Not long ago the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) held one of its flagship events in Budapest, Hungary, celebrating Europe’s most talented innovators of the year. Among this year’s winners at EIT Innovation Awards were three Ukrainian startups participating in the EIT Jumpstarter program, as well as ten Ukrainian female leaders honoured with the annual EIT Red Kalyna Award.
Ukrainian Startups Among the EIT Jumpstarter Winners
The ceremony featured the Grand Finale of the EIT Jumpstarter programme, designed to transform scientific results into viable businesses and strengthen the innovation ecosystem in Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe. 42 teams selected from 908 applicants from over 22 countries competed for a total prize pool of 132 500 euros. In the Grand Finale, 21 participants received awards across seven key categories, including three Ukrainian teams:
The Ukrainian startups presented solutions in the fields of mental health, medical rehabilitation, and grant support for businesses and NGOs — demonstrating that the country’s innovation ecosystem continues to develop despite the war.
“It’s inspiring to see how each year the programme attracts even stronger and more innovative ideas. This year’s finalists have shown great potential to make a real impact in their industries, and we are proud to support their journey from early-stage concepts to scalable solutions. Their passion and hard work are truly commendable, and I’m confident they will shape the future of innovation in Europe,” said Kristina Lovrek, Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) Project Coordinator.
Since 2017, the EIT Jumpstarter programme has helped create 140 start-ups, trained more than 1200 participants, created over 2000 new jobs, and attracted approximately €150 million in external investment.
Ukrainian Women Honoured with the EIT Red Kalyna 2025 Awards
A dedicated part of the ceremony celebrated the annual EIT Red Kalyna Award, which honours Ukrainian women driving innovation and resilience amid the ongoing war. Now in its third year, the award highlights a rapidly growing community of female leaders shaping Ukraine’s future across technology, science, design, governance and social impact. This year’s awardees included Inna Poliakova, Ruslana Dovzhyk, Oksana Kikhtenko, Aleksandra Boguslavskaya, Kateryna Ryabiko, Olena Dovgopolova, Anna Chorna, Anastasia Sleptsova, Olga Veselovska, Anastasiia Dmytriv.
About EIT
The European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) strengthens Europe’s ability to innovate by powering solutions to pressing global challenges and by nurturing entrepreneurial talent to create sustainable growth and skilled jobs in Europe. The EIT is an EU body and an integral part of Horizon Europe, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.
The Institute supports dynamic pan-European partnerships, EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs), among leading companies, research labs and universities. These KICs are dedicated to driving systemic change in Europe and beyond, focusing on key areas such as climate change, energy, health, food, manufacturing, raw materials, digitalization, urban mobility, and culture and creativity.
Together with their leading partners, the EIT Community offers a wide range of innovation and entrepreneurship activities across Europe: entrepreneurial education courses, business creation and acceleration services and innovation driven research projects.
Not long ago the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) held one of its flagship events in Budapest, Hungary, celebrating Europe’s most talented innovators of the year. Among this year’s winners at EIT Innovation Awards were three Ukrainian startups participating in the EIT Jumpstarter program, as well as ten Ukrainian female leaders honoured with […]
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