3 June, 2025 | News

Ready for our 20th Grand Final on June 17th?

Since 2005, the Philips Innovation Award has been the leading student entrepreneurship competition in the Netherlands. Over the years, many impactful startups have taken the stage — including well-known names like Felyx (shared scooters) and Lightyear (solar cars).

In 2025, PHIA proudly celebrates its 20th anniversary — a perfect moment to reflect on the impact of past participants and the growing importance of student-led entrepreneurship.

Meet the 8 Finalists

On Tuesday, June 17, eight ambitious startups will pitch their ideas live on stage during the 20th Grand Final at Theater Rotterdam. The competition features two categories:

Rough Diamond – early-stage startups with big potential (3 finalists)
Innovator – more advanced student startups (5 finalists)

All finalists have been carefully selected from over 200 applications, following a rigorous review by our Business Panel.

Scroll down to discover the stories of all 8 finalists and get inspired by their journeys!

An Evening of Innovation & Insight

Finalist pitches will be judged by a leading panel of industry experts, including:

Roy Jakobs (Philips)
Mark de Boer (Upfront)
Marleen Evertsz (Nxchange)
Herna Verhagen (PostNL)
Job van der Voort (Remote)
Pauline Wink (4impact Capital)

And don’t miss an exclusive on-stage interview with speakers including Ali Niknam, founder of Bunq, as he shares his entrepreneurial journey, Eline van Beest (Hybridise Therapeutics) and Joost Smit (Google).