Alumni stories

Where are past finalists now?

We have interviewed past finalists and winners of the Amsterdam Science & Innovation award. Watch their stories to see how the Amsterdam Science & Innovation Award has supported their entrepreneurial journey.

Arnon Lesage UvA: innovating agriculture for more sustainability

Scientist Arnon Lesage, AmSIA winner in 2021, is now CEO of start-up SolarFoil that develops a new type of nano foil that converts sunlight into optimal light for more efficient agriculture and horticulture.

Marissa de Boer and Chris Slootweg (UvA): creating a circular phosphate economy

In 2019, the research team of Chris Slootweg and Marissa de Boer won the award with the idea to recover phosphate waste as a resource and convert it into high value products.

Sem Vijverberg Vrije Universiteit: clever solutions in times of climate change

Sem Vijverberg, pre-finalist in 2021. works on long-range weather predictions that can play an important role in dealing with climate change and challenges such as potential crop failures and forest fires.

Nathalie de Vent UvA: improving neuropsychological diagnostics

In 2017, Nathalie de Vent won the award with the idea for a new online infrastructure for the improvement of neuropsychological diagnostics to test whether patients have a brain disease.

Maaike van Rest VU: understanding children’s perceptions

Maaike van Rest was a finalist in 2014. She registered with the idea for a diagnostic instrument that identifies the strengths and weaknesses of social information processing of children.

Jonathan Coutinho & Wouter Potters Amsterdam UMC: identifying stroke patients in ambulances

In 2018, Jonathan Coutinho and Wouter Potters winners won the award with the idea to measure the severity of the situation of a stroke patient in the ambulance with a mobile scanner.

Bram Schermers NKI:  improving breast cancer treatment

In 2016, Bram Schermers won the award with the idea for a magnetic localization technology that helps surgeons find the right tissue during surgery for breast cancer treatment.