The SXSW Innovation Awards recognize the most exciting, most promising and most inspiring new endeavors across 13 different categories.

This competition highlights new projects that have been launched in the last 12 months. Unlike SXSW Pitch (which focuses on the forward-thinking business models of new startups), the SXSW Innovation Awards showcase the merits of specific releases — these releases can come from either new or established companies.

From the hundreds of submissions to this competition, a committee of expert judges helps select the five most deserving finalists in each category.

A new element for the 2023 SXSW Innovation Awards is the Innovation at Work Awards, presented by The Mentor Method. Formally known as the Mosaic Awards, these awards acknowledge and celebrate exemplary leadership in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace with a clear, positive impact. Stay tuned for more information and to apply for the Innovation at Work Awards.

Winners will be announced and presented their awards at the 25th annual SXSW Innovation Awards Ceremony on the evening of Monday, March 13 at the Austin Convention Center. Winners of the Innovation At Work Awards will also be honored at this March 13 ceremony.

Eligibility

A project or product entered into the Awards must have launched or have been completely redesigned in calendar year 2021 (between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021.)

For Awards eligibility, “launched” may mean any of the following things:

• When a discovery is made, when a scientific paper is published, or when a patent is approved;
• When a physical device is made tangible, (i.e., a prototype);
• When the applicable regulatory body (FDA, FCC, etc.) approves a product or procedure for use;
• When the product is made commercially available; or
• When a project is publicly released.