Open Calls

She Shapes AI Opens 2025/26 Global Awards For Women In Responsible AI

by THEFUTURE.TEAM
October 16, 2025

Overview

She Shapes AI, founded in 2024, is now accepting applications for its 2025/26 Global Awards, opening 15 October 2025. The annual awards spotlight women leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators using artificial intelligence responsibly to create real-world social impact.

Participation offers more than recognition. It provides access to a global ecosystem of partners, experts, and opportunities looking for AI projects that combine innovation with ethics and accountability.

How to Apply

  • The application window opens on 15 October 2025 and remains open until 8 December 2025, 11:59 PM CET.
  • Applications are submitted via the Awards Platform (linked through the She Shapes AI site).
  • Prospective applicants should carefully review the award categories, evaluation criteria, and submission guidelines posted on the platform.

Who Should Apply / Eligibility

  • The Awards are designed for women innovators, leaders, entrepreneurs, or professionals working in AI or AI-adjacent domains.
  • Applicants should be driving projects, solutions, or leadership in AI with a focus on responsible, impactful, ethical AI.
  • Participants from around the world are welcome.
  • Participants can nominate themselves or nominate a leader who is creating impact with responsible AI.

Award Categories

The 2025/26 Awards spotlight female leaders and innovators who advance and use AI responsibly across ten categories, crossing sectors and disciplines. Each category celebrates a unique nexus of innovation, responsibility, and impact.

The categories are:

  • AI + the Future of Work
  • AI + Education
  • AI + Finance
  • AI + Health
  • AI + Food Agriculture
  • AI + Trust & Security
  • AI + Media & Creative Industries
  • AI + Climate
  • Thought Leadership in AI
  • AI Wild Card

Benefits

  • Visibility & amplification across She Shapes AI’s channels and partner networks.
  • Network access to leaders, investors, and organisations seeking responsible AI talent and solutions.
  • Entry into a global community connecting innovation with ethics and social impact. 

How to Apply / Nominate

  • Window opens 15 Oct 2025 and closes 8 Dec 2025, 23:59 CET.
  • Submit via the awards platform linked from the She Shapes AI site.
  • Review the categories, criteria, and submission guidelines on the platform before you start the application.

About She Shapes AI

Founded by Dr Julia Stamm, She Shapes AI is a platform and movement dedicated to amplifying women’s leadership in responsible artificial intelligence. The organisation builds bridges between AI innovation, ethics, and social outcomes by offering awards, training, events, and networks that support women in AI globally. 

The Global Awards are a flagship initiative, now in its second edition, aimed at elevating voices, projects, and leaders who are shaping AI with vision, integrity, and impact.

U2V Launches Europe-Wide Push To Fund University Spin-Off Deeptech

by THEFUTURE.TEAM
December 17, 2025

U2V (University2Ventures) has announced a first close of its inaugural venture fund, Fund I, which is targeting €60m to invest in pre-seed and seed deeptech university spin-offs across Europe. The fund focuses on startups emerging from academic research that are developing technologies with industrial and commercial applications.

Benefits

Startups backed by U2V receive early-stage venture capital and access to an industrial network that the fund says includes more than 500 corporate partners. The fund’s model is built around supporting early technical validation, pilot projects and go-to-market development, particularly for technologies requiring close collaboration with industry.

U2V also works closely with European universities and technology transfer offices, highlighting their relationships with institutions such as TU Munich, ETH Zurich, RWTH Aachen, Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London, DTU Denmark, Politecnico di Milano, and École Polytechnique.

Who can apply

The fund targets:

  • University spin-offs and startups commercialising academic research
  • Companies at the pre-seed or seed stage
  • Founders working in AI and novel computing, industrial technologies, and cleantech
  • Startups based in Europe, as defined by the fund’s stated geographic scope

How to apply

Founders are encouraged to approach the fund directly through its official channels by sharing a pitch deck and outlining the academic origin of the technology, its commercial potential, and industrial use case.

About the fund

U2V (University2Ventures) was founded by Philipp Semmer, Michael Schmitt, and Johannes Triebs. Fund I is targeting €60m in total; the amount raised at first close has not been disclosed publicly, although the firm has described it as being in the “strong double-digit millions”.

Jungheinrich, through its venture arm Uplift Ventures, is an anchor investor in the fund, alongside family offices, founders and industry executives.

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