Three innovative companies have won an award at the regional innovation contest of CIC Sud-Ouest. The winners, who each receive €10,000, will also go to Vivatech in Paris in June to showcase their expertise. Here is the list of winners.
The 2026 CIC Start Innovation Awards ceremony was held on March 26th. This year, the number of applications received was surprising for its magnitude. “We received about a hundred files from innovative companies! The award has now become well established in the innovation ecosystem from Bordeaux to Montpellier passing through Toulouse,” said Samira Boukhala, Innovation Business Officer. Out of the sixteen companies from the greater Southwest pre-selected to compete in this final phase, eight were able to make it to the ultimate stage with a pitch in front of the panel of experts and the public.
The event took place at the contemporary art museum of Bordeaux after a day where all companies participated in workshops (international development, financing, structuring, employee savings, investor pitch) led by experts and complemented by meetings with the jury and targeted advice sessions. The eight companies that reached the final had to convince the jury and the public. In the end, three winners received an award:
– Rupture Category: Water Horizon, based in Toulouse and created by Jean-Emmanuel Faure, developed a thermodynamic device that recovers waste heat from the waste incinerators in the Toulouse area and converts it into industrial cooling. They have recently raised €18 million to develop about ten projects. – Growth Category: Occical Therapeutics, located in Montpellier and founded by Sarah Colombani, specializes in developing the first preventive treatment for diaphragmatic dysfunction induced by mechanical ventilation (VIDD), a little-known but significant pathology affecting over 20 million patients on ventilatory support annually. – Impact Category – Public Prize: Needemand, from Montpellier, introduced “BorderAge,” a digital solution that verifies the age of the user through hand movements. It is deployed in 120 countries, ensuring security while preserving anonymity. It was represented by Jean-Michel Polit, sales director, and Kaim Chamassi.
The winners will be going to VivaTech in June. Each category winner received €10,000 to support their development. They will also benefit from development support through the CIC International Club and international visibility at VivaTech 2026 in Paris from June 17th to 20th, where they will present their innovation at the CIC booth.
The Rupture prize rewards innovations capable of transforming a market or industry. The Growth prize is for young companies in the acceleration phase, while the Impact prize, awarded by the public, recognizes initiatives that positively contribute to the technological ecosystem or the environment.
CIC Sud-Ouest launched the CIC Start Innovation Awards seven years ago, and in 2026, they introduced Start Innovation Awards At School, a competition for students aged 18 to 25. The 2026 winner is Circul’air, led by Simon Bediou, a student at Mines d’Alès in Gard. The project aims to protect children transported in cargo bikes from pollutants by creating a filter that allows air to pass while blocking fine particles and pollutants.
