EurASc proudly congratulates its member, Mara Freire, co-founder and CEO of RYA-Purification Technologies (RYAPURTECH) and researcher at the CICECO – Chemistry Department of the University of Aveiro, for being selected as one of the 40 top winners in the prestigious Women TechEU program. Chosen from 820 applicants, Mara Freire’s outstanding work in deep tech innovation places her among Europe’s leading female entrepreneurs.

The Women TechEU initiative, funded by the European Union, aims to support a total of 160 women-led startups across Europe through a series of four calls over the course of two years. Each selected entrepreneur receives €75,000 in financial support, along with a personalized business development program that includes mentoring, coaching, and specialized training. This initiative seeks to promote gender diversity in entrepreneurship, recognizing that innovation, growth, and sustainability are strongly driven by a diverse ecosystem.

Mara Freire, with her spin-off company RYAPURTECH, applied for the Women TechEU program to advance the development of a portfolio of immunoglobulin Y (IgY) therapies designed to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR)—one of the world’s most critical health challenges. Without innovative solutions, it is projected that AMR could be responsible for 10 million deaths annually by 2050. The Ymmune Project, supported by the Women TechEU funding, will facilitate continued pre-clinical trials and help further the growth of RYAPURTECH. This achievement not only drives forward critical health innovations but also highlights the importance of female leadership in Europe’s deep tech sector.

The European Academy of Sciences celebrates Mara Freire’s achievements and the impact of her work in fostering innovation, sustainability, and gender balance in the entrepreneurial landscape.

The image included is courtesy of the University of Aveiro, and this article is based on the news release available on their website.