The EBV Innovation Hero special prize of the 16th Innovation World Cup® is EBV Elektronik‘s initiative to support techpreneurs all over Europe! EBV is the European branch of Avnet, the largest semiconductor distributor, specialized in the EMEA semiconductor distribution helping the IoT/WT Innovation World Cup® contestants to bring their solutions to the market successfully. Become the 8th EBV Innovation Hero to benefit from:
- Pitch & award ceremony at the HANNOVER MESSE 2025
- Collaboration with EBV’s field application engineers dedicated to start-up companies and electronic newcomers, including engineering, sourcing, and logistics support.
- A cash prize of 10,000 Euro
- Speaking slots and exhibition opportunities at global leading events such as MEDICA, WT | Wearable Technologies Conferences, Wolves Summit, and many more
- Free marketing packages and extensive media coverage
- Placement on the Hall of Fame of the Innovation World Cup®
All participants of the 16th Innovation World Cup® (including Healthcare) coming from the EMEA region are automatically included for evaluation for the EBV Innovation Hero Award.
Participation is free of charge.
Previous EBV Innovation Hero Winners
Allye Energy – Winner 2024
Allye Energy provides distributed energy storage at the grid edge to provide collective flexibility to the electricity network, helping accelerate decarbonisation of the grid while lowering energy costs for industrial, commercial and residential customers by up to 50%.
Dryad Networks – Winner 2023
Dryad Networks provides ultra-early detection of wildfires using AI-enabled IOT gas sensors utilizing a large-scale solar-powered mesh network in the forest. As well as health and growth monitoring solutions for public and private forests.
Ladon Energy – Winner 2022
Ladon Energy has developed an intelligent energy sensor, that helps to reduce energy costs and untap flexibilities in residential homes. The Ladon Energy sensor provides not only the necessary data, but also the computing power to apply even complex AI models on the edge device.
BEFC – BIOENZYMATIC FUEL CELLS – Winner 2021
BeFC make electricity from papers and enzymes. The company has developed a breakthrough innovation that allows generation of energy via biocatalysis using enzymes and carbon paper, suitable for powering microcontrollers, displays, sensors and wireless transceivers.
AFS AGRO FLOW SYSTEM – Winner 2020
AFS Agro Flow System disrupted the Agriculture industry with the advanced Soil Research Logger (DS Logger 500 + Sensor DSM 600), a unique multi-functional device for measuring soil compaction, air temperature, and air humidity. Together with sensor DS 600, it measures soil temperature, soil moisture, and soil conductivity.
ARION – Winner 2019
ARION has brought a new level to runners and coaches with ultra-thin, pressure-sensitive insoles under the runners’ own shoe insoles. The advanced AI coaching engine makes cutting-edge exercise science accessible to all runners. ARION guides users to improve their running technique sustainably, helps to reduce the risk of injury and improves the overall performance. Runners with ARION smart insoles can now stay more active, run longer, safer, and further.
Luke Roberts – Winner 2018
Luke Roberts develops the world’s first smart design lamp that allows you to move the light in any direction without moving the lamp. With simple print gestures on your phone, you can have a bright light on the couch for reading, dimmed light on the table for dinner and colored indirect light for relaxing. The lamp also learns from your behavior and turns on the most likely light scene based on usage pattern, time of day and surrounding light. The smartness is in the lamp and does not require internet access or other smart home devices. Luke Roberts consists of a team of experienced hardware and software developers and the founders have several years of experience as management consultants.