The second edition of WomenTechEU has announced the list of 134 (out of 467 applicants) women-led deep-tech companies it will support with an overall budget of 10 million euros. Compared to the very first edition of this initiative integrated within the Horizon Europe Framework Program, almost three times as many companies have been selected this year in 2023.
Among the lucky winners are two Luxembourg start-ups: VoiceMed and Magrid. They will each receive a grant of 75,000 euros to support the first stages of their innovation process and their growth. In addition, the two women at the head of these two companies, Ariana Arienzo and Tahereh Pazouki, will benefit from mentoring and coaching within the framework of the “Women Leadership” program of the European Innovation Council (EIC), as well as from networking opportunities throughout the European Union.
VoiceMed, health diagnosis by voice
VoiceMed has developed an application to monitor certain health parameters using a simple smartphone. In particular, the company is working on developing proprietary algorithms to predict asthma worsening using voice biomarkers.
“In 2022, we graduated from Luxinnovation’s Fit 4 Start accelerator program,” says CEO Ariana Arenzo. “We are in constant contact with the agency, which regularly offers us projects and opportunities. We were invited to apply to WomenTechEU through a partnership developed during our first Horizon2020 project, COVID-X, which suggested we apply knowing our profile and growth potential.”
Through WomentTechEU, VoiceMed will benefit from market visibility and branding in Europe that will help increase and expand its commercial reach. “This will also increase the attractiveness of the company, which could facilitate raising additional funds from deeptech investors,” Arienzo enthuses.
Magrid, making math easy
Magrid, a spin-off from the University of Luxembourg, is active in providing evidence-based, language-free educational apps for teaching early math skills, accessible to all children, including those with migrant backgrounds, hearing difficulties, language disorders and special educational needs.
“Since we graduated from the Fit 4 Start accelerator program, Luxinnovation has always represented a tremendous asset to us, guiding us and helping us secure European funding,” testifies Dr. Tahereh Pazouki, founder of the company. “The team has always been incredibly responsive, making us feel like they were part of our own team!”
The integration within the WomenTechEU program will provide support and guidance for the latest family version of Magrid, which makes evidence-based educational apps available to parents so they can support their children’s math learning at home. “We are excited to empower children from all backgrounds to develop their math skills and get them excited about learning,” Pazouki enthuses. “In addition, we are in the process of raising funds to expand our geographic reach and ensure that more children have access to our inclusive educational tools.”
Luxinnovation stands with the companies
“All the companies selected for WomenTechEU this year will contribute to improving the quality of life of citizens,” enthuses Inna Perepelytsya, Senior Advisor Start up Acceleration at Luxinnovation. “We are closely following all these European initiatives that bring real added value to our daily lives and we are at the side of the companies that are likely to bring their expertise by accompanying and challenging them. We would like to thank all the women entrepreneurs who responded to our call for applications. It is always courageous to create a company and to apply. We believe that thanks to Arianna and Tahereh, more women will be inspired to start implementing their innovative ideas or to apply if they already have a startup.”
A third edition of this European WomenTechEU program is expected in early 2024.