The 2024 WIPO Global Awards: Unveiling the Finalists

The 2024 WIPO Global Awards: Unveiling the Finalists
12 July 2024
11:50
Online
WIPO

Twenty-five small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups from around the world are finalists for the 2024 WIPO Global Award competition, which celebrates the use of intellectual property (IP) to turn innovation and creativity into tangible solutions.

WIPO’s Global Awards, in its third annual edition, saw an increase of 21% in submissions compared to 2023 and triple the number of applications received in 2022, with 667 submissions from 107 countries from across the globe. Twenty-five finalists have been selected for innovations in a variety of economic sectors, such as food, green tech, health, ICT, and the creative industries. Winners will be unveiled in a July 12 ceremony held during the WIPO Assemblies.

This year, some changes were introduced to the competition. In this edition, alongside the SME category, a startup category was also created. As for the selection process, it emphasized the companies' contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals, which highlights the importance of innovation in driving sustainable development.

This year’s finalists are:

  1. AETECH, Republic of Korea

  2. BreastScreening AI, Portugal

  3. CMBlu Energy, Germany

  4. Craif, Japan

  5. EdukSine Production Corporation, Philippines

  6. ELICO, India

  7. Farmer Life Line, Kenya

  8. Francois Ier, Burkina Faso

  9. Hangzhou Hyperchain Technology, China

  10. Kedumetse Liphi, Botswana

  11. Laboratorios Luar, Argentina

  12. Meticuly, Thailand

  13. Plant Origin, Thailand

  14. Pluvi, Italy

  15. PONS Teknoloji, Turkey

  16. Preventix, Mexico

  17. Qnami, Switzerland

  18. RoboCT, China

  19. ScansX, Kuwait

  20. Sensio Air, United Kingdom

  21. SimpleEnergy, India

  22. Smart Healing Medical, China

  23. SYG Tech, Turkey

  24. U-Tech Kitchen, China

  25. Vivo Surgical, Singapore

The WIPO Global Awards 2024 winners will be announced publicly at a live-webcasted awards ceremony on July 12, held during the WIPO Assemblies, where winners will showcase their achievements.

Event page

A jury of international leaders in the field of intellectual property will deliberate to select eight winners. Three jurors remain from last year:

 

  • Gastón Acurio (Peru): chef, writer, entrepreneur, and gastronomic director of "Astrid & Gaston".
  • Songgen Dong (China): Vice president of China International Cooperation Association of SMEs (CICASME).
  • Karoli Hindriks (Estonia): entrepreneur, CEO & founder of Jobbatical, a startup Forbes named one of Europe's 10 Most Exciting Technology SMEs for 2018.

 

Five new jury members were added:

 

  • Essam Bukhary (Saudi Arabia): CEO of Manga Productions and expert in the creative industries, particularly animation, video games and IP management.
  • Philippe Dewost (France): co-founder of Wanadoo, Europe’s #1 internet service provider.
  • Sera Kyoung-a Eun (Republic of Korea): entrepreneur and expert in the development and spread of youth and women’s entrepreneurship, international business strategy, and industrial operations.
  • Zanele Mavuso Mbatha (South Africa): CEO of Bambili Energy, a hydrogen energy solutions provider and manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cell systems and their sub-components.
  • Lally Rementilla (Canada): Managing Partner, Intellectual Property-Backed Financing at BDC Capital.

 

Winners receive mentoring to support their IP strategies - including fund raising, partnership opportunities, publicity support and more.

The Awards aim to encourage the commercialization of IP assets by showcasing winning inventors, creators and entrepreneurs that use IP to achieve their business goals, generate income, create jobs, tackle local and global challenges, and support community and national development.

Regions: Global