Impact Acceleration

Tech for Impact Awards

Since 2011, the SEIF Tech for Impact Awards target European impact entrepreneurs who develop or make innovative use of technologies to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Thanks to the highly qualified jury and detailed selection process, the SEIF Awards have been established as a quality label in the impact ecosystem over the past 10 years.

Together with our partners UBS and Julius Bär, we provide finalists with a unique opportunity to increase international awareness, pitch in front of impact investors and establish a positive reputation in the impact ecosystem. Each Award grants the winner CHF 10’000.

The open call is launched yearly, every January. 

Who is it for?

  • Impact driven entrepreneurs with innovative tech solutions designed responsibly to contribute to at least one of the UN SDGs.
  • Europe-based (operations can be worldwide).
  • The positive impact dimension should be clearly reflected in the core business principles.

Award Categories

Why Tech for Impact?

When it comes to technological progress and global challenges, we live in fascinating yet demanding times. Technology can be a great tool for positive change, as innovative technologies often represent highly scalable solutions with potential to make a significant contribution to reach the UN SDGs.

This is why it is crucial to foster the positive potential of impact-driven tech entrepreneurs. It not only means integrating the impact dimension in the newest technological developments, but also to conduct and communicate the impact management and measurement transparently. We are pleased to see that a growing community starts to think in this direction.

What do we mean by impact-driven tech entrepreneurs?
We have a broad definition of impact-driven tech entrepreneurs spanning across all sectors ranging from solutions applying AI, AR, nanotech, robotics or material science to low tech solutions, digital platforms or drones. You have either created a new solution or apply existing technologies in an innovative way to create positive impact.

What do finalists benefit from?

  • Visibility and exposure to an European wide network of experts, corporates and investors.
  • The “quality” stamp of the Tech for Impact Awards reputation
    more attraction from investors and key partners: the Award finalists 2019-2021 have so far raised more than 120 million Swiss francs.
  • You can win prize money of a total of 30’000.- and non-financial support from our corporate partners.


Answers to other Frequently Asked Questions

Discover the SEIF Tech for Impact Awards brochures from 2020-2023 here.

What previous winners say

“The SEIF Tech for Impact Award had a significant influence on our development, in particular on the fundraising. It publicly showed our ambition to go towards impact driven entrepreneurship and attracted, as a result, impact driven investors. One year after, we are still in touch with several of them.” 

Etienne Jeoffroy
FenX Co-Founder and CEO

“2016 was a key year for us. We won the SEIF Award, which allowed us to register Mosan as a company and move to the next level. That year we worked a lot on our business model and established key partnerships in Central America.”

Mona Mijthab
Founder of Mosan

“The most important aspect of the award was the recognition we received from the nomination. The award also helped us to gain additional traction as an employer.”

Oliver Marchand

CEO & Co-Founder of CARBON DELTA

Discover all previous winners

Highlights from the SEIF Awards Ceremony