Spiral Hydrogen emerged as the winner of this year’s Prototron final on May 22, taking home a €35,000 prize for its groundbreaking mission to make green hydrogen more affordable than its fossil-fuel counterpart. Competing for a total prize pool of €75,000, the startup impressed judges with its bold vision and strong research-driven approach to sustainable energy innovation.
Brait Pilvik, head of Prototron, highlighted that the winners stood out for their great ambition and strong cooperation in the field of research and development. “Currently, 99% of the hydrogen produced worldwide comes from fossil fuels because green hydrogen is still too expensive. Spiral Hydrogen is working to make clean, green hydrogen affordable and accessible, accelerating the transition to a sustainable energy future. We sincerely hope they bring their vision to life!”
Spiral Hydrogen began operations in September 2024, when they completed the design of their initial product prototype. Three months later, after the concept for their electrolyzer was validated, the company also filed for a patent. The support from Prototron will be directed toward developing the final prototype, which will be tested in collaboration with Estonian telecommunications companies.
In addition, two medical technology solutions received €20,000 each in prize money. One of them is Omacure, which is developing a non-invasive and accurate solution for early cancer detection. Their technology is based on studying the gut microbiome and utilizing artificial intelligence to identify the disease in its early stages.
The other, Asvel, is bringing innovation to surgery by developing autonomous endoscopic camera systems. These systems help make laparoscopic and arthroscopic surgeries more precise, smoother, and safer. The result is better control, fewer errors, and more efficient work in the operating room.
Anne-Liisa Elbrecht, head of the Tehnopol Startup Incubator, is pleased to see that health technology companies shined out. “The rising costs in the healthcare sector and the pressure to find more optimal solutions provide a solid foundation for innovative, technology-based ideas. Tehnopol has over a decade of experience supporting the creation, growth, and development of health technology companies,” said Elbrecht. According to her, the winning teams Omacure and Asvel have strong potential to advance the field and embody the values they strive for – science-based development, user-centricity, and international growth potential.
The significant growth of science- and research-oriented ideas among Prototron candidates also means innovative solutions are supported by Swedbank. “We are very pleased to see an increasing number of science-intensive projects among the Prototron finalists. These types of projects take the most time to reach the market and require substantial resources for prototyping. At Swedbank, we are happy to support companies that bring science and innovation to the market,” said Triin Preem, head of Swedbank’s startup segment.
Swedbank, TalTech, and the Tehnopol Science and Business Park have jointly created the Prototron fund to develop and finance the creation of prototypes for technological ideas. Over twelve years, Prototron has funded 106 projects with approximately €1.4 million, and the teams have raised more than €85 million in follow-up investments.
