The Amsterdam Science & Innovation Awards 2025 were presented at the NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam. Readler: a revolution in speech therapy for children received the Award in the Society category, LightUp: a pill-sized camera for the early detection of esophageal cancer received the award in the Health category, and BOR-LYTE: Environmentally Friendly Borate Electrolytes won in the Environment and Climate category. The winners each receive €10,000 to further develop their idea and bring it to market.

The innovation awards are an initiative of Innovation Exchange Amsterdam (IXA). The Awards are a reward for innovative ideas from young scientists. They are all affiliated with Amsterdam’s universities and knowledge institutions. After a short live pitch by the nine finalists, the jury assessed whether the ideas were innovative enough, could actually improve society, and were commercially viable.

“I am incredibly proud of the breadth of innovative ideas and the passion with which scientists work on their products,” said jury chair İlknur Dönmez, Director of Economic Affairs and Culture at the City of Amsterdam, at the award ceremony. “The three winners distinguish themselves by not only seeking economic value, but also looking at added value for the community.”

Category Society:

Quint Wiersma, Francisco Blasques (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam): Readler: a revolution in speech therapy for children: an innovative, AI-based digital assistant

Approximately 80 percent of speech therapy practices have a waiting list. Sometimes the waiting time is more than a year. Readler is a digital assistant that gives children tailored feedback on their speech and pronunciation. The AI-driven tool is not a replacement, but a supplement to the teacher, speech therapist, or parent and offers detailed guidance to help children improve their speech.

Category Health:

Anouk Post, Tyla Danskin, Johannes de Boer (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam): LightUp: a pill-sized camera for the early detection of esophageal cancer

Early detection of esophageal cancer is vital. People at increased risk currently undergo an endoscopy. This procedure misses a quarter of early tumors, is stressful for patients, and is labor-intensive. An advanced camera the size of a pill combines photos with a technique that makes cancer cells glow. A simple and patient-friendly procedure that detects 27 percent more cancer cases at an early stage.

Category Environment & Climate:

Florenz Buß, Valentin Geiger, Bas de Jong, Chris Slootweg (University of Amsterdam): BOR-LYTE: Environmentally friendly borate electrolytes

BOR-LYTE makes environmentally friendly batteries for energy storage using borate, a natural mineral, and residual materials from other industries. The technology is based on environmentally friendly borate electrolytes for sodium-ion batteries, using boron ore and industrial boron waste. This reduces the environmental impact and dependence on scarce materials, and is a safer and more sustainable alternative to lithium-based systems. The goal is to create affordable, reliable energy storage for renewable energy sources.

Impact Awards for Erik Sistermans, Joyeeta Gupta, Tessa Roseboom, and Jaap Seidell

At the event in NEMO, four Impact Awards were also presented to leading scientists for their many years of meaningful contributions to society.

Health: Erik Sistermans (Amsterdam UMC) receives the Impact Award for the further development and application of the NIPT (Non-Invasive Prenatal Test). The NIPT blood test offers pregnant women a more reliable and safer alternative for the early detection of chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus.

Society: Tessa Roseboom (Amsterdam UMC) is conducting long-term research into the consequences of the Hunger Winter of 1944-1945. She demonstrates that (the lack of) nutrition of the mother during pregnancy has consequences for the physical and mental health of her children and grandchildren. That is why she advocates investing in a good start to every human life.

Environment & Climate: Joyeeta Gupta (University of Amsterdam) focuses her research on climate justice, environmental management, and sustainable development. Gupta’s mission is to make consumers and producers aware of their emissions and their responsibility towards others who are affected by them worldwide.

The special Impact Award in the context of ‘Amsterdam 750 years’ goes to health scientist Jaap Seidell (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam). Twenty years ago, he established the Health Sciences program at the VU. His research focused on nutrition, health, and prevention and care for obesity and type 2 diabetes in the Netherlands. The common thread was a healthier environment for young people.