Female Founder Award Program 2026 -Applications Open

Application Deadline: February 02, 2026

The Female Founder Award celebrates and empowers women entrepreneurs who are leading innovative startups in disruptive technology fields. Created eight years ago as the Female Founder Challenge, this initiative has evolved into a distinguished platform that recognizes female founders building forward-looking ventures with strong growth potential. The award focuses on innovation, scalability, viability, team strength, business model robustness, and solutions contributing to positive environmental and social impact.

Requirements for Application

• The program is open to women-led innovative startups
• Startups must be driving disruptive technologies
• Solutions must demonstrate scalability and viability
• Ventures must show potential for strong growth
• Applications must be submitted by the deadline

Benefits of the Award

• High-Profile Exposure: Five finalists will be invited to pitch at VivaTech 2026, one of the world’s leading technology events
• Global Audience: Opportunity to present to industry leaders, investors, and innovators worldwide
• Award Recognition: Winner announced during the VivaTech Global Awards Ceremony alongside other major award recipients
• Enhanced Visibility: Significant spotlight throughout the event, elevating both founder’s profile and startup’s market presence
• Legacy Access: Part of an eight-year platform that has facilitated networking, increased brand visibility, and provided funding access for women entrepreneurs

General Applications Criteria
Applications are evaluated based on:

• Relevance and originality of the technology
• Ability to scale while remaining technically, economically, and environmentally viable
• Leadership capacity and skills of the female founder and co-founders
• Demonstrated traction and product-market fit of the business model
• Overall environmental and social impact of the solution

Selection Criteria

• Innovation: Level of relevance, originality and innovation demonstrated by the tech solution
• Scalability & Viability: Ability of the solution to scale while remaining technically, economically and environmentally viable
• Team Profile: Profile of the female founder(s) and co-founder(s), ability to lead the project to success, hard and soft skills of the operational team
• Business Model: Demonstrated traction and product/market fit
• Impact: Solutions that contribute to improving environmental and social impact

How to Apply

• Applications must be submitted online through the official platform
• Complete all required application sections addressing the selection criteria
• Provide details about your technology, business model, team, and impact
• Submit by the deadline: February 02, 2026

Click here to apply

For More Information
Visit the official Viva Technology website for complete details, application portal access, and additional resources: Viva Technology