Next Innov prize Award Ceremony

For the 8th consecutive year, Banque Populaire and Maddyness have organized the Next Innov prize, which celebrates the importance of entrepreneurial diversity and continuous innovation.

The goal is to highlight innovative startups and SMEs that contribute daily to efficiency and positive transformation, and to emphasize Banque Populaire’s commitment to supporting them as a partner in their growth, through the Next Innov initiative.

After 5 weeks of calls for applications, a record number of submissions with over 300 files reviewed, 4 hours of pitches and deliberations, the winners of this 8th edition have been recognized for their talent. The first prize was awarded to K-Ren by Christophe Bosson, General Director of Banque Populaire Occitane. This family-owned business based in the Mediterranean has developed an innovative, ecological, and French-made solution to protect boat hulls while combating pollution in seas and oceans. K-Ren also received the Public Vote mention. This top podium position resonates with the major cause “Act for Water,” which the regional Banque Populaire institutions are committed to.

The second prize went to Agoterra, which supports companies in their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint by financing certified and local low-carbon projects: it was presented by representatives from Seventure and BPI France. The Innovative SME Prize was awarded to Vestack along with the Internationalization mention, while the Healthtech prize was given to InFocus Therapeutics.

Under the presidency of Loïc Soubeyrand, founder of Swile, the jury was composed of major partners from the innovative business ecosystem, including Seventure, BPI France, Mouvement Impact France, France Biotech, Start Industrie, CEA, Pramex International, and France Digitale. This year again, the Next Innov Prize embodied Banque Populaire’s commitment to supporting innovative companies and thus contributing to the economic vitality of regions and the sovereignty of France.