WIPO announced today the finalists for the 2025 edition of the Global Awards, which recognize small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups using intellectual property (IP) to translate innovation and creativity into real-world solutions with economic and social impact. Winners will be named during a live ceremony on Friday, July 11, held during the WIPO Assemblies in Geneva.
Finalists were selected from five sectors: environment, health, information and communication technology (ICT), food and agriculture, and the creative industries. The selection process considered both the effective use of IP and the companies’ contributions to economic, social, and cultural development.
This year’s competition saw continued growth in participation. A total of 780 applications were received from 95 countries, representing a nearly 20% increase compared to the 660 submissions in 2024.
The top ten countries by number of applications included several new entrants. China and India retained the top two positions, with China accounting for 41% of total submissions. Nigeria rose two places to third, while the Republic of Korea jumped six places to fourth. The United States moved up four places to fifth. Iran and Canada entered the top ten for the first time, ranking sixth and seventh respectively.
In terms of diversity and inclusion, 27% of applications came from women-led companies, reflecting a 24% increase over last year. Youth-led enterprises accounted for 30% of total submissions, continuing the Awards’ emphasis on recognizing the contributions of the next generation of innovators.
Ten winners will be selected by an international jury of experts in intellectual property, innovation, business, and sustainability. Among the winners, the novelty this year is the introduction of Woman Entrepreneur and Youth Entrepreneur Special Mentions. The 2025 WIPO Global Awards Ceremony will take place on July 11 in Geneva and will be webcast live.
This year’s finalists are:
Food and agriculture
- SMEs:
- MoonBiotech, China, microbial biofertilizers
- PhageLab, Chile, antibiotic alternatives
- Toopi Organics, France, urine-based fertilizers
- Start-ups:
- Ecoxtract, France, plant-based solvent extraction
- Planetary, Switzerland, mycoprotein fermentation tech
- UNIBAIO, Argentina, biodegradable crop protection
Creative Industries
- SMEs:
- Chengdu Chenghua Butterflies Huatian Cultural and Tourism Development, China, heritage performance arts
- ClicknClear, United Kingdom, music rights licensing
- Sonarworks, Latvia, personalized audio calibration
- Start-ups:
- CodeGream, Republic of Korea, 3D product showcase
- GAM3S.GG, United Arab Emirates, Web3 gaming platform
- Kavčič Furniture, Slovenia, modular designer shelving
Environment
- SMEs:
- AFNON, Zambia, clean cookstove
- Carbfix, Iceland, CO₂ mineral storage
- Vertoro, Netherlands, bio-fuel from lignin
- Start-ups:
- BANIQL, Indonesia, sustainable nickel extraction
- Carbon One, China, battery material innovation
- Smart Drain - Urban Inventors, Sri Lanka, anti-flood drain system
Health
- SMEs:
- Hummingbird Bio, Singapore, antibody therapeutics
- noul, Republic of Korea, portable disease diagnostics
- Shanghai Bangbang Robotics, China, foldable smart wheelchair
- Start-ups:
- Glovatrix, India, sign-to-speech gloves
- OsseoLabs, Thailand, 3D bone implants
- PepTiDa, Italy, peptide-based drugs
ICT
- SMEs:
- ICTK, Republic of Korea, hardware cybersecurity
- Shaanxi ORCA Electronic Technology, China, autonomous water-cleaning vessels
- Unitree Robotics, China, quadruped robotics
- Start-ups:
- FestivalOn, Republic of Korea, privacy-first sensing tech
- Quinas Technology, United Kingdom, next-gen memory chips
- Teramime, Republic of Korea, AI facial authentication