The 3 winners of the first EIT Entrepreneurship Award

They came, they saw, they conquered or as it happened today, they came, they pitched and they won. 

Naked Energy, Trifense and Noem working in the field of climate change, ICT and sustainable energy respectively have been selected as the first winners of the EIT entrepreneurship award and were presented with their award by Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner responsible for the EIT.

Encouraging entrepreneurship is a key element of the EIT's mission and so the first EIT Entrepreneurship Awards put the spotlight on the most promising ventures that have emerged from each of three Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs): Climate-KIC, EIT ICT Labs and KIC InnoEnergy. 

Nine nominated ventures were invited to Brussels to pitch their business ideas to an expert audience.

I am extremely impressed with the nine ventures that pitched for the EIT Awards today and am delighted to see such dedicated and committed entrepreneurs already emerging from our innovation factories (KICs). I congratulate all finalists for their ideas and creative solutions to today’s challenges and wish them success in growing to become true world class enterprises! Alexander von Gabain - Chairman of the EIT Governing Board

This award was an important part of the first Entrepreneurship Summit, which was jointly organized by Science Business and the EIT in the Royal Academy of Sciences in Brussels. At the same time, the Science|Business Innovation Board, a not-for-profit association, awarded four prizes in its fourth annual Academic Enterprise Awards (ACES) competition. The companies which won the ACES competition are: Mendeley, Endomagnetics, EVO Electric and Clariton. 

EIT Entrepreneurship Award winners

EIT Climate Change Award: NAKED ENERGY
A design and innovation company developing solar technology that electricity and heat
More info: nakedenergy.co.uk

EIT ICT Entrepreneurship Award: TRIFENSE
Venture specializing in protecting computer networks against cyber threats
More info: trifense.de

EIT Sustainable Energy Entrepreneurship Award: NOEM
Company using sustainable wooden materials for construction.
More info: noem.com

More details and profiles of the EIT winners are available at www.eitawards.eu

ACES Award winners

Microsoft Award - Mendeley

Life Sciences Award - Endomagnetics
Materials/Engineering Award- EVO Electric
Young Entrepreneur Award – Clariton
More information: www.sciencebusiness.net 
 

Background

This competition highlights and encourages entrepreneurial ventures within the EIT's three thematic areas and nine ventures nominated by the EIT’s three KICs (Climate-KIC, EIT ICT Labs and KIC InnoEnergy) competed in the first edition of the EIT entrepreneurship award. The award was launched in 2011 and culminated in a high level conference. 
 

For more information

About the EIT Awards:
Caroline Vandenplas - Communications Officer, EIT
caroline.vandenplas@eit.europa.eu
+36 (1) 4819371

About the ACES:
Gail Edmondson - Editorial Director, Science|Business
gail.edmondson@sciencebusiness.net
+49 (30) 30 20 93 20