcome their fear of hospitals through empowerment stories.
- Lisa Stähli's Hello 50:50 World initiative was honoured with the Diversity and Inclusion Award by Siemens for promoting gender equality by providing an inclusive space of learning and exchange on the topic of diversity in tech.
- Ramona Schwarz, founder of Rayne Care, was celebrated for her Swiss-made menstrual disc, a comfortable feminine hygiene product made from medical-grade silicon. She took home the Design Award.
(RAN)