Singaporean doctor and medtech start-up entrepreneur Lynne Lim wins first prize at 2024 Cartier Women’s Initiative

Female changemakers from all over the world gathered at Shenzhen’s magnificent Bay Opera on the night of May 22. They came together to celebrate the 17th edition of the Cartier Women’s Initiative (CWI), an annual impact entrepreneurship programme started by the French jewellery house.

The CWI aims to support women impact entrepreneurs who are creating change in society. Since its inception in 2006, it has expanded to encompass 11 categories, including nine regional awards and two thematic awards – the Science & Technology Pioneer Award launched in 2021, and the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award introduced in 2023.

A distinguished jury selects the top three applicants in each category, awarding first, second, and third place and US$100,000 (S$135,003), US$60,000, and US$30,000 in grant funding respectively.

Beyond financial rewards, the awardees, known as “fellows”, join a community that gives them access to tailored mentoring and coaching, media visibility, networking opportunities and education courses from leading business school INSEAD.

PIONEERS IN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

This year, Singaporean Dr Lynne Lim, an ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon and founder of medical technology start-up NOUSQ, was one of three awardees in the Science & Technology Pioneer category. Dr Lim took home the top prize in the category. According to Cartier, there were a total of 234 applicants for the Science & Technology Pioneer category this year.

NOUSQ created CLiKX, the world’s first handheld robotic device for ear tube surgery without needing the use of microscopes or general anesthesia. The device is an innovative solution for Otitis Media with Effusion (OME), also known as “glue ear”, a condition where fluid builds up inside the middle ear and doesn’t go away. It is the leading cause of hearing loss in children.

Reflecting on her win, Dr Lim said: “I feel overwhelming gratitude for the many people who have supported me and NOUSQ’s CLiKX journey.” She expressed her pride at representing Singapore in the category. “This is a win for all little girls and women at all stages of life in Asia-Pacific. I hope to do better and be an encouragement,” she added.  

In the same category, Ninna Granucci from France, founder of Green Spot Technologies, took second place. Her company produces and markets fermented and upcycled food ingredients. Monika Tomecka, representing Scotland and Poland, took third place. Tomecka is the CEO of Ufraction8, a company that develops microfluidic-based filter systems that can help bio-manufacturers such as lab-grown meat producers harvest and process products more efficiently.

Wingee Sin, global programme director of CWI, expressed the initiative's aspirations to expand the Science & Technology category in upcoming editions. “Women entrepreneurs in deep tech face more barriers than others. For Cartier, it has been a wonderful journey to see more women deep tech entrepreneurs connecting with each other and seeing the impact they are able to make and we hope to continue to grow the category.”

ASIA’S IMPACT ENTREPRENEURS

This year, a total of 33 fellows were selected for the programme. Standout awardees from the Asia region included Jiwon Park from South Korea, founder of sexual wellness brand SAIB. The company aims to help women take charge of their sexual and reproductive health with toxin-free, female-friendly contraceptives and intimate hygiene products in portable, discreet packaging. Park clinched the top prize for the East Asia category, with China’s Emily Yu, founder of Ginger Ah, a lingerie line for breast cancer patients, taking second place and Xintong Du, founder of VoiceChanger, which provides therapy and support for children with speech impediments, taking third place.

In the South Asia and Central Asia category, India’s Mansi Jain, founder of wastewater treatment company DigitalPaani took first place. Ira Guha, founder of menstrual health social enterprise Asan, which aims to end period poverty in India and globally, took second place. In third place was Vietnam’s Marina Tran-Vu. Tran-Vu, the programme’s first fellow from Vietnam, is founder of EQUO, a sustainable brand that provides easy alternatives to single-use plastics.

WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN

Highlights of the award’s ceremony, hosted by comedian, writer and gender equality champion, Sandi Toksvig, included an evocative opening performance by the dance department of the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music.

The night also featured speeches by Guo Jingjing, China’s Olympic diving champion and advocate for public welfare and environmental protection, and supermodel and philanthropist Karlie Kloss, who founded a free coding programme for young girls. 

The Chinese city of Shenzhen was chosen as the host city for the awards ceremony this year due to its reputation as the “entrepreneurship hub of China”, said Sin. “One in every five citizens in Shenzhen is an entrepreneur and if you look at the rankings of the top entrepreneurs in China, the highest number of top women entrepreneurs are based in Shenzhen,” she added.

The theme Forces for Good was carried forward from last year to mirror the CWI programme’s ambition to broaden its reach and to foster a more just and equitable world.

This year, a parenthood support programme was introduced, acknowledging the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in balancing business and caregiving responsibilities and to provide meaningful support and resources to empower them.

“Within every CWI cohort, we usually have a few growing bellies. We were thinking of ways to support women impact entrepreneurs on their motherhood journeys while they participate in the programme. We provide a stipend to the fellows for childcare support,” Sin explained, adding that the scheme is also open to fathers in the programme (the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion award is open to all genders, though there were no male finalists this year).

Sin believes that the CWI programme mirrors Cartier’s values in a myriad of ways. “We have many Cartier values reflected in the fellows that we selected in the programme,” she said. “Boldness is a big Cartier value and that’s one thing [we look out for] in women impact entrepreneurs. Many of them exhibit courage and ambition to create change through their businesses. Generosity and caring beyond oneself is another value we look out for.”

While access to funding is undoubtedly one of the key benefits of the programme, for awardees such as Singapore’s Dr Lim, it is the broader exposure and association with a globally recognised brand like Cartier that she anticipates will significantly impact her business. “The visibility is unmatched. We have been put through a rigorous selection process and the programme’s credibility is something invaluable,” Dr Lim told CNA Luxury.

Beyond that, what excites Dr Lim the most is the ability to tap into a lifelong community. According to Cartier, the CWI community is a global network of more than 700 impact leaders from around the world, including current and previous fellows, mentors, coaches and other programme partners. “All the fellows have been so helpful, even across different industries,” she noted.