Women in AI (WAI) France Awards

The Women in AI (WAI) France Awards celebrate outstanding achievements by female researchers, founders, corporate executives, and social innovators driving responsible artificial intelligence across France.

Beyond regional visibility, winners gain direct entry to WAI's global network, ecosystem pitch opportunities, and institutional support across Europe.

Applicants select one primary category that aligns with their professional track:

1. WAI Founder / Entrepreneur Award: Celebrating female founders who have successfully built, commercialized, or scaled an AI-driven venture.

2. AI Researcher Award: Highlighting outstanding academic or industrial scientific contributions advancing applied or theoretical AI.

3. AI for Social Impact / Diversity & Inclusion Award: Honoring leaders using AI to address climate change, healthcare equity, ethics, bias reduction, or social justice.

4. Young Innovator / Rising Star Award: Recognizing early-career researchers, students, or young founders demonstrating exceptional promise in the AI ecosystem.

5. Corporate Leadership / Tech Exec Award: Acknowledging senior women driving AI transformation, ethics, and deployment inside enterprises.

• Direct Capital & Prizes: Non-monetary trophy awards paired with access to computational credits, corporate sponsorships, and incubation perks from WAI France ecosystem partners.

• Equity Terms: 0% Equity / 100% Non-Dilutive Award (0% equity taken; completely free to apply or nominate).

• Mainstage Showcase & Pitch: Finalists present their work live during the WAI France Awards Ceremony in Paris before an audience of VCs, academic leaders, and corporate executives.

1. Gender & Identity: Open to individuals identifying as women who hold leadership, research, or core development roles in AI.

2. Geographic Connection: Applicants or nominees must be based in France or driving AI projects with a primary footprint in the French tech ecosystem.

3. Project Maturity: Open to early-stage working prototypes, published research papers, commercialized MVPs, and mature enterprise deployments.

4. Submission Format: Self-applications and third-party nominations are both accepted via the WAI online portal.

Submissions are scored by an independent panel of AI scientists, investors, and ecosystem leaders across four core dimensions:

• Technological Innovation & Originality: Technical depth, unique AI application, or novel research approach.

• Measurable Impact: Economic, environmental, or social value generated by the project/research.

• Leadership & Role Modeling: Commitment to empowering women and underrepresented groups in deep tech.

• Responsible & Ethical AI Practices: Alignment with EU AI Act principles, data privacy, and fairness.