Honoring startups driving meaningful change in society

the purpose

About the Rosenfield Prize

Each year, the Herbert & Audrey Rosenfield Innovation Prize awards three startups with CHF 10 000 each, celebrating remarkable early-stage ventures from EPFL Innovation Park Foundation’s innovation programs. This prize was established to recognize founders who are harnessing novel ideas, breakthroughs in technology, and a deep social purpose to drive positive change.

By highlighting and rewarding these purpose-driven startups, the prize aims to accelerate their path to success—enhancing impact, fostering growth, and inspiring others in the ecosystem.

Selection criteria

What we look for

• Uniqueness of the solution
  How distinctive and innovative is the solution compared to existing alternatives or competitors?

• Traction and demonstrated social impact
  Evidence of early success, user adoption, or partnerships, as well as measurable benefits delivered to society.

• Scalability and growth potential
  The solution’s capacity to expand its impact across different markets or populations, supported by a clear and realistic growth strategy.

• Team strength and execution capability
  The expertise, experience, and commitment of the founding team to execute the vision and scale the solution effectively.

• Engagement in the program
  The start-up’s level of involvement, collaboration, and contribution throughout the FEIP program in which it was admitted.