Zurich - Michela Puddu has won an European innovation prize for women. She is co-founder and CEO of the Zurich start-up Haelixa, which develops DNA-based tracing substances to make the origin of products more transparent.

Michela Puddu was one of the winners at the award ceremony of the EU Prize for Women Innovators 2019 in Paris in the rising innovator category. Puddu is co-founder and CEO of the Zurich-based start-up Haelixa. The company uses a new generation of DNA-based tracing solutions for product identification to prevent counterfeiting, with special focus on sustainable products such as organic cotton.

Haelixa is a spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich. Puddu set up the company with Gediminas Mikutis. The two of them worked on tracing technology whilst completing their PhD theses and recognised its market potential.

The EU Prize for Women Innovators is awarded to EU women who have started their own company. The special prize for Rising Innovator is awarded to female entrepreneurs under 35 who are at the beginning of their careers.

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