SXSW 2025 Innovation Awards: A Glimpse into the Future of Technology and Society

Photo Courtesy of SXSW

By: Clara Faulkner

SXSW has revealed the 55 finalists for its 2025 Innovation Awards, showcasing a diverse range of projects from 11 categories, including Artificial Intelligence, Health & Biotech, Community Empowerment, and Sustainability Solutions.

The finalists, selected by a jury of industry experts from many entries, represent cutting-edge advancements across various sectors. These projects will be featured at the Innovation Awards Finalist Showcase on Saturday, March 8, from 2 to 5 p.m. at Griffin Hall in the JW Marriott Downtown Austin. The showcase will allow SXSW attendees to interact with the projects and vote for the People’s Choice Award.

The finalists for the 2025 SXSW Innovation Awards span various fields, reflecting the event’s commitment to highlighting impactful projects from across the globe. Some of the notable categories include:

Artificial Intelligence:

Wandercraft’s Self-Balancing Exoskeleton (New York, NY, USA)

Newton: AI for the Physical World (Palo Alto, CA, USA)

AI-Powered Small-Group Discussions (Dallas, TX, USA)

Health & Biotech:

TRAUMAGEL by Cresilon (Brooklyn, NY, USA)

Virtual Incision – Pioneering miniRAS (Lincoln, NE, USA)

Signia Active Pro IX Hearing Aids (Iselin, NJ, USA)

Community Empowerment:

Innovating to Make Abortion Affordable (New York, NY, USA)

SolarSPELL digital libraries (Tempe, AZ, USA)

Share@MealConnect (Chicago, IL, USA)

Sustainability Solutions:

Uluu (Perth, Western Australia, Australia)

Liquidplant™ by von Holzhausen (West Hollywood, CA, USA)

Voodin Biodegradable Wind Turbine Blades (Lichtenfels, Hesse, Germany)

Urban Experience:

Sustainable 3D-Printed homes by Azure (Los Angeles, CA, USA)

Skyline Match AI: GPS-Free Geolocation (Cambridge, MA, USA)

From Smart Campus to Real Smart Cities (Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil)

For more information about the finalists, visit the official SXSW website.