Fifteen finalists have been selected for the 2021 edition of the Social Innovation Tournament (SIT), the flagship initiative of the Luxembourg-based European Investment Bank (EIB) Institute’s Social Programme recognising and supporting Europe’s best social entrepreneurs.

From innovative solutions for kidney failure or multi-organ treatment methods to an aero-generator which needs no blades or a sustainable alternative to leather, the primary purpose of this year's finalists is to generate a social, ethical or environmental impact. The chosen finalists come from Luxembourg, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden and were selected from a group of 280 candidates in 28 countries.

The fifteen high impact ventures will participate in a tailor-made training programme (including a mentoring bootcamp, e-training on pitching and one-to-one coaching sessions) to provide them with the necessary guidance to finalise their proposals. This will prepare them for the pitching competition, taking place in Lisbon on 7 October 2021, in which they will present and defend their project before a jury of social innovation specialists from the academic and business worlds.

Four prizes will be awarded: General Category and Special Category 1st and 2nd Prizes of €75,000 and €30,000 respectively and an Audience Choice Award of €10,000. This year, the Special Category Prizes will go to projects focusing on sustainable living. Two projects will be selected to attend INSEAD’s Social Entrepreneurship programme in Fontainebleau, France. The prize money has been increased for each category to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the SIT.

Finalists from all SIT editions become members of the SIT Alumni Network, where they have access to various training opportunities and an innovation grants programme, as well as the opportunity to attend conferences around Europe and to network with investors, venture philanthropists and foundations that can help them scale their impact.

SIT 2021 Finalists

  • Advitos (Germany) - a medical device company which has developed ADVOS technology, the only therapy worldwide offering multi-organ support integrated in ons single device
  • Angiodroid (Italy) - an innovative company which projects and trades solutions (namely Angiodroid® The CO2 Injector) for the medical market
  • Beyond Leather Materials (Denmark) - a biotechnology company creating a plant-based and sustainable leather alternative with upcycles apple waste
  • Cellugy (ecoFLEXY) (Denmark) - a biotech startup replacing single-use plastics with 100% natural bio-cellulose
  • Inclusive Education (Germany) - an independent institution and non-profit limited company which develops and realises educational offerings carried out by and with people with disabilities 
  • Irriot (Sweden) - an innovation company at the forefront of wireless intelligent irrigation solutions
  • Magrid (Luxembourg) - a pedagogical programme for improving the development of early visual-spatial and mathematical abilities; it has been acquired by Luxembourg's Ministry of Education, Children and Youth for all public schools in the country
  • Nuventura (Germany) - a company which develops gas insulated switchgear (GIS) technologies that help to reduce the energy industry's use of the world's strongest greenhouse gas, SF6
  • Orange Fiber (Italy) - a textiles company which has patented and manufactured sustainable fabrics for fashion from citrus juice by-products
  • rePurpose Global (Norway) - the world's first plastic credit platform dedicated to reducing waste, reviving lives and restoring nature's balance
  • The NewsRoom (Portugal) - an online platform aimed at fighting misinformation and promoting plurality, using a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and community engagement
  • UVera (Poland) - a biotechnology company providing an interdisciplinary approach to skin protection against UV sun radiation and anti-pollution factors
  • Vortex Bladeless (Spain) - a tech startup developing environmentally friendly bladeless wind turbines
  • Wasser 3.0 (Germany) - an interdisciplinary environmental service working with hybrid silica gels to remove micro-pollutants from water
  • Wheelmap (Germany) - an online worldwide map for finding and marking wheelchair accessible places.