Meet the winners of the 2024 Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge

The ninth edition of the Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge has declared tozero, a Munich-based startup specialising in lithium-ion battery recycling, as the grand winner.

Chosen from over 4,000 applicants, tozero’s pitch earns them the coveted equity-free grand prize of €100,000.

Founded in 2022 by Sarah Fleischer and Dr. Ksenija Milicevic Neumann, tozero aims to create a scalable lithium-ion battery recycling machine for the sustainable recovery of critical materials like lithium, nickel, cobalt, and graphite.

Winners of the second and third prize

Paris-based Robeauté clinches the second prize, awarded by X, the moonshot factory, for their work in redesigning the future of neurosurgery. The company’s device sets a new standard, granting surgeons access to delicate areas of the brain.

Founded in 2017, Robeauté is developing a tiny microrobot for advanced therapies in challenging body areas. Initially for the brain, the company’s microrobot will navigate complex regions, conduct biopsies, gather precise data, and administer therapies directly. 

This shift to micro robotic surgery promises greater precision, improved outcomes, and innovative treatments for widespread global diseases. Robeauté’s microrobot aims to inspire medical professionals worldwide, fostering the creation of more effective localised treatments.

Texas-based Jurata Thin Film secured the third prize for its thin film technology. Founded in 2019, the biotechnology company aims to transform the manufacturing, storage, distribution, and delivery of vaccines and biologics globally. 

The company’s thin films can store therapeutics at room temperature for up to three years before reconstitution and up to eight months post-reconstitution while preserving therapeutic potency. 

Additionally, Jurata claims that its technology has demonstrated resilience, safeguarding cargo even under extreme temperature conditions encountered during shipment and distribution.

Winner of the special Boston Consulting Group Prize

Berlin-based Cambrium won the special Boston Consulting Group (BCG) prize. Founded in 2020, Cambrium aims to ignite the next era of material innovation by harnessing biology’s molecular building blocks. 

Through their molecular design technology, Cambrium produces novel material building blocks with previously unattainable functionalities. These molecules empower innovators to develop products that prioritise both people and the planet.

Winners by different categories

In the Sustainable Construction & Infrastructure category, the winner is Chile-based Photio. The company employs nanotechnology to mimic the photosynthesis process on any surface.

The winner of this year’s Food & Agriculture category is Perfat Technologies from Finland. Perfect is introducing food producers to a novel solid fat with a “superior” nutritional profile.

Robeauté won the Digital Health & Medical Devices category. The company’s device sets a new standard, granting surgeons access to delicate areas of the brain.

France-based Inspek won the Industry & Machines category at the Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge. The company is building the next generation of biological and chemical monitoring systems using integrated photonics.

Jurata Thin Film clinched the top spot in the Medical Biotech & Pharmaceuticals category. The Texas-based biotech company aims to transform the manufacturing, storage, distribution, and delivery of vaccines and biologics globally.

tozero secured victory in the Industrial Biotech & New Materials category. The Munich-based company’s mission is to eliminate lithium-ion battery waste is both innovative and impactful.

Japan-based TopoLogic emerged as the winner of the Industrial Biotech & New Materials category. TopoLogic is a QX (quantum transformation) startup that aims to socially implement materials based on quantum science.

Netherlands-based FononTech won the Advanced Computing & Electronics category. The Dutch company aims to reshape 3D microelectronics with ultra-fast printing resolutions.

The winner of the Aerospace category is ION-X. The France-based company is developing a new type of small satellite propulsion with an ionic liquid electrospray thruster.

For the Environment & Biodiversity category, Germany-based Carbon Atlantis emerged as the winner. The startup is set to introduce a low-cost electrochemical approach for direct & point source capture out of the binary world.

On this development, Hello Tomorrow says, “What an amazing edition! All of these solutions are set to make ripples in our industries and set in motion positive changes for our planet and society.”