Growing
Further

2023/24 AWARD WINNERS UNVEILED

In a spectacular culmination of visionary ideas and groundbreaking innovations, the Growing Further Innovation Awards 2024 ceremony in Dublin brought together c. 160 industry leaders from finance, investment, retail, press, entrepreneurship, real estate, and academia. Marking a milestone in the conversation about the future of grocery retail supply chains.

We are delighted to announce the winners of the Growing Further Awards 2024, who shared a prize fund of €100,000. These innovative minds have not only demonstrated outstanding concepts, but have convinced the jury of experts, and proven their commitment to shaping the future of food.

MEET THE WINNERS

Spore.bio
Spore.bio

Overall Winner & Waste Reduction

Spore.bio

Spore Biotechnologies is developing the first instant pathogen detection device that can be used on factory floors to reduce food contamination. Its tech combines cutting-edge optical solutions with advanced machine learning models to reduce food waste.
spore.bio

Nerite.tech

PACKAGING & PRODUCTION

Nerit’e

Nerit’e is a start-up bringing together smart devices and traditional farming. The company’s product monitors agricultural soil nutrients in real time, integrating into any existing farming processes and providing lab-independent soil monitoring in seconds, allowing farmers to enhance fertilisation and season planning.
nerite.tech

Optiwiser.de

DISTRIBUTION

Optiwiser A.I. Solutions

A Munich-based start-up, Optiwiser aims to transform the entire food and beverage industry with AI-powered solutions. The company offers an AI-driven demand planning, inventory management and production scheduling software solution specifically tailored to the needs of the food and beverage industry.
optiwiser.de

Hibyrd.io
Hibyrd.io

RETAIL

Hibyrd

Hibyrd is a tech start-up that is optimising the energy consumption and CO2 emissions of real estate assets, providing a savings-as-a-service model. The company’s intelligent volt management platform analyses the energy patterns of real estate, identifying potential savings and optimal power supply.
hibyrd.io

Growing Further Awards

PEOPLE’S
CHOICE AWARD

VOTED FOR BY AUDIENCE MEMBERS

The Wonki Collective

The Wonki Collective is a tech start-up that is building a B2B matchmaking software allowing food and drink manufacturers to track food loss in their supply chain. The company’s platform finds surplus ingredients and by-products in the chain and matches them to buyers allowing users to make a profit on previously wasted items.
thewonkicollective.com

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
Growing Further Awards
Growing Further Awards
Growing Further Awards

PRIZE FUND

Each category winner received €12,500 while the overall winner will receive an additional €50,000, making their total prize €62,500.

Prize Fund

HOW TO APPLY

Step 1: Self-Assessment

The awards are open to anyone with innovative businesses (from very early-stage to more developed concepts) planning to positively impact any point of the grocery-retail supply chain.

If you have not been active for more than 5 years or if you have less than 30 employees, then the award programme might be right for you!

Step 2: Application

If you would like to apply, please fill out the application form:
HERE

Step 3: Shortlisting

Our judging process will assess all applications through the lens of “Innovation, Sustainability, Usability, and Scalability”. To learn more about our judging panel and how we will assess and weight our judging criteria click here.

Step 4: Video interview process

All shortlisted companies will be asked to attend a video interview which will allow them to pitch their product to our judging panel. From this process, the judges will choose the finalist who will be invited to the final Awards Day in January.

Step 5: Awards Day

Up to three entrants for each of the four categories will go forward to our Awards Day in January 2024 in Dublin for an opportunity to pitch their business to the judges in person. The four category winners will be announced on the day. Finally, the business who scores highest on the criteria of “Innovation, Sustainability, Usability & Scalability” will be declared the overall winner.

PRIZE FUND

Winners will be announced at the awards event in January 2025. Each category winner will receive €12,500 while the overall winner will receive an additional €50,000, making their total prize €62,500.