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WIPO Global Awards

WIPO Global Awards celebrates exceptional enterprises and individuals making smart use of intellectual property for commercialization while also bringing a positive contribution to society through their innovation and creativity.

What’s happened in 2023?

January to March: The competition was open to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in WIPO's 193 Member States and from all industries. There were 548 submissions from 58 countries, representing various sectors including creative industries, food, environment, health, and more.

May: The WIPO Secretariat shortlisted the 25 finalists, coming from 16 countries across all corners for the world, in the running to become one of seven winners.

July: A distinguished panel of six judges, comprising experts in intellectual property (IP), innovation, and business from diverse backgrounds, meticulously handpicked the seven winners.

What’s next?

Each winner will receive a tailored mentoring program in crucial areas such as accessing financial resources, forging business alliances, and fortifying their intellectual property strategies.

Stay informed! Sign up for WIPO Global Awards notifications, including the 2024 competition.

WIPO Global Awards 2023

(Photo: WIPO/Berrod)

Group photo at the WIPO Global Awards Ceremony that took place on July 11, 2023

Finalists | Press release | Winners | Photos on Flickr | Watch the ceremony

Learn more about the winners

WIPO Global Awards community of winners

2023 Global Awards Winners

  • Ms. Mateja Forštnarič, CEO of Aerosol from Slovenia

    Aerosol Magee Scientific – Slovenia

    Aerosol Magee Scientific develops and manufactures air quality measurement instruments. They safeguards their innovations and branding through patents and trademarks. Their products address global air quality, climate change, and health issues on a global scale. Despite competitors' attempts to imitate or bypass their technologies, they maintain an exclusive position using strategic patents, conducting IP audits, monitoring the marketplace, and taking legal action when necessary.

    [This award] is a testament and a recognition to all the Aerosol Scientific team, for all our work in the past years in the domain of commercializing intellectual property… to help us become the global niche leader in the area of measuring black carbon and carbonaceous aerosols. To my team, this is for you.

    Ms. Mateja Forštnarič, CEO of Aerosol from Slovenia

    Watch the video

  • Mr. Arturo Santos Garcia, CEO of Centro de Retina Medica y Quirúrgica (CRMQ) from Mexico

    Centro de Retina Medica y Quirúrgica (CRMQ) – Mexico

    CRMQ's nanotechnology platform for retinal drug delivery revolutionizes blindness treatment. Patents safeguard their exclusivity and commercial advantage, while trademarks strengthen their market position. Collaborations drive global impact and innovative pharmacological products.

    This distinction not only validates the hard work we have done, but also motivates us to continue our mission to foster innovation in our journey to achieve our main goal: fighting blindness.

    Mr. Arturo Santos Garcia, CEO of Centro de Retina Medica y Quirúrgica (CRMQ) from Mexico

    Watch the video

  • Ms. Chan Camellia, CEO & Ms. May Chng, COO & Co-Founder of Flexxon from Singapore

    Flexxon – Singapore

    Flexxon's AI-based cybersecurity solution defends against real-time ransomware attacks using its extensive IP portfolio, including patents and trademarks. They forge partnerships with major PC manufacturers, attracting investors and revolutionizing the cybersecurity landscape with their groundbreaking X-PHY Al Cybersecure SSD.

    I always find it daunting to stand in front of a crowd and tell them humans are the problem. Cyberattacks are a global crisis, minimizing the human error will not solve it. We have engineered an environment where humans are back in charge. Building our IP allowed us to level out the plain field to compete and collaborate with large companies. We hope to inspire other tech-startups and SMEs to leverage on deep tech IP.

    Ms. Chan Camellia, CEO & Ms. May Chng, COO & Co-Founder of Flexxon from Singapore

    Watch the video

  • Mr. Alexis Von Tschammer, CEO from Lactips

    Lactips – France

    Lactips leverages its IP portfolio, including global patents, to market innovative, eco-friendly protein-based polymers. Their plastic-free technology is fully biodegradable, water-soluble, and protected by strategic patents and trademarks.

    Lactips is very proud to provide proven solutions to eliminate plastic waste and pollution, by providing plastic-free plastic material that is a 100% natural, with the same benefits as traditional plastic. [This award] is a real honor and a great recognition of our passion and engagement to deliver plastic-free plastic to preserve nature.

    Mr. Alexis Von Tschammer, CEO from Lactips

    Watch the video

  • Mr. Rong Zhang, President of Shanghai Westwell Technology Co. Ltd.

    Shanghai Westwell Technology Co. Ltd. – China

    Westwell pioneers intelligent and eco-friendly solutions for bulk logistics. With a strong IP defense network comprising patents, industrial designs, and trademarks, they develop cutting-edge offerings like WellOcean® for seaports and Qomolo® for autonomous new energy commercial vehicles. Serving 160+ customers in 18 countries and regions.

