Innovative minds show courage: Grand Finale of the INNOVA Europe competition in Berlin!

Innovative minds show courage: Grand Finale of the INNOVA Europe competition in Berlin!

On September 9, 2025, the grand finale of the INNOVA Europe competition took place at ESMT in Berlin. Organized by renowned institutions such as EDHEC Business School, POLIMI Graduate School of Management and ESMT, the competition aimed to promote innovative and sustainable projects. Participants from eleven leading European business schools competed to develop solutions to current challenges in areas such as environmental transformation, empowerment and healthy living.

The INNOVA Europe competition, which has been steadily growing in importance since its inception in 2022, offers young entrepreneurs the opportunity to present their ideas to an expert audience. The competition was divided into two categories: “Young Hopes” for startups in the idea phase and “Rising Stars” for already established startups. The evaluation criteria were clearly defined, with particular focus in the “Young Hopes” category on vision, problem-solving skills and uniqueness of the value proposition.

The winners of the competition

The AcouBatt team from the London Business School won in the “Rising Stars” category. Led by Arthur Fordham and Chris Haoxin Xu, the startup received a prize of 20,000 euros and a year of free incubation services. AcouBatt relies on acoustic sensors and machine learning to optimize the battery production process.

The “Young Hopes” category was won by Hovanka, a team from the Kyiv School of Economics. CEO Kris Nadiryan led the team that innovated with its Mindset Architect app for personalized, adaptive mental health support. Hovanka received prize money of 5,000 euros to support the project.

Support for startups

The INNOVA Europe competition is not only a platform for ideas, but also offers comprehensive support for young entrepreneurs. As part of the INNOVA Europe bootcamp in India, startups received valuable tools and insights to drive their business growth. Training topics such as strategic partnerships, achieving product-market fit and effective storytelling were covered. In a pitch competition, 13 were selected from 60 applications, with Shunya Fodder And Forage Agritech Private Limited emerging as the winner and will represent India at the Grand Finale in Berlin.

Startup competitions like INNOVA Europe are particularly supportive in Germany. Annual prize money totals two to three million euros. These competitions provide both monetary support as well as access to workshops, mentoring and networking opportunities. The valuable media attention that comes from winning an award can be crucial for startups to attract investors and customers.

INNOVA Europe aims to support young innovators in implementing the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals, thereby contributing to creating a more sustainable future.

For more information about the initiatives and competition results, visit ESMT, SPJIMR and For founders.