Muvon co-founders win Female Innovator of the Year Award

The annual Female Innovation Forum organised by the business community Ladies Drive, brought together more than 250 female innovators, investors, founders and business angels, offering them a rich program packed with keynotes and numerous networking opportunities. In guided workshops with six female founders from different fields, the audience was able to share valuable insights, ideas and contacts to support the startups on their journey.  Founder and jury president, Sandra-Stella Triebl, emphasizes: "Together we make ideas grow faster. That is the Forum's recipe for success. It stands for inspiration, action and an ecosystem for young female entrepreneurs that not only takes hold, but also keeps growing."

The event culminated in the awarding of six innovators and change makers in different categories. For the major award categories, ‘Female Innovator of the Year’ and ‘Recognition Award’, a jury of 24 members selected and evaluated different startups that met the categories criteria.

The "Female Innovator of the Year" award sponsored by BMW went to Jenny Prange (CTO) and Deana Mohr (CEO) from Muvon Therapeutics. The biotech startup, which was founded as a spin-off of the University of Zurich, is developed a therapy for the regeneration of skeletal muscle tissue based on the body's own cells. The goal is to offer patients with Stress Urinary Incontinence a safe, effective and affordable treatment by not only repairing damaged tissue but also increasing the regeneration potential of weakened muscles. Having treated the first patients in its first-in-human trials, the startup is currently running a phase 2 study with patient recruitment ongoing.

Co-president of the jury, Carole Ackermann, is enthusiastic about the solution. She said: “Thanks to the two researchers and their team, incontinence due to stress will be a problem of the past – it is a solution to a problem that will haunt most of us - unfortunately."

Openversum wins Recognition Award
Laura Stocco, Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Openversum accepted the Recognition Award. Openversum is developing an innovative water filter membrane that removes 99.99999% of bacteria, heavy metals and pesticides in water. The solution will help populations in the global south gain access to safe drinking water. The filters are manufactured locally, thus promoting jobs and entrepreneurship in the regions they operate. The startup is currently active in Colombia, with plans to expand to other regions across the globe. With this award, the startup will receive support and mentorship in next career steps.

The following four female innovators also took home a prize:

• Barbara Studer from hirncoach – Digital Innovation Award from DQ Solutions:
• Silvia Frey from Kyma – AG Eco Award from the Canton of Zurich
• Priska Burkhard from TechFace – Diversity & Inclusion Award from Siemens
• Catherine Meuter from VYN – Design Award from USM