    [At Westwell], we will continue to devote ourselves to innovation and IP protection related work, and will keep focusing on the smart and green technology development and implementation across the world”. [This award] is a recognition for years of efforts and achievements of the team in terms of IP, innovation and protection.

    Mr. Rong Zhang, President of Shanghai Westwell Technology Co. Ltd.

    Watch the video

  • Mr. Chengyu Ning, Founder and CEO of Xi 'an KissFuture Network Technology Co., LTD from China

    Xi'an KissFuture Network Technology Co., LTD. – China

    Xi'an KissFuture Network Technology Co., LTD. is a leading AR/VR technology company with patented motion platforms and hardware optimization. They provide immersive solutions for VR cinemas and cultural institutions, elevating digital experiences. Holding patents in the U.S. and Japan, with applications filed in Europe and the Republic of Korea, they strategically leverage IP systems to enhance their competitive advantage.

    At Xi’an KissFuture, we are convinced that science and technology can empower culture and make it more interesting, and have been focused on this mission for 21 years.

    Mr. Chengyu Ning, Founder and CEO of Xi 'an KissFuture Network Technology Co., LTD from China

    Watch the video

  • Mr. Mike Strano, CEO & Co-Founder from Yakwetu from Kenya

    YAKWETU™ Online Limited – Kenya

    YAKWETU™ revolutionizes digital content distribution in Kenya and beyond, combatting piracy with its innovative entertainment technology. Their online home entertainment and edutainment system safeguards and monetizes the intellectual property (IP) of content partners. MyMovies.Africa™, a mobile-first digital cinema extension, protects and commercializes IP rights in African video content worldwide since September 2019.

    Yakwetu in Kiswahili has two meanings: it means both of us and for us. We chose this name because it articulates our purpose of making available digital content from Africans for Africans, while protecting it from the greatest threat: piracy.

    Mr. Mike Strano, CEO & Co-Founder from Yakwetu from Kenya

    Watch the video

Get inspired by the WIPO Global Awards jurors

WIPO Global Awards juror Louis Foreman

Without intellectual property rights, you eliminate an incentive to innovate. I think the advantage of having an award like this is it is a celebration. It puts credibility around innovation and it inspires people to kind of look beyond what's currently available, questioning the status quo and say there's got to be a better way. It really puts it in perspective when you look at these submissions and you recognize that the fact that these are ideas that come from so many different countries, innovation isn't just something that is regional. It is a global phenomena.

Awards juror Mr. Louis Foreman, a highly accomplished entrepreneur and inventor who has launched multiple startups, while also being involved in the creation of numerous others.
WIPO Global Awards juror Julius Akinyemi

The Global Awards are a way to amplify the importance of intellectual property as an asset. The only concern I have for those of you in Africa or any other developing world, for that matter, is not to be afraid to thrive.

Awards juror Julius Akinyemi, Entrepreneur In Residence at the MIT Media Lab working on the Next Generation Capital Market Infrastructure for rural commodities producers.
WIPO Global Awards juror Karoli Hindricks

The world is smaller than you think, bring your ideas to our competition and see how you can go global.

Awards juror Karoli Hindriks, entrepreneur and inventor at the age of sixteen, and now founder of a startup working on removing the friction of international relocation by making immigration processes seamless through technology.

Previous edition of the WIPO Global Awards

WIPO Global Awards winners at the inaugural 2022 ceremony in the presence of Director General Daren Tang

The inaugural 2022 Global Awards recognized the central role of innovative and creative activities of SMEs by awarding those that have used IP rights to develop solutions that have made a positive contribution to society, economically, socially, or culturally.

Meet the 2022 finalists | Press release | Winners | Photos on Flickr | Watch the event

Videos are available in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish.

About the WIPO Global Awards

The Global Awards program launched in 2022 is rooted in WIPO’s mission to ensure a world where innovation and creativity from anywhere is supported by intellectual property for the good of everyone.

The Global Awards competition aims to encourage the commercialization of IP assets by rewarding enterprises that make a smart use of intellectual property and to address the need to build a more inclusive global innovation ecosystem, which better harnesses the huge innovative and creative energies of entrepreneurs, youth and women.

The awards recognize and support inventors, creators and entrepreneurs using intellectual property (IP) rights to achieve their goals, generate income, create jobs, tackle local and global challenges, and support community and national development.

WIPO Global Awards Roundtable

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Roundtable on the challenges and opportunities SMEs face in using the IP system, chaired by the WIPO Director General, Mr. Daren Tang, and members of the jury panel.

Watch the roundtable 

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