Yesterday evening, the Austrian trade association together with the Austria Wirtschaftsservice (aws) and the cooperation partners EY Austria, REWE Group, invest.austria, IKEA, CRIF, Mediashop, Food Innovators, Skinnovation and media partner Trending Topics sixth edition of the “European Retail Startup Night” loaded into the JO&JOE Vienna – IKEA Westbahnhof. The event focused on Austrian and European retail startups with a focus on AI and sustainability. The goal? The networking of innovative founders with European trading companies and the investor scene as well as the promotion of future-oriented innovations and technologies in retail.
Record #1: More than 50 submissions
From more than 50 applications (Submission record!) 6 startups were selected in advance and were allowed to present their product or service and the associated business model live on stage in three minutes on October 24th. We were there this year Happy Plates, AIPERIA, goodbag, BeVi AI, afreshed and Sticklett Tech.
The top-class jury included this one Florian Haas (EY Austria), Bea Landl (MAXFIVE), Bernhard Lehner (startup300) and Georg Sladek (Agro Innovation Lab of Raiffeisen Ware Austria).
Retail Startup of the Year 2024: AIPERIA (Germany)
The German company was the big winner of the evening and Retail Startup of the Year 2024 ABIERIA out. The software startup, founded in Würzburg in 2021 by Jan Meller, Fabian Taigel and Franz Seubert, specializes in sustainable demand planning for fresh food. For this purpose, AIPERIA has developed an AI planning solution that makes it possible to plan consistently from production to the supermarket shelf to the end consumer and to use predictions to reduce food waste. Founder and CEO Franz Seubert convinced the jury with a great pitch.
took second place goodbag – the world’s first smart shopping bag that cleans the ocean and plants trees every time it is reused. The Viennese scaleup from CEO Christoph Hantschk with additional locations in Lisbon, London, Tokyo and Melbourne, cooperates with retailers such as Denner and Continente, among others, and promotes sustainable consumer behavior.
Third place went to the Klagenfurt startup Sticklett Tech von Michaela and Markus Schicho. Sticklett is a health-conscious brand for smart baby care products and high-quality baby and children’s textiles. Top: The entire collections are made in the EU.
Record #2: More than 180 guests
More than 180 guests (Visitor record!) were on site at the Retail Startup Night this year, including numerous final decision-makers from retail. They experienced an event of superlatives.
“In a time when technologies, markets and consumer behavior are changing faster than companies can react to them, a permanent analysis of all trends is essential. Hardly any platform is better suited for this than our Retail Startup Night,” says Handelsverband-Managing Director Rainer Will. “Together with our cooperation partners, we offer a direct exchange that is aimed specifically at startups and scaleups, trading companies, technology providers, business angels and investors. We warmly congratulate the six finalists and the winner AIPERIA.”
The European Retail Startup Night 2024 was organized by Antonia Rinesch as well as Helen Krüger and Moritz Weinhofer (aws) moderated. The other speakers were Oliver Allmoslechner (Wonda), Niki feed (invest.austria), Stefan Kotynek (STOMACH), Victoria Neuhofer (DAMN PLASTIC), Vada Prosquill (Leaders in Heels), Ben Ruschin (Big Cheese Ventures) and trade association executive director Rainer Will.
You can find further information about the event as well as press photos to download HERE
Information about the startup partnership of the trade association for retail-relevant young companies HERE