The winners of the 2nd edition of the Startup Impact Program were selected by Żabka Group and Kozminski Business Hub
The winners of the 2nd edition of the Startup Impact Program were selected by Żabka Group and Kozminski Business Hub
Eice, Seasoil, Vermico, winners of the 2nd Startup Impact Program. The startups awarded in the competition will continue to develop over the next few months under the supervision of experts from the Żabka Group and Kozminski Business Hub. Participation in the acceleration is also an opportunity to cooperate with entities of the Group and to test their solutions in the fastest-growing chain of convenience stores in Poland.
Żabka Group is constantly looking for innovative solutions, the implementation of which is aimed at accelerating the development of the convenience ecosystem. It does this through Venture Studio, whose task is to search for and attract to the organization modern solutions giving a new perspective to the whole Group. Projects are selected according to current business needs, taking into account the most important trends that stimulate the development of the retail industry not only in Poland but also in the world. The acceleration programs run by the Żabka Group – Foodtech Lab, the Startup Impact Program, and the Żabka Future Lab – provide significant support in this process.
Developmental acceleration for winning startups
The Startup Impact Program focuses on supporting young companies that are committed to positive change. This is the second time that startups whose operations deliver on selected UN Sustainable Development Goals have been recruited.
The winning projects in the second edition of the competition are the development of energy-free fast beverage cooling (E-ice); biopolymer production (Seasoil); the development of intelligent composters suitable for use in urban and even office environments (Vermico).
– For the three winning startups, the acceleration phase begins – the winners of the program will receive substantial support from Kozminski Business Hub experts and the opportunity to test their solutions in the environment of the Żabka Group. The test path will be tailored to the individual needs of each project. This will allow each of the young companies to maximize their business potential – says Karol Gajewicz, Head of Venture Studio, Żabka Group.
Support for innovative entrepreneurs
The organizers were looking for solutions in the field of reducing the carbon footprint, among others through the realization of innovative projects and low-carbon cooling of food; packaging of the future, adapted for recycling or composting. Another group of projects focused on: entrepreneurial development – skills and competencies facilitating entrepreneurship in the modern economy. Attention was also drawn to projects aimed at improving the well-being of children and young people and facilitating their empowerment and start-up in the labor market, with a particular focus on young people at risk of social exclusion.
The Startup Impact Program evaluated product prototypes or service concepts. The MVP, i.e. the minimum version of the product that can be tested, was also considered.
More about the winners of the 2nd Startup Impact Program
E-ice is an eco-friendly startup solution that allows you to cool any drink in a very short time, using carbon dioxide and without using electricity. Seasoil is a company that manufactures biopolymers, which are used to make packaging, but not only packaging. Novel biopolymers allow packaging to be decomposed under all environmental conditions. Vermico creates intelligent composters suitable for use in urban and even office environments. Composters based on the work of California earthworms contain systems that monitor and support the decomposition process.
Winners of the 1st edition of the Startup Impact Program
The recently completed Startup Impact Program is already the second edition of the acceleration program organized by the Żabka Group together with Kozminski Business Hub. The winners of the first edition were: Hempeat – a startup producing meat substitutes based on hemp grains; Epicer – the developer of an application using artificial intelligence to create personalized recipes, allowing for food waste reduction; Res Solution – a system enabling efficient management of energy, water, gas, heat, and automation of processes and operation of devices.
Responsibility Report 2023